Woonsocket Radio News Room

Sen. Valverde re-introduces legislation to create
Nursing Home Workforce Standards Advisory Board

 

STATE HOUSE – Sen. Bridget Valverde has reintroduced legislation to create a 13-member advisory board to keep state leaders informed on current market conditions, wages, benefits and working conditions in Rhode Island’s nursing home industry.

The legislation (2025-S 0118) creating the Rhode Island Nursing Home Workforce Standards Advisory Board is intended to help state leaders understand the challenges facing nursing home staff, and craft solutions that ensure safety for them and patients alike. Senator Valverde sponsored similar legislation last year, which was approved by the General Assembly but vetoed by Gov. Daniel McKee.

“The Rhode Islanders who work in nursing homes do a very critical job, often under high pressure and without as many resources or the level of pay that they really deserve. Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our family members in nursing homes means providing proper support and training to the people who care for them. This new board will give state leaders insight into the conditions and challenges in our state’s nursing homes so we can work to effectively address them,” said Senator Valverde (D-Dist. 35, North Kingstown, East Greenwich, South Kingstown).

The advisory board will consist of three members representing nursing home employers, three representing nursing home workers, two representing community organizations that work with the Medicaid population, one member representing a joint labor-management multi-employer nonprofit training fund, and representatives of the Health and Human Services secretary, the Department of Labor and Training, the Department of Health and the Long-Term Care State Ombudsman.

The board will advise the General Assembly and the Department of Labor and Training on market conditions, wages, benefits and working conditions in the nursing home industry; recommend minimum statewide compensation and working standards for nursing home workers; propose minimum standards for nursing home training programs and assist in ensuring compliance by employers with the recommended standards.

The legislation is strongly supported by SEIU Local 1199NE, which represents many staff members at Rhode Island nursing homes.

Rep. Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence), who sponsored the 2024 bill in the House, has also reintroduced it (2025-H 5257).

A federal judge is blocking parts of President Trump's executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the federal government. On Friday, the judge halted Trump's orders to cancel federal contracts concerning DEI, and his order to make government contractors prove they don't use DEI practices. The judge's injunction does not block the Department of Justice from making lists of companies and universities to investigate.        Hamas is releasing another set of human remains after Israel demanded they hand over the body of a mother taken hostage. Hamas released four bodies on Thursday, but Israel was outraged when the remains of Shiri Bibas were not among them. On Friday, the leader of Hamas said Bibas' remains have now been given to Israel.        The Supreme Court says it will prevent President Trump from firing the head of a top watchdog agency for now. Trump has been trying to fire Hampton Dellinger, who leads the Office of Special Counsel, but so far has been blocked by lower courts. On Friday, the Supreme Court neither granted nor denied Trump's request to fire Dellinger, instead saying they're choosing not to act because lower court proceedings are moving quickly.        The Trump administration is reversing its decision to make major cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program. The program provides medical treatment to over a-hundred-thousand first responders and survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Officials say they're reinstating research grants that had been cut, and employees who were fired will be allowed to return to their jobs.        White House officials say federal aid for the Los Angeles wildfires will come with strings attached. In an interview with Politico, Trump envoy Richard Grenell said "The federal response is mostly money and so we are going to have strings on the money that we give to California." Grenell didn't specify what the conditions would be, but did say the California Coastal Commisison, which protects the state's coastlines, should be "defunded."        Hackers have made away with one-point-five-billion-dollars in the largest crypto heist in history. Bybit, a major cryptocurrency exchange, announced the news Friday. The hackers compromised an offline storage system, and the stolen funds were quickly transferred and liquidated through various platforms.       

Old News Archives