Subcommittee backs phased nursing‑home staffing standards, directs study of 24/7 RN requirement
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Summary
The subcommittee reported HB 605 with a substitute that phases in case‑mix‑adjusted staffing at 3.08 nursing hours per resident per day (effective 7/1/2027) with a target of 3.25 by 2031, and directed the Joint Commission on Health Care to study a 24/7 RN requirement and report by Dec. 1, 2026.
The House Health Professions Subcommittee voted to report House Bill 605 with a substitute that phases in minimum, case‑mix‑adjusted nursing‑staff hours for nursing homes and directs a study of around‑the‑clock registered‑nurse staffing.
Chairman Willett (Willard) said the substitute creates a tiered implementation tied to the state’s value‑based purchasing program, requiring participating facilities to provide at least 3.08 case‑mix‑adjusted nursing hours per resident per day (including CNAs, LPNs and RNs) beginning July 1, 2027, with a goal of 3.25 hours by 2031. The substitute also adopted an amendment directing the Joint Commission on Health Care (JCHC) to study a potential 24/7 RN staffing requirement and report its findings to the General Assembly and governor by Dec. 1, 2026.
Scott Johnson, general counsel for the Virginia Health Care Association, told the subcommittee the association initially opposed a staffing standard as introduced but now supports the substitute that returns a 3.08 standard to code while recognizing the need for funding and workforce development: "We have got a lot of work to do to try to solve these problems," he said, noting incentives and acuity models in the state’s value‑based purchasing program.
Advocates including Virginians Advocating for Seniors and the State Long Term Care Ombudsman supported the bill’s intent, urged further progress on RN staffing and called for stakeholder engagement on implementation. Jared Calvin of ARP Virginia said nonprofit facilities frequently meet higher standards and urged a quicker timeline and attention to the 24/7 RN evidence, which he said correlates with better outcomes for residents.
The subcommittee adopted the substitute, the JCHC study amendment, and voted to report and refer HB 605 with substitute to the Committee on Appropriations by a vote recorded as 7 to 0.
Supporters and industry representatives said implementation will require additional funding and workforce planning; the JCHC study is expected to explore the feasibility, scope and potential funding mechanisms for a 24/7 RN requirement.
