HB 530

As Reported by the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee
136th General Assembly
    Regular Session  Sub. H. B. No. 530
       2025-2026
  Representatives Brewer, Salvo
   Cosponsors: Representatives Brennan, Troy, Glassburn, McNally, Jarrells,
  Synenberg, Lett, Young, Miller, J.
  To establish the Long-term Care Workforce Study  1
  Commission.  2
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
      Section 1. (A) The legislative Long-term Care Workforce  3
Study Commission is established. The Commission shall do all of  4
the following:  5
      (1) Study the direct care and long-term care workforce in  6
this state, review the findings and considerations contained in  7
the 2022 final report of the Direct Care Workforce Expansion  8
Working Group, and make policy recommendations in each of the  9
following areas:  10
      (a) Measuring current demand for direct care workers and  11
projecting future needs of that workforce, including evaluating  12
available workforce data and identifying gaps in data collection  13
related to workforce supply, vacancy rates, turnover rates, and  14
projected workforce demand;  15
      (b) Developing a campaign and statewide recruitment  16
strategies to encourage individuals to join the facility-based  17
and home and community-based long-term care workforce;  18
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As Reported by the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee
       (c) Supporting career ladders throughout various long-term  19
care settings;  20
       (d) Identifying educational needs and methods to fill  21
those needs for direct care workers, including establishing a  22
program to provide contributions to the postsecondary education  23
of long-term care direct care workers in related fields;  24
       (e) Identifying barriers to hiring direct care workers and  25
methods to overcome those barriers;  26
       (f) Developing strategies to improve the quality of long-  27
term care jobs;  28
       (g) Increasing opportunities for shared staffing among  29
long-term care providers;  30
       (h) Making recommendations regarding potential funding  31
mechanisms and the feasibility of pilot programs regarding the  32
direct care workforce, such as: pooling hours worked by part-  33
time home care workers for purposes of providing greater  34
employment opportunity and access to employee benefits;  35
expanding access to postsecondary education in relevant fields  36
for direct care workers; and evaluating potential pilot  37
initiatives related to workforce recruitment, training pipeline  38
partnerships with career centers and postsecondary institutions,  39
workforce navigator programs, shared staffing models among  40
providers, and the use of assistive technology to support  41
caregivers and individuals receiving services. Recommendations  42
regarding funding mechanisms or pilot initiatives shall be  43
advisory in nature and shall not require the appropriation of  44
state funds.  45
       (2) Hear testimony from interested parties and members of  46
the public in producing the report;  47
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As Reported by the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee
       (3) Not later than October 31, 2027, issue a report of its  48
findings and recommendations to the General Assembly in  49
accordance with section 101.68 of the Revised Code.  50
       Upon completion of the final report, the Commission shall  51
present its findings and recommendations to relevant committees  52
of the General Assembly. It also shall transmit the report to  53
the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and  54
the President of the Senate.  55
       (B)(1) The Commission shall consist of the following  56
members:  57
       (a) Six members of the General Assembly, as follows:  58
       (i) Three members of the Senate, two from the majority  59
party, each appointed by the President of the Senate, and one  60
from the minority party, appointed by the President in  61
consultation with the Senate Minority Leader;  62
       (ii) Three members of the House of Representatives, two  63
from the majority party, each appointed by the Speaker of the  64
House of Representatives, and one from the minority party,  65
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives in  66
consultation with the House Minority Leader;  67
       (b) The following members who possess expertise in long-  68
term care workforce issues, as follows:  69
       (i) A representative of a statewide association  70
representing direct care workers, appointed by the President of  71
the Senate;  72
       (ii) A representative of a statewide association  73
representing providers of home and community-based long-term  74
care services, appointed by the President of the Senate;  75
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As Reported by the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee
       (iii) A representative of a statewide association  76
representing facility based long-term care providers, appointed  77
by the President of the Senate;  78
       (iv) A representative of a statewide association  79
representing nonprofit housing and senior service programming,  80
appointed by the President of the Senate;  81
       (v) A representative of a statewide organization providing  82
services to individuals with intellectual or developmental  83
disability, appointed by the Speaker of the House of  84
Representatives;  85
       (vi) A representative of a statewide organization  86
representing service coordination agencies serving individuals  87
receiving home and community-based services, appointed by the  88
Speaker of the House of Representatives;  89
       (vii) A representative of a statewide association  90
representing long-term care services and support providers for  91
seniors, including facility-based and home and community-based  92
providers, appointed by the Speaker of the House of  93
Representatives;  94
       (viii) A representative of a statewide organization  95
representing consumers participating in home and community-based  96
services, appointed by the Speaker of the House of  97
Representatives;  98
       (ix) A consumer participating in a home and community-  99
based services waiver administered by the Department of  100
Medicaid, appointed by the President of the Senate.  101
       (2) The following shall serve as nonvoting members of the  102
Commission:  103
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       (a) The Director of Aging, or the Director's designee;  104
       (b) The Director of Developmental Disabilities, or the  105
Director's designee;  106
       (c) The Director of Veterans Services, or the Director's  107
designee.  108
       (C)(1) Members of the Commission shall be appointed not  109
later than thirty days after the effective date of this section.  110
A vacancy in the membership of the Commission shall be filled in  111
the same manner as the original appointment. Members shall serve  112
without compensation.  113
       (2) The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the  114
House of Representatives shall each appoint one majority member  115
to serve as co-chairpersons of the Commission. The Commission  116
shall meet no fewer than six times prior to submitting the  117
report required by division (A)(3) of this section and may meet  118
more frequently as determined necessary by the co-chairpersons.  119
       (3) The Commission shall hold its first meeting not later  120
than thirty days after a majority of members have been  121
appointed.  122
       (D) Staff of the General Assembly shall provide technical  123
and administrative support as needed by the Commission.  124
       (E) When it submits its recommendations described in  125
division (A)(3) of this section, the Commission shall cease to  126
exist.  127