MA H794

Nursing home administrators must certify under penalty of perjury at the start of each fiscal year that the facility's budget and staffing are sufficient to meet all residents' care needs, with the medical director required to counter-sign the certification

"Care needs" encompasses programs, services, staffing, dietary, recreational, rehabilitative, and medical equipment identified in resident care plans, plus housing and management costs

Administrators who fail to certify budget sufficiency face automatic license suspension by the Board of Registration of Nursing Home Administrators, and facilities cannot accept new residents until a valid certification is submitted

Department of Public Health may impose sanctions including license revocation or receivership on facilities found to have insufficient budgets after a public hearing

Administrators and medical directors who signed sufficiency affidavits, or facility owners who operated without one, may face criminal and civil liability for adverse events resulting from insufficient budgets; implementing regulations due by July 1, 2027