,i #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #afhc ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #bg1 #bjbe,mrs4 ,fischbach introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to prohibit the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services from implementing1 enforcing1 or otherwise giving effect to a final rule regarding minimum staffing for nursing facilities1 and to establish an advisory panel on the nursing home workforce4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,protecting ,rural ,seniors' ,access to ,care ,act4 #b4 ,prohibition on implementing1 enforcing1 or otherwise giving effect to the final staffing rule ,beginning on the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services may not implement1 enforce1 or otherwise give effect to the final rule entitled ,medicare and ,medicaid ,programs2 ,minimum ,staffing ,standards for ,long-,term ,care ,facilities and ,medicaid ,institutional ,payment ,transparency ,reporting published by the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services on ,may #aj1 #bjbd 7#hi ,fed4 ,reg4 #djigf-dajjj71 and may not promulgate any substantially similar rule4 #c4 ,advisory panel on nursing home workforce 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #fj days after the date of the enactment of this section1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7in this section referred to as the ,secretary7 shall establish the ,advisory ,panel on the ,nursing ,home ,workforce 7in this section referred to as the ,panel74 7b7 ,membership 7#a7 ,number and appointment ,the ,panel shall be composed of #ag members representing various geographic areas1 appointed by the ,secretary as follows3 7,a7 #a representative of the ,secretary1 who shall serve as the chair of the ,panel4 7,b7 #b registered nurses who actively furnish services in a skilled nursing facility or nursing facility1 one of whom shall represent a rural area4 7,c7 #b licensed professional nurses who actively furnish services in a skilled nursing facility or nursing facility1 one of whom shall represent a rural area4 7,d7 #b nurse aides who actively furnish services in a skilled nursing facility or nursing facility1 one of whom shall represent a rural area4 7,e7 #b physicians who actively furnish services in a skilled nursing facility or nursing facility1 one of whom shall represent a rural area4 7,f7 #a representative of the ,centers for ,medicare ,medicaid ,services4 7,g7 #a representative of the ,health ,resources and ,services ,administration4 7,h7 #b individuals with professional expertise related to the nursing home workforce1 one of whom shall have experience with respect to the nursing home workforce in rural and underserved areas4 7,i7 #a licensed administrator or representative of a rural not-for-profit skilled nursing facility4 7,j7 #a licensed administrator or representative of a rural for-profit skilled nursing facility4 7,k7 #b representatives of ,state boards of nursing4 7#b7 ,timing of appointments ,each of the appointments under paragraph 7#a7 shall be made not later than #fj days after the date of the enactment of this section4 7#c7 ,terms2 vacancies ,each member shall be appointed for a term not to exceed #b years1 and a vacancy in the ,panel shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made4 7#d7 ,quorum #ac members of the ,panel shall constitute a quorum4 7#e7 ,federal ,advisory ,committee ,act ,chapter #aj of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall apply to the ,panel4 7c7 ,duties 7#a7 ,meetings 7,a7 ,frequency ,the ,panel shall meet not later than #ahj days after the date on which the appointments described in subsection 7b7 are made1 and not less frequently than twice per year thereafter4 7,b7 ,public access ,the ,panel shall make available on a public website of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services-- 7i7 real-time virtual access to each meeting of the ,panel2 and 7ii7 not later than #cj days after each such meeting1 a recording and transcript of the meeting4 7#b7 ,reports 7,a7 ,initial report ,not later than #fj days after the initial meeting of the ,panel under paragraph 7#a77;,a71 the ,panel shall submit to the ,secretary1 the ,committee on ,ways and ,means and the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of the ,house of ,representatives1 and the ,committee on ,finance of the ,senate1 and shall publish on a public website of the ,centers for ,medicare ,medicaid ,services1 a report on the state of the nursing home workforce1 which shall include-- 7i7 an assessment of the state of the nursing home workforce in rural and underserved areas1 including an analysis of-- 7,i7 workforce shortages2 and 7,,ii7 with respect to individuals entitled to benefits under part ,a of title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie et seq47 and individuals entitled to medical assistance under title ,,xix of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif et seq471 barriers to access to skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities caused by such shortages2 7ii7 an analysis of regulations1 sub-regulatory guidance1 and guidance to ,state survey agencies issued by the ,secretary with respect to skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities1 and the effects of such regulations and guidance on the nursing home workforce2 7iii7 recommendations for the ,secretary to strengthen the nursing home workforce1 including recommendations for decreasing regulatory burdens for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities and making financial investments in training for health professionals2 and 7iv7 other information as the ,panel determines necessary4 7,b7 ,subsequent reports ,not later than #a year after submitting the initial report under subparagraph 7,a71 and annually thereafter1 the ,panel shall submit and publish an updated report in the same manner as required under such subparagraph4 7d7 ,definitions ,in this section1 the following definitions apply3 7#a7 ,nursing facility ,the term nursing facility has the meaning given such term in section #aiai7;a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acifr7a774 7#b7 ,nursing home workforce ,the term nursing home workforce means the workforce of health professionals that provide direct resident care in skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities4 7#c7 ,rural area ,the term rural area means any area outside a metropolitan statistical area4 7#d7 ,skilled nursing facility ,the term skilled nursing facility has the meaning given such term in section #ahai7;a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie;i-#c7;a774 7#e7 ,underserved area ,the term underserved area means an area that is-- 7,a7 a health professional shortage area1 as such term is defined in section #ccb7;a77#a77;,a7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;e7a77#a77;,a772 or 7,b7 designated as a medically underserved area pursuant to section #ccj7;b77#c77;,a7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;b7b77#c77;,a774