NURSING HOMES: Provides for a statewide quality oversight initiative for nursing facilities. (8/1/26) (EN GF EX See Note)
This bill, known as the Nursing Home Choice Act, requires Louisiana to provide counseling and alternative options to residents and families of nursing homes that receive the lowest one-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. When a facility is rated one star, staff must offer immediate access to community-based services or transfer residents to a higher-rated nursing home, and potential residents must be notified before placement to explore alternatives. The law also mandates that one-star facilities submit a remediation plan with specific improvement targets within 30 days, provide quarterly progress reports, and face additional monitoring and potential sanctions if they fail to improve their rating within two years. These requirements apply to all nursing homes with a one-star rating on October 1, 2026, and remain in effect until the facility achieves a rating of two stars or higher.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
House Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Mar 10, 2026
Signed Jun 9, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
SB405 Original
→
SB405 Act 896
·
4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was renamed from the 'Nursing Home Choice Act' to the 'Statewide Quality Oversight Initiative' and significantly expanded its scope. Instead of only providing immediate counseling and transfer options for residents of one-star nursing homes, the new version mandates that the Department of Health create a comprehensive system to improve all facility quality. This includes developing data dashboards, conducting satisfaction surveys, implementing staff training, and engaging stakeholders to drive continuous improvement.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from a reactive measure focused solely on one-star facilities to a proactive, statewide initiative aimed at improving quality across all nursing homes through a coordinated oversight system.
REQUIREMENT
The specific requirement for one-star facilities to offer immediate counseling and transfer options was replaced with a mandate for the Department of Health to develop a statewide quality oversight initiative.
New requirements were added for the Department of Health to utilize data dashboards, resident/family satisfaction surveys, staff training plans, and stakeholder collaboration to improve facility performance.
TIMELINE
The effective date for reporting on the initiative was changed to January 1, 2028, and the specific compliance window for one-star facilities was removed.
ENFORCEMENT
The specific enforcement mechanism of placing non-compliant one-star facilities on a 'closure track' after two years was removed from the text.
Floor votes · Senate May 13, 2026 · House May 29, 2026
How they voted
37–0
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 40
May 13, 2026
D
Democratic12
83% Yea
R
Republican28
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
20
Key actions
5
Committee
5
Amendments
1
May 29, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 0. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.
lower
May 27, 2026
Introduced
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.
lower
May 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably (13-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.
lower
May 18, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
lower
May 13, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
May 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Recalled from Committee.
upper
May 7, 2026
Committee
Read by title. Committee amendments read and adopted; ordered engrossed and recommitted to the Committee on Finance.
upper
May 6, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported with amendments.
upper
Mar 10, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in the Senate. Read by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
upper
1 primary · 9 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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