[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7106 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7106

To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to streamline 
  care delivery in skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities 
               under the Medicare and Medicaid programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 15, 2026

Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia (for herself and Mrs. Dingell) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
  Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to streamline 
  care delivery in skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities 
               under the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Enhancing Skilled Nursing Facilities 
Act''.

SEC. 2. STREAMLINING CARE DELIVERY IN SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES AND 
              NURSING FACILITIES.

    (a) Medicare.--
            (1) Certification of post-hospital extended care 
        services.--Section 1814(a)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1395f(a)(2)) is amended by striking ``who does not'' and 
        all that follows through ``physician,,'' and inserting 
        ``working in accordance with State law,''.
            (2) Supervision requirement in skilled nursing facility 
        services.--Section 1819(b)(6)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1395i-3(b)(6)(A)) is amended--
                    (A) in the header, by striking ``Physician 
                supervision'' and inserting ``Supervision''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``or a nurse practitioner or 
                physician assistant, in accordance with State law'' 
                after ``physician''.
            (3) Administration of part b.--Section 1842(b)(2)(C) of the 
        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(2)(C)) is amended--
                    (A) by inserting ``, a nurse practitioner, or a 
                physician assistant'' after ``a physician''; and
                    (B) by striking ``and includes a physician 
                assistant acting under the supervision of the physician 
                or a nurse practitioner working in collaboration with 
                that physician, or both''.
            (4) Provision of medical and other health services.--
        Section 1861(s)(2)(K)(ii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1395x(s)(2)(K)(ii)) is amended by striking ``or clinical nurse 
        specialist (as defined in subsection (aa)(5)) working in 
        collaboration (as defined in subsection (aa)(6)) with a 
        physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1))'' and inserting 
        ``(as defined in subsection (aa)(5)(A)), or by a clinical nurse 
        specialist (as defined in subsection (aa)(5)(B)) working in 
        collaboration with a physician (as defined in subsection 
        (r)(1)),''.
            (5) Scope of services.--Section 1819(b)(2)(B) of the Social 
        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-3(b)(2)(B)) is amended by 
        inserting ``(or a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or 
        clinical nurse specialist working in accordance with State 
        law)'' after ``attending physician''.
            (6) Residents' rights.--Section 1819(c) of the Social 
        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-3(c)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(A)(i), by inserting ``nurse 
                practitioner, physician assistant, or clinical nurse 
                specialist working in accordance with State law'' after 
                ``attending physician'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(A), in the matter following 
                clause (vi)--
                            (i) by inserting ``nurse practitioner, 
                        physician assistant, or clinical nurse 
                        specialist working in accordance with State 
                        law'' after ``resident's physician''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``, nurse practitioner, 
                        physician assistant, or clinical nurse 
                        specialist working in accordance with State 
                        law'' after ``a physician''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (3)(A), by inserting ``, nurse 
                practitioner, physician assistant, or clinical nurse 
                specialist working in accordance with State law'' after 
                ``physician''.
    (b) Medicaid.--
            (1) Certification of skilled nursing facility services and 
        intermediate care facility services.--Section 1902(a)(44) of 
        the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(44)) is amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) by striking ``(or, in the case of 
                        skilled nursing facility services or 
                        intermediate care facility services'' and 
                        inserting ``(or, in the case of intermediate 
                        care facility services'';
                            (ii) by striking ``physician) certifies'' 
                        and inserting ``physician, or, in the case of 
                        skilled nursing facility services, a physician, 
                        or a nurse practitioner, a physician assistant, 
                        or a clinical nurse specialist working in 
                        accordance with State law) certifies'';
                            (iii) by striking ``a physician, or, in the 
                        case of skilled nursing facility services or'' 
                        and inserting ``a physician, or, in the case 
                        of''; and
                            (iv) by inserting ``or, in the case of 
                        skilled nursing facility services, a physician, 
                        or a nurse practitioner, a physician assistant, 
                        or a clinical nurse specialist working in 
                        accordance with State law,'' before 
                        ``recertifies''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B)--
                            (i) by striking ``skilled nursing facility 
                        services or''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``, or, in the case of 
                        skilled nursing facility services, a physician, 
                        or a nurse practitioner, a physician assistant, 
                        or a clinical nurse specialist working in 
                        accordance with State law'' before the 
                        semicolon.
            (2) Nursing facility services supervision and clinical 
        records.--Section 1919(b)(6)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1396r(b)(6)(A)) is amended to read as follows:
                    ``(A) require that the health care of every 
                resident be provided under the supervision of a 
                physician or nurse practitioner or a physician 
                assistant (or, at the option of a State, under the 
                supervision of a clinical nurse specialist);''.
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