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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1720
S.P. 673 In Senate, April 17, 2025
An Act Regarding Benefits and Training for Long-term Care
Workers
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Representative RANA of Bangor and
Senator: TIPPING of Penobscot, Representatives: ARFORD of Brunswick, DHALAC of South
Portland, ROEDER of Bangor, SHAGOURY of Hallowell, ZAGER of Portland.
Page 1 - 132LR2295(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §285, sub-§1, ¶L, as amended by PL 2023, c. 20, §2, is further
3 amended to read:
4 L. Any employee of an academy approved for tuition purposes in accordance with
5 Title 20‑A, sections 2951 to 2955; and
6Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §285, sub-§1, ¶M, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 20, §3, is amended
7 to read:
8 M. A retired county or municipal law enforcement officer or retired municipal
9 firefighter who meets the requirements for coverage under subsection 11‑A. ; and
10Sec. 3. 5 MRSA §285, sub-§1, ¶N is enacted to read:
11 N. A nurse, certified nursing assistant, direct care worker, other qualified health care
12 professional or ancillary support worker including housekeeping and dietary staff
13 employed by a nursing home licensed under Title 22, chapter 405 or a residential care
14 facility licensed under Title 22, chapter 1664.
15Sec. 4. 5 MRSA §17001, sub-§14, ¶A, as amended by PL 1987, c. 402, Pt. A,
16 §§64 and 65, is further amended to read:
17 A. For purposes of this chapter, a state employee, including any person serving during
18 any probationary period required under the Civil Service Law and rules of the Civil
19 Service Appeals Board, a teacher or a participating local district employee or a long-
20 term care worker;
21Sec. 5. 5 MRSA §17001, sub-§19-C is enacted to read:
2219-C. Long-term care worker. "Long-term care worker" means a nurse, certified
23 nursing assistant, direct care worker, other qualified health care professional or ancillary
24 support worker including housekeeping and dietary staff employed by a nursing home
25 licensed under Title 22, chapter 405 or a residential care facility licensed under Title 22,
26 chapter 1664.
27Sec. 6. 22 MRSA §1708, sub-§3, ¶E, as amended by PL 2013, c. 594, §1, is further
28 amended by amending subparagraph (2) to read:
29 (2) Uses the applicable regional inflation factor as established by a national
30 economic research organization selected by the department to adjust costs other
31 than labor costs or fixed costs; and
32Sec. 7. 22 MRSA §1708, sub-§3, ¶F, as amended by PL 2021, c. 29, Pt. R, §1, is
33 further amended by amending the first blocked paragraph to read:
34 Any rebasing done pursuant to this paragraph may not result in a nursing facility
35 receiving a reimbursement rate that is lower than the rate in effect on June 30, 2018. ;
36Sec. 8. 22 MRSA §1708, sub-§3, ¶G is enacted to read:
37 G. Ensure that the actual costs of training provided to nursing facility staff in a certified
38 nursing assistant training program, a direct care worker training program and an
39 English as a second language training for a staff member who is a nonnative English
40 speaker are fully reimbursed; and
Page 2 - 132LR2295(01)
1Sec. 9. 22 MRSA §1708, sub-§3, ¶H is enacted to read:
2 H. Ensure that the actual costs of interpreter services for nursing facility staff and
3 residents who require language assistance are fully reimbursed, including expenses for
4 on-site interpreters, remote interpreting services and interpreter-related administrative
5 costs.
6Sec. 10. 22 MRSA §3174-PPP is enacted to read:
7§3174-PPP. Reimbursement for workforce training and interpreter services for
8private nonmedical institutions classified as residential care facilities
9 The department shall reimburse under the MaineCare program for private nonmedical
10 institutions the actual costs of staff training for a certified nursing assistant training
11 program, a direct caregiver training program and English as a second language training for
12 a staff member who is a nonnative English speaker and the actual costs of interpreter
13 services for staff and residents who require language assistance, including expenses for on-
14 site interpreters, remote interpreting services and interpreter-related administrative costs.
15Sec. 11. Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to offer
16certified nursing assistant examinations in several languages. The Department of
17 Professional and Financial Regulation shall collaborate with experts and relevant
18 stakeholders to improve access to certification for persons who do not speak English by
19 offering, at a minimum, the certified nursing assistant written examination under the Maine
20 Revised Statutes, Title 32, chapter 31 in French, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin and
21 Filipino, ensuring the accuracy and cultural appropriateness of the translations. The
22 department shall develop and make available written examinations under this section by
23 January 1, 2026.
24SUMMARY
25 This bill:
26 1. Provides access to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System for long-term
27 care workers including nurses, certified nursing assistants, direct care workers and
28 housekeeping and dietary staff;
29 2. Provides access to the state group health plan for long-term care workers including
30 nurses, certified nursing assistants, direct care workers and housekeeping and dietary staff;
31 3. Provides nursing homes and long-term care facilities with direct MaineCare
32 reimbursement for training for staff, including a certified nursing assistant training
33 program, a direct care worker training program and English as a second language training
34 for a staff member who is a nonnative English speaker;
35 4. Provides nursing homes and long-term care facilities with direct MaineCare
36 reimbursement for actual costs of interpreter services for staff and residents who require
37 language assistance, including expenses for on-site interpreters, remote interpreting
38 services and interpreter-related administrative costs; and
39 5. Directs the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to provide
40 translations of certified nursing assistant written examinations in French, Spanish,
41 Cantonese, Mandarin and Filipino.
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