HB 655 Summary: Nursing Homes and Related Health Care Facilities

• Establishes power restoration priority requirements for public utilities to prioritize service restoration to nursing homes and assisted living facilities during emergencies.

• Creates an independent Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman within the Department of Elderly Affairs, contracted to a private nonprofit organization, to investigate complaints and protect resident rights and autonomy.

• Permits residents to use electronic monitoring devices (cameras and audio) in their nursing home rooms at their own expense, prohibiting facilities from discriminating against residents based on monitoring use.

• Requires nursing homes to establish internal resident safety and quality-of-care coordinator programs with incident reporting systems, annual reporting to the state, and creates a public report card on facility performance.

• Strengthens nursing home financial responsibility requirements, increases penalties for violations and interference with ombudsman activities, mandates emergency power systems adequate for 96+ hours, and requires medical examiner investigations of nursing home deaths.