The Maine Joint Committee on Health & Human Services voted unanimously to pass LD 979, as amended, that would require a stakeholder study and reporting requirements for assisted living and residential care communities. The bill will now move to the full Legislature for consideration.
This is a significant achievement for assisted living communities in the state. Argentum and several members testified before the committee last month on the negative impact the proposed staffing and other rule provisions would have on current and future residents as well as the challenge of senior living providers to absorb the significant costs contained in the proposed rule.
As a result of these advocacy efforts, the proposed higher staffing ratios were removed and will remain at the current standards. Additionally, new public reporting requirements were added for staffing and census, and a working group will be convened to examine staffing and other regulatory matters with a final report due by January 2027