Attorney General Charity Clark has joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter opposing the federal government’s Interim Final Rule, which seeks to remove minimum staffing standards and other regulations for long-term health care facilities. The coalition argues that despite the repeal of the Nursing Home Reform initiative by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, there is still a need for regulations to ensure quality care and better health outcomes for residents in skilled nursing facilities.
The Nursing Home Reform initiative was introduced by the Biden-Harris administration in May 2024 following recommendations from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at the Department of Health and Human Services. This initiative set national requirements for minimum nursing hours per resident day, mandated registered nurses on site around the clock, and established minimum staffing levels for certified nurse assistants. Research indicates that higher staffing levels and improved staff quality lead to better care, greater attentiveness, fewer negative outcomes, and significant savings in Medicare costs by reducing emergencies and hospitalizations.
“With the reforms having been overturned by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, regulations still must exist to improve quality of care and patient health outcomes for residents in skilled nursing facilities across the United States,” according to the coalition’s comment letter.
Attorney General Clark is joined by attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.
A copy of the comment letter can be found on their website.
