Establishes long-term services and supports workforce engagement and sustainability program in DOH.

A2309

ASSEMBLY, No. 2309

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman LUANNE M. PETERPAUL

District 11 (Monmouth)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes long-term services and supports workforce
engagement and sustainability program in DOH.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning long-term services and supports providers
and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� a.� There is established
in the Department of Health a long-term services and supports (LTSS) workforce
engagement and sustainability program.� The purpose of the program shall be to
employ various strategies to support, and increase the supply of, LTSS direct
care workers in this State in both institutional and community-based settings.

���� b.� The program shall, at a
minimum, require the Department of Health to:

���� (1)� in collaboration with the
Department of Human Services, conduct a periodic review of the impact of the
State�s Medicaid payment policies on LTSS direct care workers� total
compensation, including paid time off;

���� (2)� identify any available
federal COVID-19 funds that can be used to provide bonuses to individuals who
worked in LTSS settings during the COVID-19 pandemic, including, but not
limited to, LTSS direct care workers and housekeeping, kitchen, and transportation
staff, who worked in LTSS settings;

���� (3)� to the extent possible,
develop a single curriculum and training program for LTSS direct care workers
in both institutional and community-based system;

���� (4)� develop incentives for
LTSS providers to establish advanced roles to facilitate career advancement for
LTSS direct care workers;

���� (5)� adopt regulations to
permit certified medication aides to work in nursing homes;

���� (6)� provide free or reduced
tuition, award scholarships, or loan forgiveness to individuals interested in
working in LTSS;

���� (7)� develop an online, hybrid
approach to credentialing or certification for direct care workers, which shall
include a mix of online training, in-person instruction and skills testing, and
written testing, which written testing shall provide accommodations for
individuals who have English as a second language;

���� (8)� develop additional
testing sites for certified nurse aides and certified homemaker home-health
aides;

���� (9)� identify opportunities to
streamline the out-of-state reciprocity process for LTSS direct care workers
and assess the feasibility of adopting interstate compacts to encourage LTSS
direct care workers from other States to work in New Jersey;

���� (10)� conduct a public
awareness campaign to inform the public about the positive and rewarding
aspects of working in an LTSS setting;

���� (11)� in collaboration with
the Department of Education, seek to establish credit programs for high school
students interested in working in LTSS;

���� (12)� in collaboration with
the Department of Education, encourage institutions of higher education in this
State that provide medical education to require students to complete a clinical
rotation through a LTSS setting and to include geriatric and palliative
medicine into any applicable curriculum; and

���� (13)� develop incentives for
nurses to become nurse instructors and assess whether the educational
requirements for nurse instructors should be modified to fulfill the State�s
need for nurse instructors and nurses.

���� 2.� No later than one year
after the effective date of this act and annually thereafter, the Commissioner
of Health shall prepare and submit to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2
of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), the Legislature a report on the
implementation of the program, which report shall include any recommendations
for administrative or legislative action that the commissioner deems necessary
to implement the provisions of this act and to support, and increase the supply
of, LTSS direct care workers in this State.

���� 3.� This act shall take effect
immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes a long-term
services and supports (LTSS) workforce engagement and sustainability program in
the Department of Health.� The purpose of the program will be to employ various
strategies to support, and increase the supply of, LTSS direct care workers in
this State in both institutional and community-based settings.

���� The program will, at a
minimum, require the Department of Health to:� ������� (1) in collaboration
with the Department of Human Services, conduct a periodic review of the impact
of the State�s Medicaid payment policies on LTSS direct care workers� total
compensation, including paid time off; (2) identify any available federal COVID-19
funds that can be used to provide bonuses to individuals who worked in LTSS
settings during the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) to the extent possible, develop a
single curriculum and training program for LTSS direct care workers in both
institutional and community-based system; (4) develop incentives for LTSS
providers to establish advanced roles to facilitate career advancement for LTSS
direct care workers; (5) adopt regulations to permit certified medication aides
to work in nursing homes; (6) provide free or reduced tuition, award
scholarships, or loan forgiveness to individuals interested in working in LTSS;
(7) develop an online, hybrid approach to credentialing or certification for
direct care workers; (8) develop additional testing sites for certified nurse
aides and certified homemaker home-health aides; (9) identify opportunities to
streamline the out-of-state reciprocity process for LTSS direct care workers
and assess the feasibility of adopting interstate compacts to encourage LTSS
direct care workers from other States to work in New Jersey; (10) conduct a
public awareness campaign to inform the public about the positive and rewarding
aspects of working in an LTSS setting; (11) in collaboration with the
Department of Education, seek to establish credit programs for high school
students interested in working in LTSS; ������� (12) in collaboration with the
Department of Education, encourage institutions of higher education in this
State that provide medical education to require students to complete a clinical
rotation through a LTSS setting and to include geriatric and palliative
medicine into any applicable curriculum; and (13) develop incentives for nurses
to become nurse instructors and assess whether the educational requirements for
nurse instructors should be modified to fulfill the State�s need for nurse
instructors and nurses.

���� The bill requires the
Commissioner of Health, no later than one year after the effective date of this
bill and annually thereafter, to prepare and submit to the Governor and the
Legislature a report on the implementation of the program, which report will
include any recommendations for administrative or legislative action that the
commissioner deems necessary to implement the provisions of this bill and to
support, and increase the supply of, LTSS direct care workers in this State.