Eight of the 14 members of the Senate Education and Health Committee voted against the nursing facility staffing mandate bill SB 406 on a motion to report and refer the bill to the Senate Finance Committee. It is expected HB 330, HB 646 will be heard by a subcommittee of the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee on February 8.

In presenting SB 406, Sen. George Barker discussed how the enactment of the mandate would be contingent on increased Medicaid reimbursement for increased staff and the implementation of the Medicaid Nursing Facility Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program. Barker noted that facilities needed time to hire caregivers because of the job losses in the sector. Members of the committee expressed concerns about the concept of staffing standards in general and support for the VBP Program.

Senators who voted against SB 406, which was VHCA-VCAL’s position on the measure, were:

• John Cosgrove (R-Chesapeake)
• Siobhan Dunnavant (R-Henrico)
• John Edwards (D-Roanoke)
• Lynwood Lewis (D-Accomack)
• Steve Newman (R-Lynchburg)
• Mark Peake (R-Lynchburg)
• Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax)
• Todd Pillion (R-Abingdon)

Senators who voted in favor of motion to report and rerefer the bill were:

• George Barker (D-Fairfax; bill patron)
• Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield)
• Janet Howell (D-Fairfax)
• Mamie Locke (D-Hampton)
• Chairwoman Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth)
• Dick Saslaw (D-Fairfax)

Sen. David Suetterlein abstained from the vote.