Press Releases

WASHINGTON— Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) and Congressman Dwight Evans (D-Pennsylvania) introduced bipartisan legislation yesterday to address a critical shortage of Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs). H.R. 4468, the Nursing Home Workforce Quality Act, will allow nursing homes that have been forced to suspend in-house CNA education programs after receiving a certain level of penalties to resume those programs once quality standards are met.

“The Nursing Home Workforce Quality Act will help address critical shortages of CNAs, especially in rural areas, by allowing nursing homes to resume CNA education programs faster,” said Rep. Estes. “This bipartisan legislation ensures nursing homes continue to meet high standards without losing staffing levels that are needed for quality care.”

“This common-sense legislation would help nursing homes to fix problems that are identified, which would be a win for everyone affected - the patients, their families and the nursing homes. It’s important to work across party lines on points of agreement so we can make progress for the people we represent,” said Rep. Evans.

In-house CNA education at nursing homes is often free to the CNA candidate, allowing students to avoid the burden of paying for an education program at a local community college or school which may or may not exist in their geographic area. This helps meet the need for CNAs while allowing nursing homes to build their own pipelines of skilled nursing staff.

Under current law, nursing homes that receive a threshold number of penalties for deficiencies in quality have a two-year mandatory suspension placed on in-house CNA certification programs. The Nursing Home Workforce Quality Act allows suspensions on in-house CNA education to be rescinded once deficiencies are assessed and found to be remedied while allowing for additional oversight of facilities not exceeding the original two years.

"We have a workforce crisis in senior care. As our older population expands, so will our workforce challenges," said Debra Zehr, CEO, LeadingAge Kansas. "We are grateful to have a bill that faces our nurse aide training needs head-on, while also upholding nursing home quality standards. We thank Rep. Estes for supporting strong, common-sense solutions to improve the well-being of older Kansans."

Ron Estes is a 5th generation Kansan and represents Kansas’ 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means.