Senate File 2063 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2063 BY BROWN A BILL FOR An Act establishing a nursing home administrator training pilot 1 program. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5579XS (5) 90 pf/ko
S.F. 2063 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 155.20 Nursing home administrator 1 training pilot program. 2 1. The department of inspections, appeals, and licensing 3 shall establish a nursing home administrator training pilot 4 program to provide opportunities for individuals pursuing 5 the profession of nursing home administrator, prior to an 6 individual receiving a nursing home administrator license, to 7 obtain on-the-job experience supervised by a licensed nursing 8 home administrator. 9 2. An applicant for the pilot program shall provide evidence 10 of all of the following to the department: 11 a. Compliance with section 155.3, subsections 1 and 2. 12 b. An offer of employment from a participating nursing home 13 in the state that has received a minimum overall rating of 14 three stars from the five-star quality rating system created by 15 the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services of the United 16 States department of health and human services. 17 c. The name of the participating nursing home at which the 18 applicant will be employed and receive training, and the name 19 of the participating nursing home administrator who will act 20 as the applicant’s supervisor during the pilot program. The 21 participating nursing home administrator shall hold a current 22 license in good standing as a nursing home administrator, have 23 at least two years of experience, and shall not be related 24 to the applicant within the third degree of consanguinity or 25 affinity. 26 3. a. Upon acceptance into the pilot program, the nursing 27 home administrator trainee shall work in the participating 28 nursing home under the supervision of the participating nursing 29 home administrator for a minimum of two consecutive years. 30 b. During the training period, the board shall grant the 31 trainee a provisional license, and shall waive the examination 32 requirements pursuant to section 155.3 and any continuing 33 education requirements prescribed by the board under section 34 155.10. 35 -1- LSB 5579XS (5) 90 pf/ko 1/ 5
S.F. 2063 c. Subject to the availability of funds appropriated to 1 the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing for the 2 purpose of the pilot program: 3 (1) The department shall consider approving up to ten 4 applicants in the first year of the pilot program. 5 (2) The department shall reimburse a participating nursing 6 home for thirty percent of the trainee’s base salary during 7 the first year, not to exceed thirty thousand dollars, and ten 8 percent of the trainee’s base salary during the second year, 9 not to exceed ten thousand dollars. 10 d. If a trainee is terminated by the participating nursing 11 home for cause, the trainee shall refund to the department 12 the portion of the trainee’s base salary reimbursed by the 13 department. 14 4. Upon completion of the training period, the 15 participating nursing facility shall submit verification to the 16 board that the trainee is in good professional standing and 17 shall report any unprofessional conduct or disciplinary action 18 taken against the trainee during the training period. 19 5. Notwithstanding any other required qualifications for 20 licensure, upon completion of the training period and payment 21 of the license fee pursuant to section 155.5, the trainee shall 22 be eligible for licensure as a nursing home administrator. 23 6. The department shall adopt rules to administer the pilot 24 program, including criteria for designating a nursing home as a 25 participating nursing home and a nursing home administrator as 26 a participating nursing home administrator. 27 7. The department of inspections, appeals, and licensing 28 shall submit a report to the general assembly by December 29 31, 2026, that provides an assessment of the pilot program 30 and a recommendation to continue the pilot program, continue 31 the pilot program with modifications, or terminate the pilot 32 program. 33 Sec. 2. Section 155.9, Code 2024, is amended to read as 34 follows: 35 -2- LSB 5579XS (5) 90 pf/ko 2/ 5
S.F. 2063 155.9 Duties of the board —— rules for provisional licenses. 1 In addition to the duties and responsibilities provided in 2 chapters 147 and 272C , the board shall adopt rules for granting 3 a nursing home administrator provisional license to under the 4 following circumstances: 5 1. To an administrator appointed on a temporary basis by 6 a nursing home’s owner or owners in the event the regular 7 administrator of the nursing home is unable to perform the 8 administrator’s duties or the nursing home is without a 9 licensed administrator because of death or other cause. Such 10 provisional license shall allow the provisional licensee 11 to perform the duties of a nursing home administrator. An 12 individual shall not hold a provisional license for more than 13 twelve total combined months, and the board may revoke or 14 otherwise discipline a provisional licensee for cause after due 15 notice and a hearing on a charge or complaint filed with the 16 board. 17 2. To a nursing home administrator trainee while 18 participating in the nursing home administrator training pilot 19 program established under section 155.20. 20 EXPLANATION 21 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 22 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 23 This bill requires the department of inspections, appeals, 24 and licensing (DIAL) to establish a nursing home administrator 25 training pilot program (pilot program) to provide opportunities 26 for individuals pursuing the profession of nursing home 27 administrator, prior to an individual receiving a nursing 28 home administrator license, to obtain on-the-job experience 29 supervised by a licensed nursing home administrator. 30 An applicant for the pilot program shall provide evidence 31 to DIAL of: compliance with the requirements for an applicant 32 for a nursing home administrator license to be of sound mental 33 health and physically able to perform the duties and to have 34 presented satisfactory evidence of sufficient education, 35 -3- LSB 5579XS (5) 90 pf/ko 3/ 5
S.F. 2063 training, or experience to administer, supervise, and manage 1 a nursing home; an offer of employment from a participating 2 nursing home in the state that has received a minimum overall 3 rating of three stars from the federal five-star quality rating 4 system; the name of the participating nursing home in which 5 the applicant will be employed and train; and the name of the 6 participating nursing home administrator who will act as the 7 applicant’s supervisor during the pilot program. 8 Upon acceptance into the pilot program, the nursing home 9 administrator trainee shall work in the participating nursing 10 facility under the supervision of a participating nursing 11 home administrator for a minimum of two consecutive years. 12 During the training period, the board shall grant the trainee a 13 provisional license and waive the examination requirements and 14 any continuing education requirements prescribed by the board. 15 Subject to the availability of funds appropriated to DIAL 16 for the purpose of the pilot program: DIAL shall consider 17 approving up to 10 applicants in the first year of the pilot 18 program; and DIAL shall reimburse the participating nursing 19 home for 30 percent of the trainee’s base salary during the 20 first year, not to exceed $30,000, and 10 percent of the 21 trainee’s base salary during the second year, not to exceed 22 $10,000. If a trainee is terminated by the participating 23 nursing home for cause, the trainee shall refund to DIAL the 24 portion of the trainee’s base salary reimbursed by DIAL. 25 Upon completion of the training period, the participating 26 nursing home shall submit verification to the board that the 27 trainee is in good professional standing and shall report any 28 unprofessional conduct or disciplinary action taken against the 29 trainee during the training period. 30 Notwithstanding any other required qualifications for 31 licensure, upon completion of the training period and payment 32 of the license fee, the trainee shall be eligible for licensure 33 as a nursing home administrator. The bill directs DIAL to 34 adopt administrative rules to administer the pilot program. 35 -4- LSB 5579XS (5) 90 pf/ko 4/ 5
S.F. 2063 The bill requires DIAL to submit a report to the general 1 assembly by December 31, 2026, with an assessment of the pilot 2 program and a recommendation to continue the pilot program, 3 continue the pilot program with modifications, or terminate the 4 pilot program. 5 The bill makes a conforming change in Code section 155.9 6 to authorize the board to adopt rules to grant a nursing 7 home administrator provisional license to a nursing home 8 administrator trainee while participating in the pilot program. 9 -5- LSB 5579XS (5) 90 pf/ko 5/ 5