Bill targets pay, training, and job protections for 5 million care workers

What does this do?

HR 8541, the Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act, would direct extra federal Medicaid money to states that raise pay, improve benefits, and expand training for direct care workers. The bill would also establish grants, apprenticeships, career advancement pathways, a national training standards commission, and a technical assistance center for employers. Additional provisions would require written job agreements, fair scheduling, paid sick leave, meal and rest breaks, stronger wage theft protections, and workplace violence prevention plans.

Who does it affect?

The bill directly affects the roughly five million direct care workers employed in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home settings. Older adults and people with disabilities who rely on these workers, and state Medicaid programs that fund much of this care, are also affected.

Why does it matter?

The United States faces a serious shortage of direct care workers, and the bill is structured as a response to that shortage. Without intervention, the workers most at risk of leaving the field include women, immigrants, and people of color, who make up the majority of this workforce and face high rates of burnout.

What does it cost, and who pays?

• $100B in state recruitment grants
• Extra Medicaid funds tied to state action