Establish the Long-term Care Workforce Study Commission

hb530_01_RH

As Reported by the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
Sub. H. B. No. 530

2025-2026

Representatives Brewer, Salvo

Cosponsors: Representatives
Brennan, Troy, Glassburn, McNally, Jarrells, Synenberg, Lett, Young,
Miller, J.

To

establish
the Long-term Care Workforce Study Commission.

BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section
1.
(A)
The legislative Long-term Care Workforce Study Commission is
established. The Commission shall do all of the following:

(1)
Study the direct care and long-term care workforce in this state,
review the findings and considerations contained in the 2022 final
report of the Direct Care Workforce Expansion Working Group, and make
policy recommendations in each of the following areas:

(a)
Measuring current demand for direct care workers and projecting
future needs of that workforce, including evaluating available
workforce data and identifying gaps in data collection related to
workforce supply, vacancy rates, turnover rates, and projected
workforce demand;

(b)
Developing a campaign and statewide recruitment strategies to
encourage individuals to join the facility-based and home and
community-based long-term care workforce;

(c)
Supporting career ladders throughout various long-term care settings;

(d)
Identifying educational needs and methods to fill those needs for
direct care workers, including establishing a program to provide
contributions to the postsecondary education of long-term care direct
care workers in related fields;

(e)
Identifying barriers to hiring direct care workers and methods to
overcome those barriers;

(f)
Developing strategies to improve the quality of long-term care jobs;

(g)
Increasing opportunities for shared staffing among long-term care
providers;

(h)
Making recommendations regarding potential funding mechanisms and the
feasibility of pilot programs regarding the direct care workforce,
such as: pooling hours worked by part-time home care workers for
purposes of providing greater employment opportunity and access to
employee benefits; expanding access to postsecondary education in
relevant fields for direct care workers; and evaluating potential
pilot initiatives related to workforce recruitment, training pipeline
partnerships with career centers and postsecondary institutions,
workforce navigator programs, shared staffing models among providers,
and the use of assistive technology to support caregivers and
individuals receiving services. Recommendations regarding funding
mechanisms or pilot initiatives shall be advisory in nature and shall
not require the appropriation of state funds.

(2)
Hear testimony from interested parties and members of the public in
producing the report;

(3)
Not later than October 31, 2027, issue a report of its findings and
recommendations to the General Assembly in accordance with section
101.68 of the Revised Code.

Upon
completion of the final report, the Commission shall present its
findings and recommendations to relevant committees of the General
Assembly. It also shall transmit the report to the Governor, the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President of the
Senate.

(B)(1)
The Commission shall consist of the following members:

(a)
Six members of the General Assembly, as follows:

(i)
Three members of the Senate, two from the majority party, each
appointed by the President of the Senate, and one from the minority
party, appointed by the President in consultation with the Senate
Minority Leader;

(ii)
Three members of the House of Representatives, two from the majority
party, each appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
and one from the minority party, appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives in consultation with the House Minority
Leader;

(b)
The following members who possess expertise in long-term care
workforce issues, as follows:

(i)
A representative of a statewide association representing direct care
workers, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(ii)
A representative of a statewide association representing providers of
home and community-based long-term care services, appointed by the
President of the Senate;

(iii)
A representative of a statewide association representing facility
based long-term care providers, appointed by the President of the
Senate;

(iv)
A representative of a statewide association representing nonprofit
housing and senior service programming, appointed by the President of
the Senate;

(v)
A representative of a statewide organization providing services to
individuals with intellectual or developmental disability, appointed
by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(vi)
A representative of a statewide organization representing service
coordination agencies serving individuals receiving home and
community-based services, appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives;

(vii)
A representative of a statewide association representing long-term
care services and support providers for seniors, including
facility-based and home and community-based providers, appointed by
the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(viii)
A representative of a statewide organization representing consumers
participating in home and community-based services, appointed by the
Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(ix)
A consumer participating in a home and community-based services
waiver administered by the Department of Medicaid, appointed by the
President of the Senate.

(2)
The following shall serve as nonvoting members of the Commission:

(a)
The Director of Aging, or the Director's designee;

(b)
The Director of Developmental Disabilities, or the Director's
designee;

(c)
The Director of Veterans Services, or the Director's designee.

(C)(1)
Members of the Commission shall be appointed not later than thirty
days after the effective date of this section. A vacancy in the
membership of the Commission shall be filled in the same manner as
the original appointment. Members shall serve without compensation.

(2)
The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives shall each appoint one majority member to serve as
co-chairpersons of the Commission. The Commission shall meet no fewer
than six times prior to submitting the report required by division
(A)(3) of this section and may meet more frequently as determined
necessary by the co-chairpersons.

(3)
The Commission shall hold its first meeting not later than thirty
days after a majority of members have been appointed.

(D)
Staff of the General Assembly shall provide technical and
administrative support as needed by the Commission.

(E)
When it submits its recommendations described in division (A)(3) of
this section, the Commission shall cease to exist.