Lawmakers return from the Thanksgiving break but there are some big issues waiting for them, which includes creating a plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds.
House Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) said the legislature will have a plan soon on how to spend the remaining $850 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars
Cupp said that includes a proposal to allocate $300 million for nursing homes, saying staff shortages have caused lots of issues around the state.
"People need somewhere to go. I mean, if they're not able to go to a nursing home or long-term care and you need somebody to help you in your home if you can't get anybody to help them in the home, what are they going to do?" Cupp said.
Cupp said it was too early to discuss if quality standards and base-pay for staff would be attached, but the bill’s sponsor has said she would be open to exempting nursing home staff from COVID-19 vaccine mandates, which may not be allowed under federal rules.
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