Moratorium on Nursing Home Staffing Standards

On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law. One of its provisions placed a moratorium on the Biden Era minimum staffing standards for nursing homes. Specifically, Section 71111 of the OBBBA provides:

Subchapter B—Preventing Wasteful Spending

SEC. 71111. MORATORIUM ON IMPLEMENTATION OF RULE RELATING TO STAFFING STANDARDS FOR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES UNDER THE MEDICARE AND MEDICAID PROGRAMS.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall not, during the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this section and ending September 30, 2034, implement, administer, or enforce the amendments made by the provisions of the final rule published by the Centers for Medicare &  Medicaid Services on May 10, 2024, and titled ‘‘Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting’’ (89 Fed. Reg. 40876) to the following sections of part 483 of title 42, Code of Federal Regulations:

(1) Section 483.5.
(2) Section 483.35.