[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7929 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7929
To amend title XX of the Social Security Act to provide for nursing
home worker training grants.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 10, 2024
Mr. Horsford (for himself and Mr. Davis of Illinois) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XX of the Social Security Act to provide for nursing
home worker training grants.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Nursing Home Workforce Support and
Expansion Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. NURSING HOME WORKER TRAINING GRANTS.
Section 2041 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397m) is
amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 2041. NURSING HOME WORKER TRAINING GRANTS.
``(a) In General.--
``(1) State entitlement.--
``(A) In general.--Each State shall be entitled to
receive from the Secretary for each fiscal year
specified in subsection (e)(1) a grant in an amount
equal to the amount allotted to the State under
subparagraph (B).
``(B) State allotments.--
``(i) In general.--Subject to clauses (ii)
and (iii), the amount allotted to a State under
this subparagraph for a fiscal year shall be--
``(I) the number of State residents
who have attained 65 years of age or
are under a disability (as defined in
section 216(i)(1)), as determined by
the Secretary using the most recent
version of the American Community
Survey published by the Bureau of the
Census or a successor data set; divided
by
``(II) the total number of such
residents of all States.
``(ii) Limitation.--The amount allotted to
a State under this subparagraph for a fiscal
year shall be not less than 0.25 percent of the
available amount for the fiscal year.
``(iii) Adjustment of state allotments.--
Subject to clause (ii), the Secretary shall
proportionately increase or decrease the
amounts allotted under this subparagraph for a
fiscal year as necessary to ensure that the
available amount for the fiscal year is
allotted among the States.
``(iv) Redeterminations.--
``(I) Frequency.--The Secretary
shall make the determination referred
to in clause (i)(I) every 5 years.
``(II) Limitation.--Subject to
clause (ii), the amount allotted to a
State under this subparagraph, on the
basis of such a determination, for a
fiscal year after fiscal year 2029
shall be--
``(aa) not less than 90
percent of the amount of the
grant made to the State under
this subparagraph for the then
preceding fiscal year; and
``(bb) not more than 110
percent of the amount referred
to in item (aa).
``(2) Grants to indian tribes and tribal organizations.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation
with the Secretary of the Interior, shall make grants
in accordance with this section to Indian tribes and
tribal organizations who operate at least 1 eligible
setting.
``(B) Grant formula.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall
devise a formula for distributing among Indian tribes
and tribal organizations the amount required to be
reserved by subsection (e)(1) for each fiscal year.
``(3) Sub-grants.--A State, Indian tribe, or tribal
organization to which an amount is paid under this section may
use the amount to make sub-grants to local organizations,
including community organizations, local non-profits, elder
rights and justice groups, and workforce development boards for
any purpose described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection
(b).
``(b) Use of Funds.--
``(1) Required uses.--A State to which an amount is paid
under this section shall use the amount to--
``(A) provide wage subsidies to eligible
individuals;
``(B) provide student loan repayment or tuition
assistance to eligible individuals for a degree or
certification in a field relevant to their position
referred to in subsection (f)(2);
``(C) guarantee affordable and accessible child
care for eligible individuals, including help with
referrals, co-pays, or other direct assistance; and
``(D) provide assistance where necessary with
obtaining appropriate transportation, including public
transportation if available, or gas money if public
transportation is unavailable or impractical based on
work hours or location.
``(2) Authorized uses.--A State to which an amount is paid
under this section may use the amount to--
``(A) establish a reserve fund for financial
assistance to eligible individuals in emergency
situations;
``(B) provide in-kind resource donations, such as
interview clothing and conference attendance fees;
``(C) provide assistance with programs and
activities, including legal assistance, deemed
necessary to address arrest or conviction records that
are an employment barrier;
``(D) support employers operating an eligible
setting in the State in providing employees with not
less than 2 weeks of paid leave per year; or
``(E) provide other support services the Secretary
deems necessary to allow for successful recruitment and
retention of workers.
``(3) Provision of funds only for the benefit of eligible
individuals in eligible settings.--A State to which an amount
is paid under this section may provide the amount to only an
eligible individual or a partner organization serving an
eligible individual.
``(4) Nonsupplantation.--A State to which an amount is paid
under this section shall not use the amount to supplant the
expenditure of any State funds for recruiting or retaining
employees in an eligible setting.
``(5) Obligation deadline.--A State, Indian tribe, or
tribal organization shall remit to the Secretary for
reallotment under this section any amount paid under this
section for a fiscal year that is not obligated within 2 years
after the end of the fiscal year.
``(c) Administration.--A State to which a grant is made under this
section shall reserve not more than 10 percent of the grant to--
``(1) administer subgrants in accordance with this section;
``(2) provide technical assistance and support for applying
for and accessing such a subgrant opportunity;
``(3) publicize the availability of the subgrants;
``(4) carry out activities to increase the supply of
eligible individuals; and
``(5) provide technical assistance to help subgrantees find
and train individuals to provide the services for which they
are contracted.
``(d) Reports.--
``(1) State reports.--Not less frequently than annually,
each State to which a grant has been made under this section
shall transmit to the Secretary a written report describing the
activities undertaken by the State pursuant to this section
during the period covered by the report, which shall include--
``(A) the total amount expended in the State for
each type of use described in paragraph (1) or (2) of
subsection (b);
``(B) the total number of non-State organizations
in the State to which grant funds were provided, and
the amount so provided to each such organization;
``(C) the change in the number of individuals
working in each job category described in subsection
(f)(2) in an eligible setting in the State;
``(D) the average duration of employment for each
such job category;
``(E) the average annual wage of workers in each
job category described in subsection (f)(2) in an
eligible setting in the State;
``(F) the average amount of paid time off to which
a worker in each job category described in subsection
(f)(2) in an eligible setting in the State is entitled
by their contract; and
``(G) such other data elements as the Secretary
deems relevant.
``(2) Report to the congress.--Not later than 3 years after
the date of the enactment of this section, and every 4 years
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a
written report outlining how the States have used the grants
made under this section during the period covered by the
report, which shall include--
``(A) the total amount expended in each State for
each type of use described in paragraph (1) or (2) of
subsection (b);
``(B) the total number of non-State organizations
in each State to which grant funds were provided, and
the amount so provided to each such organization;
``(C) the change in the number of individuals
working in each job category described in subsection
(f)(2) in an eligible setting;
``(D) the average duration of employment for each
such job category, by State;
``(E) the average annual wage of workers in each
job category described in subsection (f)(2) in an
eligible setting;
``(F) the average amount of paid time off to which
a worker in each job category described in subsection
(f)(2) in an eligible setting is entitled by their
contract; and
``(G) such other data elements as the Secretary
deems relevant.
``(e) Appropriation.--Out of any funds in the Treasury not
otherwise appropriated, there is appropriated to the Secretary
$400,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2028 to carry out
this section, of which 2 percent shall be reserved for grants to Indian
tribes and tribal organizations.
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Available amount.--The term `available amount' means,
with respect to a fiscal year, the amount specified in
subsection (e) that remains after the reservation required by
such subsection for the fiscal year, plus all amounts remitted
to the Secretary under subsection (b)(5) that have not been
reallotted under subsection (a)(1)(B)(iii).
``(2) Eligible individual.--The term `eligible individual'
means an individual who--
``(A)(i) is a qualified home health aide, as
defined in section 484.80(a) of title 42, Code of
Federal Regulations;
``(ii) is a nurse aide approved by the State as
meeting the requirements of sections 483.150 through
483.154 of such title, and is listed in good standing
on the State nurse aide registry;
``(iii) is a personal care aide approved by the
State, and furnishes personal care services, as defined
in section 440.167 of such title;
``(iv) is a qualified hospice aide, as defined in
section 418.76 of such title;
``(v) is a licensed practical nurse or a licensed
or certified social worker; or
``(vi) is receiving training to be certified or
licensed as such an aide, nurse, or social worker; and
``(B) provides (or, in the case of a trainee,
intends to provide) services as such an aide, nurse, or
social worker in an eligible setting.
``(3) Eligible setting.--The term `eligible setting'
means--
``(A) a skilled nursing facility, as defined in
section 1819;
``(B) a nursing facility, as defined in section
1919;
``(C) a home health agency, as defined in section
1891;
``(D) a facility approved to deliver home or
community-based services authorized under State options
described in subsection (c) or (i) of section 1915 or,
as relevant, demonstration projects authorized under
section 1115;
``(E) a hospice, as defined in section 1814; or
``(F) a tribal assisted living facility.
``(4) Tribal organization.--The term `tribal organization'
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act.''.
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