SB 482 Summary

• Clarifies that nursing home resident transfer and discharge procedures are governed by nursing home law (s. 400.0255) rather than general landlord-tenant law.

• Eliminates requirement that resident care plans be signed by director of nursing or registered nurse, removing restrictions on use of agency/temporary nurses.

• Deletes multiple licensing application requirements including signed affidavits about financial interests, civil verdicts/judgments, bed counts, and quality assurance plans; makes disclosure of financial interests discretionary upon agency request.

• Repeals section 400.145 (resident records) and section 400.148 (Medicaid "Up-or-Out" Quality of Care Contract Management Program) and removes various reporting requirements for facilities regarding staffing ratios, ownership interests, and bankruptcy filings.

• Authorizes nursing homes to charge reasonable fees for copying resident records ($1 per page for first 25 pages, $0.25 per page thereafter) and establishes specific staffing requirements for facilities serving persons under 21 years of age (3.9-5 hours direct care per resident per day depending on medical needs).