MA S470

Establishes mandatory state licensure for home care agencies through the Secretary of Health and Human Services, with provisional licenses available for up to 120 days and requirements including background checks, workers' compensation insurance, and staff training on topics such as dementia care, infection control, and abuse reporting

Creates a 16-member Home Care Worker and Consumer Abuse Stakeholder Advisory Committee to develop standards addressing physical, verbal, and mental abuse of home care workers, personal care attendants, and consumers, with initial recommendations due within 6 months

Establishes a Home Care Oversight Advisory Council to advise on licensure regulations and conduct reviews of implementation, including analysis of home care market availability across regions

Requires home care agencies to maintain emergency preparedness plans, meet quality metrics, provide detailed service contracts with written costs, and submit annual reports on performance and finances

Extends anti-discrimination protections under Chapter 151B to employers of personal care attendants, including individual consumers who employ attendants