Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8541
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-28: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Ways and Means, the Judiciary, House Administration, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-07T08:05:30Z
AI-Generated Summary
Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act (H.R. 8541)
Purpose
The Act aims to address shortages in the direct care professional workforce—nearly 5 million workers supporting older adults and people with disabilities—by improving reimbursement rates, training, recruitment, career advancement, labor protections, compensation strategies, and oversight. It seeks to boost wages, benefits, and job quality to reduce turnover (77-100%), enhance care access, and promote equity amid rising demand (projected 9.3 million job openings by 2031).
Key Provisions
- Title I: Improving Reimbursement
- Increases Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) (federal share of costs) by 10 points (up to 95%) for states (FY2026-2035) that raise direct care wages/benefits, reduce waiting lists, and report spending.
- $100 billion in 5-year grants to states for wage reviews, rate updates, and training.
- Permanently extends spousal impoverishment protections for home/community-based services (HCBS) recipients and the Money Follows the Person demonstration (shifting care from institutions to communities).
- Title II: Training, Recruitment, Career Advancement, and Supports
- Grants ($500M/year, FY2026-2030) for training/recruitment projects, including apprenticeships, career pathways, and diversity initiatives.
- Technical assistance centers, reports on geriatric education/apprenticeships, rural grants, well-being assessments, mental health programs, training standards commission.
- Tax credit ($5,000) for certain health professionals; equity technical assistance center.
- Title III: Workforce Labor Protections
- Subtitle A: Wage theft prevention grants ($50M/year).
- Subtitle B: Mandates written agreements, fair scheduling (72-hour notice, reporting pay), temporary schedule changes for personal events, privacy protections, paid meal/rest breaks.
- Subtitle C: OSHA interim final standard (within 1 year) on workplace violence prevention plans, training, reporting for health/social service settings.
- Subtitle D: Paid sick time (1 hour per 30 worked, up to 56/year; extra during emergencies).
- Title IV: National Compensation Strategy
- Develops/updates biennial strategy with advisory council on livable wages, cost calculations, and training ties to pay.
- Title V: Oversight
- External evaluations of implementation/outcomes (e.g., workforce stability, care access, costs).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amends Social Security Act: New Medicaid FMAP incentive (Sec. 1905(kk)); permanent HCBS spousal protections; extends Money Follows the Person funding ($500M/year post-2026).
- New OSHA workplace violence standard (interim within 1 year; final in 42 months), applicable to Medicare-funded hospitals/SNFs.
- Mandates paid sick time, written contracts, scheduling/break rules under DOL enforcement (modeled on FLSA).
- Adds tax credit (IRC Sec. 36A) for direct care workers.
- Creates advisory council and strategy (sunsets in 10 years).
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: HHS/DOL gain evaluation/reporting duties; states receive grants but must comply with wage/reporting rules (potential FMAP penalties); higher Medicaid costs offset by reduced institutionalization/waiting lists.
- Citizens: Direct care workers gain better pay/benefits/protections (e.g., living wages, sick leave, violence plans), reducing poverty (1 in 8 affected) and turnover; older adults/disabled gain stable HCBS access, fewer admissions limits.
- International Relations: None directly noted.
- Overall: Projected to expand workforce, improve care quality, but increase federal spending ($100B+ grants, authorizations).
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Direct Care Professionals (e.g., aides, CNAs, home health workers): Primary beneficiaries via wages, training, protections.
- Older Adults/People with Disabilities: Better care access/stability.
- Families/Caregivers: Reduced burden from 53M unpaid caregivers.
- States/Medicaid Agencies: Funding/reporting requirements.
- Providers (Nursing Homes, HCBS Agencies): Higher rates but compliance costs.
- Federal Agencies (HHS, DOL, CMS): Implementation/evaluation roles.
- Taxpayers: Via appropriations/tax credits.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Labor Rights Expansion: Mirrors FLSA (enforcement, remedies); anti-retaliation, no preemption of stronger state laws; potential collective bargaining interactions.
- Federalism: State flexibility in Medicaid applications; no mandate on non-compliant states (FMAP incentive only).
- Fiscal: Massive funding ($100B+); requires appropriations; evaluations ensure accountability.
- Equity: Addresses racial/gender disparities (workforce is mostly women/POC/immigrants).
- No Major Constitutional Issues: Aligns with Commerce Clause (interstate commerce definitions); HIPAA-compliant privacy.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (9)
Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1], Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7], Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7], Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-28: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Ways and Means, the Judiciary, House Administration, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-04-28: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Ways and Means, the Judiciary, House Administration, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-04-28: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Ways and Means, the Judiciary, House Administration, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-04-28: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Ways and Means, the Judiciary, House Administration, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-04-28: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Ways and Means, the Judiciary, House Administration, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-04-28: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Education and Workforce, Ways and Means, the Judiciary, House Administration, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2026-04-28: Introduced in House
- 2026-04-28: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act — issued 2026-04-28 — PDF (309 pages)