S. 4280 · 118th Congress
Essential Caregivers Act of 2024
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 118th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
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BlumenthalSponsor18 cosponsors · 9 D, 8 R, 1 I
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Cornyn
JR
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Reed
CM
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Murphy
JF
D
Fetterman
KG
D
Gillibrand
ES
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Schmitt
TT
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Tillis
KC
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Cramer
JB
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Boozman
KB
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Britt
SC
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Collins
SD
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Daines
AK
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Klobuchar
KS
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Sinema
EW
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Warren
MK
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Kelly
TK
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Kaine
BL
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Luján1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill prohibits certain health care facilities from limiting the access of essential caregivers to residents of those facilities, including during designated emergency periods. Essential caregivers are individuals who are designated by facility residents to provide them with daily living assistance or emotional support or companionship.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · May 8, 2024
Essential Caregivers Act of 2024
This bill prohibits certain health care facilities from limiting the access of essential caregivers to residents of those facilities, including during designated emergency periods. Essential caregivers are individuals who are designated by facility residents to provide them with daily living assistance or emotional support or companionship.
Specifically, the bill generally prohibits Medicare skilled nursing facilities, Medicaid nursing facilities, Medicaid intermediate care facilities, and associated inpatient rehabilitation facilities from restricting the access of essential caregivers to residents of the facilities, including during emergency periods in which visitation rights are otherwise restricted. During emergency periods, facilities may restrict access for an initial period of up to seven days and for one additional maximum seven-day period (if the additional period is approved by the state health department). Facilities may restrict access for a total of 7 days (or 14 days with the approval of the state health department) during an emergency period.
Essential caregivers must agree to comply with any safety protocols set by the facility, which may be no more stringent for caregivers compared to those for staff. Caregivers who fail to comply with these requirements may be denied access, subject to an appeals process.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Essential Caregivers Act of 2024
Latest action (May 8, 2024): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Policy area: Health · Origin: Senate · Introduced: May 8, 2024
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.