Congressman Steven Horsford Announces Legislation to Hold Nursing Homes Accountable During COVID-19 Pandemic, Heroes Act

Statement

Today, Congressman Horsford (NV-04) announced the Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Act of 2020 to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to publish demographic information on COVID-19 infections and deaths in long-term care facilities.

"As we navigate this pandemic, we must ensure that the facilities designed to care for our most vulnerable communities, including older Nevadans, are accountable to the communities they serve and the families who have trusted -- or are planning to entrust -- their loved ones to their care," Congressman Horsford said. "Requiring these facilities to report infections and death from COVID-19 can help families and older Americans make informed decisions when seeking care from a long-term facility, and can help families hold these facilities accountable for infections that may impact their loved ones."

The bill also requires data to be collected regarding demographic information on infections and deaths to track the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on communities of color.

These reporting standards are also included as a provision in the Heroes Act, the fourth comprehensive coronavirus response bill to meet the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. That legislation also includes a provision mirroring Congressman Horsford's Worker Health Protection Act to cover 100 percent of COBRA costs for laid off or furloughed workers.

In addition to these provisions, the $3 trillion Heroes Act also:

Honors our heroes, by providing nearly $1 trillion to state, local, territorial and tribal governments who desperately need funds to pay vital workers like first responders, health workers, and teachers who keep us safe and are in danger of losing their jobs
Establishes a Heroes' Fund for essential workers, with $200 billion to ensure that essential workers who have risked their lives working during the pandemic receive hazard pay
Supports testing, tracing and treatment, by providing another $75 billion for coronavirus testing, contact tracing and isolation measures, ensuring every American can access free coronavirus treatment, and supporting hospitals and providers
Provides additional direct payments, cushioning the economic blow of the coronavirus crisis with a second round of more substantial economic impact payments of $1,200 per family member, up to $6,000 per household
Protects payrolls, by enhancing the new employee retention tax credit that encourages employers to keep employees on payroll, allowing 60 million Americans to remain connected to their paychecks and benefits
Ensures worker safety, by requiring OSHA to issue a strong, enforceable standard within seven days to require all workplaces to develop and implement infection control plans based on CDC expertise, and prevents employers from retaliating against workers who report infection control problems
Supports small businesses and nonprofits, by strengthening the Payroll Protection Program to ensure that it reaches underserved communities, nonprofits of all sizes and types and responds flexibly to small businesses by providing $10 billion for Covid-19 emergency grants through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program
Preserves health coverage, by protecting Americans losing their employer-provided health insurance with COBRA subsidies to maintain their coverage and creating a special enrollment period in the ACA exchanges for uninsured Americans
Extends unemployment benefits, ensuring weekly $600 federal unemployment payments through next January, providing a vital safety net for the record number of Americans who are unemployed
Bolsters housing assistance, helping struggling families afford a safe place to live with $175 billion in new supports to assist renters and homeowners make monthly rent, mortgage and utility payments and other housing-related costs
Strengthens food security, addressing rising hunger with a 15 percent increase to the maximum SNAP benefit and additional funding for nutrition programs that help families put food on the table
Safeguards our democracy, with new resources to ensure safe elections, an accurate Census, and preserve the Postal Service

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