Woonsocket Radio News Room

Sen. Valverde re-introduces legislation to create
Nursing Home Workforce Standards Advisory Board

 

STATE HOUSE – Sen. Bridget Valverde has reintroduced legislation to create a 13-member advisory board to keep state leaders informed on current market conditions, wages, benefits and working conditions in Rhode Island’s nursing home industry.

The legislation (2025-S 0118) creating the Rhode Island Nursing Home Workforce Standards Advisory Board is intended to help state leaders understand the challenges facing nursing home staff, and craft solutions that ensure safety for them and patients alike. Senator Valverde sponsored similar legislation last year, which was approved by the General Assembly but vetoed by Gov. Daniel McKee.

“The Rhode Islanders who work in nursing homes do a very critical job, often under high pressure and without as many resources or the level of pay that they really deserve. Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our family members in nursing homes means providing proper support and training to the people who care for them. This new board will give state leaders insight into the conditions and challenges in our state’s nursing homes so we can work to effectively address them,” said Senator Valverde (D-Dist. 35, North Kingstown, East Greenwich, South Kingstown).

The advisory board will consist of three members representing nursing home employers, three representing nursing home workers, two representing community organizations that work with the Medicaid population, one member representing a joint labor-management multi-employer nonprofit training fund, and representatives of the Health and Human Services secretary, the Department of Labor and Training, the Department of Health and the Long-Term Care State Ombudsman.

The board will advise the General Assembly and the Department of Labor and Training on market conditions, wages, benefits and working conditions in the nursing home industry; recommend minimum statewide compensation and working standards for nursing home workers; propose minimum standards for nursing home training programs and assist in ensuring compliance by employers with the recommended standards.

The legislation is strongly supported by SEIU Local 1199NE, which represents many staff members at Rhode Island nursing homes.

Rep. Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence), who sponsored the 2024 bill in the House, has also reintroduced it (2025-H 5257).

Homeland Security says a woman has died in Minneapolis after being shot in an ICE-involved shooting. Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the woman was protesting ICE when she allegedly rammed her car into federal agents, but she added information is still being gathered. She described the incident as an "act of domestic terrorism."        The Trump administration says the latest seizure of two oil tankers linked to Venezuela is having its intended effect on the Venezuelan government. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says current Venezuelan leadership has asked to work with the U.S. to get the oil back. Rubio says that's a positive outcome, because it shows leadership knows the only way Venezuela can move forward and generate revenue is to cooperate with the Trump administration.        President Trump says he's urging Congress to codify his plan to ban "large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes." In a Truth Social post Wednesday, the president said "people live in homes, not corporations." Trump called buying and owning a home "the pinnacle of the American Dream."        Nick Reiner's arraignment on murder charges has been delayed after his attorney unexpectedly withdrew from the case. Reiner, whose arraignment was scheduled for this morning, will now be represented by a public defender. The 32-year-old is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of his parents, Hollywood icon Rob Reiner and photographer Michele Singer Reiner.        The dietary guidelines for Americans is getting a shake up. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s plan aims to completely cut out added sugars, prioritize protein, push vegetables and fruit, reduce the intake highly processed products, eat more whole foods, and end the war on saturated fats. He says with his announcement, the old lies from the government about what are healthy foods stop.        Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Junior is entering the transfer portal after agreeing to return to the program for 2026. Williams said on social media that he is doing what is best for his future. This comes after he signed a contract with Washington last week with money reportedly near the top of the market.       

Old News Archives