S1539 • 2025

An Act to address conflicts of interest in the use of temporary nursing agencies at skilled nursing facilities

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Dylan A. Fernandes
Last action: 2026-03-12
Official status: Referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

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

An Act to address conflicts of interest in the use of temporary nursing agencies at skilled nursing facilities

An Act to address conflicts of interest in the use of temporary nursing agencies at skilled nursing facilities By Mr.

What This Bill Does

An Act to address conflicts of interest in the use of temporary nursing agencies at skilled nursing facilities By Mr.
Fernandes, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No.
1539) of Dylan A.
Fernandes, Rodney M.

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

2026-03-12 Senate
Committee recommended ought to pass and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means
2026-01-12 Senate
Bill reported favorably by committee as changed, and referred to the committee on Health Care Financing
2025-06-16 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 06/25/2025 from 10:00 AM-01:00 PM in A-1
2025-02-27 Senate
Referred to the committee on Public Health
2025-02-27 House
House concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act to address conflicts of interest in the use of temporary nursing agencies at skilled nursing facilities
By Mr. Fernandes, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1539) of Dylan A. Fernandes, Rodney M. Elliott, James B. Eldridge, Jason M. Lewis and others for legislation to address conflicts of interest in the use of temporary nursing agencies at skilled nursing facilities. Public Health.
Status:
Referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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Bill S.1539

SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, the department of public health is directed to amend the state regulations governing temporary nursing agencies procuring or providing temporary employment at a skilled nursing facility (101 CMR 345).

(b) Such amendment shall require additional reporting from any individual or their family member or a business entity under their operational control that has both ownership interest of 5 percent or more of a temporary nursing agency and that is also the holder of an operating license issued to establish or maintain a Massachusetts skilled nursing facility. A temporary nursing agency owned by any such individual or family member or business entity shall be prohibited from procuring or providing temporary employment at a skilled nursing facility jointly owned by the same individual, family member, or entity. Such amended regulations shall define a family member broadly as including but not necessarily limited to the individual owner’s spouse, domestic partner, parent, sibling, child, parent of a spouse or domestic partner, grandparent, or grandchild.

(c) Prior to and during the process of making the regulatory amendments outlined in the subsections above, the department shall consult with the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, Inc. and 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.

(d) The department of public health shall complete the processes above and file for Emergency Adoption of such amended regulations no later than 180 days after passage of this Act.

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