HB1414 • 2026

Nursing Homes - Direct Care Wages and Benefits and Cost Reports

Labor Taxes

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegates Martinez , Alston , S. Johnson , Kaufman , Ross , Turner , White Holland , and Wims
Last action: 2026-02-13
Official status: In the House - Hearing 3/05 at 1:00 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Nursing Homes - Direct Care Wages and Benefits and Cost Reports

Requiring a nursing home to expend at least 75% of its total nursing and residential care revenue for direct care wages and benefits; and requiring nursing homes by September 1 each year, beginning in 2027, to submit a cost report with documentation of wage disbursement and other appropriate information to the Maryland Department of Health.

What This Bill Does

Requiring a nursing home to expend at least 75% of its total nursing and residential care revenue for direct care wages and benefits; and requiring nursing homes by September 1 each year, beginning in 2027, to submit a cost report with documentation of wage disbursement and other appropriate information to the Maryland Department of Health.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-13 House
First Reading Health
2026-02-13 House
Hearing 3/05 at 1:00 p.m.
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Nursing Homes - Direct Care Wages and Benefits and Cost Reports

Official Summary Text

Requiring a nursing home to expend at least 75% of its total nursing and residential care revenue for direct care wages and benefits; and requiring nursing homes by September 1 each year, beginning in 2027, to submit a cost report with documentation of wage disbursement and other appropriate information to the Maryland Department of Health.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1414*

HOUSE BILL 1414
J2, K3 6lr2737
CF SB 663
By: Delegates Martinez, Alston, S. Johnson, Kaufman, Ross, Turner,
White Holland, and Wims
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Health

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Nursing Homes – Direct Care Wages and Benefits and Cost Reports 2

FOR the purpose of requiring a nursing home to expend at least a certain percentage of its 3
total nursing and residential care revenue for direct care wages and benefits; 4
requiring nursing homes to annually submit a certain cost report to the Maryland 5
Department of Health; and generally relating to nursing homes. 6

BY adding to 7
Article – Health – General 8
Section 16–209 and 16–210 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13

Article – Health – General 14

16–209. 15

(A) IN THIS SECTION , “DIRECT CARE WAGES AN D BENEFITS” MEANS THE 16
DIRECT CARE WORKFORC E WAGES AND BENEFITS FOR NURSING , DIETARY, 17
RESTORATIVE THERAPY, AND SOCIAL WORKER STAFF. 18

(B) A NURSING HOME SHALL EXPEND AT LEAST 75% OF ITS TOTAL NURSING 19
AND RESIDENTIAL CARE REVENUE FOR DIRECT CARE WAGES AND BENEFITS. 20

16–210. 21

2 HOUSE BILL 1414

(A) ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1 EACH YEAR, BEGINNING IN 2027, EACH 1
NURSING HOME SHALL SUBMIT TO THE DEPARTMENT A COST REPORT IN THE FORM 2
AND MANNER REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT. 3

(B) THE COST REPORT REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION 4
SHALL: 5

(1) INCLUDE: 6

(I) DOCUMENTATION OF WAGE DISBURSEMENT; AND 7

(II) ANY OTHER INFORMATION THE DEPARTMENT DETERMINES 8
IS APPROPRIATE; AND 9

(2) BE SIGNED BY AN AUTHO RIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE 10
NURSING HOME UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY. 11

(C) (1) SUBJECT TO PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION , THE 12
DEPARTMENT MAY TAKE A PPROPRIATE ENFORCEME NT ACTION AGAINST A 13
NURSING HOME IF THE NURSING HOME: 14

(I) FAILS TO SUBMIT A COST REPORT AS REQUIRED; 15

(II) SUBMITS AN INACCURATE, INCOMPLETE, OR INVALID COST 16
REPORT; OR 17

(III) FAILS TO PAY THE WAGES IN THE AMOUNT REQUIRED. 18

(2) THE ENFORCEMENT ACTION THAT THE DEPARTMENT MAY TAKE 19
UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION INCLUDES: 20

(I) IMPOSITION OF A CORRECTIVE PLAN; AND 21

(II) SUSPENSION OR TERMINA TION FROM THE MARYLAND 22
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 23

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 24
October 1, 2026. 25