Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Nursing Homes topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate extends nursing‑home moratorium to 2031 after heated debate and failed carve‑outs
Summary
The Louisiana Senate voted 24–12 to extend the moratorium on new nursing‑facility certificates to July 1, 2031, after an hours‑long debate over whether some fast‑growing parishes should be exempt and whether the Department of Health has capacity to manage facility‑need reviews.
The Louisiana Senate on May 5 approved House Bill 199 to extend the statewide moratorium on new nursing facility certificates until July 1, 2031, following extended floor debate and several unsuccessful amendment attempts.
Senator Boudreaux, the bill’s floor sponsor, told colleagues the extension is meant to give the Department of Health (LDH) time to complete a statewide assessment and implement quality standards before new facilities can be authorized. "This bill basically extends the moratorium that we have in place until 07/01/2031," she said, framing the measure as a tool to protect residents and improve long‑term care quality.
Opponents said the moratorium has produced local shortages and that some parishes facing rapid population growth should be exempt. Senator Carter moved an amendment to remove Ascension, Livingston, Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes from the moratorium, arguing the amendment would address localized bed shortages. "Why would we do a moratorium if we don't have the beds to serve the people that we need?" Carter asked, citing counts of unmet beds in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish.
Supporters of the moratorium warned against piecemeal carve‑outs and urged a statewide approach tied to facility quality and workforce capacity. Senator Jackson Andrews said empty beds often indicate a facility cannot offer adequate care: "When there are empty beds, there's not enough resources in a facility to take care of those who are in that facility." Senate Health and Welfare leadership repeated that LDH and the Nursing Home Association must work together on quality improvements and facility‑need reviews before openings resume.
Senator Miller offered a compromise amendment to shorten the extension to two years, saying, "If we can't figure out what we need to do to address this issue in more than 2 years, then something's wrong." That amendment failed after objection from senators who favored the longer timeline tied to data cycles.
Senator Fezzi, who opposes the moratorium, urged the Senate to open the market to competition: "I'm tired of going by just numbers. We're not getting anywhere without giving competition in the nursing home business," he said.
After the failed amendment votes, the Senate adopted HB 199 on final passage, 24 yeas to 12 nays. The bill directs LDH to continue facility‑need reviews and oversee implementation of agreed quality measures, and it leaves open the possibility that LDH could lift or narrow the moratorium earlier if data and standards warrant it.
What happens next: HB 199 now returns to the House for any requested concurrence in amendments or is enrolled for transmission according to legislative procedure. The Senate debate emphasized that future changes to the moratorium will depend on LDH findings and whether agreed quality benchmarks are met.
