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Committee backs bill extending home‑care licensure and training to private‑pay providers
Summary
Senate Bill 120, which would require private‑pay home‑care agencies to obtain Arkansas Department of Health licensure, meet training standards established in 2023 and undergo background checks, passed committee after competing testimony from family advocates and private‑agency owners.
Senate Bill 120, a consumer‑protection measure to extend licensing, training and background‑check requirements to private‑pay home‑care agencies, passed the Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee following extended testimony from advocates, providers and state health officials.
David Cook, director of government affairs for the Alzheimer’s Association, described the bill as closing “the gap” between Medicaid‑funded and private‑pay home‑care providers, saying the 2023 training standards currently apply only to agencies that accept Medicaid. He told the committee the proposal would extend licensure and training requirements — and a $1,000 licensure fee already used for Medicaid providers — to private‑pay agencies so families in crisis can rely on vetted caregivers.
Jacqueline Ryan of Springdale recounted long-term problems with a private‑pay caregiver for her father, including alleged financial exploitation and missed care; she described multiple incidents and said Adult Protective Services could not act because her father was not a Medicaid recipient. “Can you fathom allowing someone to come into your home that’s not background checked or fingerprinted into your vulnerable loved one’s home while you’re away?” she asked.
Private‑pay agency owners, including Stan Tansil and Megan Townsend, opposed aspects of the bill, especially a requirement for federal fingerprint checks for applicants who have not lived in Arkansas for five years. Tansil and Townsend said rural applicants would face long drives to be fingerprinted and that many agencies already comply with ADH standards; they called some bill language inconsistent and said the measure would add cost and administrative burden.
Matt Gilmore of the Arkansas Department of Health told the committee state law requires a state background check for applicants who’ve lived in Arkansas five years or more and a federal check for those who have not. He confirmed the department holds licensing authority for the Medicaid‑certified providers and said the agency is prepared to implement licensure for a broader set of providers.
After questions, proponents moved to pass; the committee approved SB120 by voice vote.
