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House OKs long-term care testing bill; debate centers on resident rights and potential displacement
Summary
The House approved SB 5,011, giving long-term care facilities and public health broader authority to require and coordinate COVID testing and to act if residents refuse testing; the bill passed 56–19 after extended debate over guardrails to prevent wrongful displacement.
The House passed Senate Bill 5,011 on June 18, a measure aimed at protecting long-term care residents by expanding testing authority and enabling the Department of Health to share aggregate data with decision-makers. Representative Schultz, the floor sponsor, said the bill targets the most vulnerable population and seeks to reduce nursing-home outbreaks that account for a large share of COVID-19 fatalities.
Sponsor remarks emphasized the stakes: "close to 50 percent of the deaths in the…
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