Mississippi Long-Term Care Ombudsman Act; enact.

SB 2749 establishes the Mississippi Long-Term Care Ombudsman Act, creating a statewide program within the Mississippi Department of Human Services to address concerns about residents in long-term care facilities. The program, led by a State Ombudsman, will investigate complaints about health, safety, or rights violations, conduct facility visits, and require corrective actions from facilities - without interfering with existing regulations. It mandates a toll-free complaint line, email system, and confidentiality protections for residents and their representatives, while requiring facilities to provide access to records for the program. This replaces Mississippi’s previous ombudsman law and directly affects nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and their residents by providing an independent, statewide system to resolve issues.