Committee backs House Bill 28 to merge nursing-home and residential-care administrator boards

Representative Dore Healy, who represents District 15 (West Boise and a portion of Meridian), told the Health and Welfare Committee that House Bill 28 would merge the Board of Nursing Home Administrators and the Board of Residential Care Facility Administrators.

Healy said the consolidation follows a national trend and aims to reduce duplication and administrative overhead. He noted that the two boards are presently running deficits but that consolidating them should generate long-term savings. "Right now they are in the red, but long run by bringing them together and having less people on the board they will save money," Healy said, adding that some transition costs (including a move to the Chinden campus) contributed to current deficits.

Representative Wheeler moved to send House Bill 28 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation and spoke in favor of consolidation as a strategic, long-term saving. Representative McCann sought clarification that the fiscal note showed no immediate general-fund impact and understood the sponsor to mean the boards are currently operating at a deficit and consolidation is expected to improve finances over time. Representative Burgoyne asked how long it would take to realize savings; Healy said projections suggested improvements could be apparent by 2029 but emphasized estimates depend on board membership and administrator counts.

The committee approved the motion by voice vote. No members of the public testified during the hearing. The chair announced the motion passed and House Bill 28 will be sent to the chamber floor.