WASHINGTON, D.C.– The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) today praised Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Scott(R-SC) for
reintroducing the Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing a nationwide shortage of certified nursing assistants (CNAs).
The bill would allow nursing homes to resume in-house CNA education programs that were suspended once quality standards are met. It also gives Medicare and Medicaid providers access to the National Practitioner Data Bank to conduct background checks and help identify the best candidates. A bipartisan House version, H.R. 7096, sponsored by Rep. Ron Estes (KS-4) and Rep. Josh Harder (CA-9), was reintroduced earlier this year.
“We commend Senators Warner and Scott for reintroducing this important legislation to directly address, and support, the growth of the long term care workforce,” said Clif Porter, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL. "With an aging population, we need solutions like the Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act to help the caregivers of tomorrow answer the call to care. This bill will support nursing homes in their efforts to train crucially needed direct caregivers and vet their workforce, working to ensure that our nation’s seniors receive high quality care delivered by highly skilled and dedicated professionals.”
Across the country, nearly half (46 percent) of all nurse aides complete their training through a facility-based Nurse Aide Training Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP), representing a critically important solution for developing the long term care workforce. Yet, only one in five nursing homes operated a facility-based NATCEP in 2024, a decline after five years of growth. A current barrier to expanding these in-house training programs is a federal statute under which certain fines can trigger a two-year NATCEP suspension, even if the issue is unrelated to the training program or quality of care. The Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act would allow these training programs to resume or start under certain parameters to ensure facility compliance and resident safety.
The bill is one of many pieces of legislation that AHCA/NCAL supports as part of its Caregivers for Tomorrow initiative. AHCA/NCAL remains committed to working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to advance solutions that strengthen the long term care workforce, improve access to care, and advance quality improvement.