Temporary Nurse Staffing Bill Faces Delays
Temporary Nurse Staffing Bill Faces Delays
Reporting deadline extended as prospects for passage narrow this session
Legislative Update
Temporary Nurse Staffing Legislation Reporting Deadline Extended
HCA-supported legislation addressing temporary nurse staffing in home health and hospice has received additional time in the House, though its path this session remains uncertain.
The bill would give the Department of Public Health authority to expand existing temporary nurse staffing regulations to include home health and hospice agencies—an issue the Alliance says is increasingly important as high-cost staffing contracts continue to strain providers.
Legislation supported and initiated by HCA, H.2408, An Act Relative to Staffing at Home Health and Hospice Agencies, has been granted an extension by the Committee on Health Care Financing to mid-June.
The bill would give the Department of Public Health statutory authority to expand current Temporary Nurse Staffing regulations to include home health and hospice providers. Existing regulation already establishes caps for hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, but it does not currently apply to home health and hospice agencies.
Despite the House extension, the bill faces a difficult path this session. The Senate companion has been sent to study, a move that typically halts progress for the current legislative cycle.
Why the issue matters
For providers, the gap in current law is significant. Home health and hospice agencies remain outside the protections that cap excessive staffing contract costs in other care settings, even as workforce shortages continue to drive reliance on temporary staffing.
That combination—limited workforce supply and rising contract rates—continues to create financial pressure for agencies already operating within flat or constrained reimbursement environments.
Key points
- H.2408 would authorize DPH to expand Temporary Nurse Staffing regulations to home health and hospice agencies.
- Current TNS caps apply to hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, but not to home health and hospice.
- The bill was granted a House extension to mid-June.
- The Senate companion has been sent to study, making passage this session unlikely.
- Without action, providers remain exposed to continued cost pressure from high-rate staffing contracts.
What comes next
The extension keeps the issue alive in the House and allows more time for discussion and stakeholder engagement. Even so, with the Senate no longer moving its version, the likelihood of final passage this session appears low.
That makes this less a conclusion than a continuation. The underlying issue remains unresolved, and the legislation may need to be revisited in a future session if the Commonwealth is to address staffing market pressures affecting home health and hospice agencies.