As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 530

2025-2026

A BILL

To establish the Long-term Care Workforce Study Commission.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. (A) The legislative Long-term Care Workforce Study Commission is established. The Commission shall do all of the following:

(1) Study the direct care and long-term care workforce in this state and make policy recommendations in each of the following areas:

(a) Measuring current demand for direct care workers and projecting future needs of that workforce;

(b) Developing a campaign and statewide recruitment strategies to encourage people to join the facility-based and home and community-based long-term care workforce;

(d) Identifying educational needs and methods to fill those needs for direct care workers, including establishing a program to provide contributions to the postsecondary education of long-term care direct care workers in related fields;

(e) Identifying barriers to hiring direct care workers and methods to overcome those barriers;

(f) Developing strategies to improve the quality of long-term care jobs;

(g) Increasing opportunities for shared staffing among long-term care providers;

(h) Recommendations on funding mechanisms, and establishing pilot programs regarding the direct care workforce, such as to pool hours worked by part-time home care workers with the purpose of providing greater employment opportunity and access to employee benefits, or to provide postsecondary education in relevant fields for direct care workers.

(2) Not later than August 31, 2027, issue a report of its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly in accordance with section 101.68 of the Revised Code. In producing the report, the Commission shall hear testimony from interested parties and shall provide a public comment period for the draft report language.

(B)(1) The Commission shall consist of the following members:

(a) Four members of the General Assembly, as follows:

(i) Two members of the Senate, one from the majority party and one from the minority party, each appointed by the President of the Senate;

(ii) Two members of the House of Representatives, one from the majority party and one from the minority party, each appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(b) The following members who possess expertise in the subject matter of the Commission's study, as follows:

(i) A direct care worker, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(ii) A provider of home-based long-term care who is a member of a statewide association representing home-based long-term care providers, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(iii) A representative of a statewide association representing nonprofit housing and senior service programming, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(iv) A representative of an organization providing services to individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism, including employment services and long-term home and community-based services, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(v) A family member of an individual with a developmental disability, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(vi) A consumer participating in a home and community-based services waiver administered by the Department of Aging, appointed by the President of the Senate;

(vii) A provider of facility-based long-term care providers, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(viii) A representative of a service coordination agency providing service coordination to individuals receiving home-based and community-based long-term care, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(ix) A representative of an institution of higher education engaged in workforce development, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(x) A representative of an organization promoting independent living for individuals with disabilities, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(xi) A consumer participating in a home and community-based services waiver administered by the Department of Medicaid, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(xii) A consumer participating in a home and community-based services waiver administered by the Department of Medicaid, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(2) The Commission may invite all of the following to serve as nonvoting members of the Commission:

(a) The Director of Health, or the Director's designee;

(b) The Director of Aging, or the Director's designee;

(d) The Medicaid Director, or the director's designee;

(e) The Director of the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation, or the Director's designee;

(f) Members of the Direct Care Workforce Expansion Working Group conducted by the Department of Job and Family Services.

(C)(1) Members of the Commission shall be appointed not later than December 31, 2025. Members of the Commission appointed pursuant to division (B)(1)(a) of this section shall serve so long as they continue to be members of the General Assembly. A vacancy in the membership of the Commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Members shall serve without compensation and may be reappointed.

(2) The appointed majority party members of the Senate and House of Representatives shall serve as co-chairpersons of the Commission. The Commission shall meet at least quarterly at the call of either co-chairperson.

(D)(1) The co-chairpersons of the Commission may establish subcommittees to carry out the duties listed in division (A)(1) of this section and to assist the Commission. The subcommittees must be composed of members of the Commission and interested persons who are not members of the Commission who volunteer to serve on the subcommittee.

(2) In carrying out its duties listed under division (A)(1) of this section, the Commission shall take into consideration the findings of the Direct Care Workforce Expansion Working Group.

(E) Staff of the General Assembly shall provide technical and administrative support as needed by the Commission.

(F) When it submits its recommendations described in division (A)(2) of this section, the Commission shall cease to exist.