Senior Care and Protection Act Filed Today in Missouri House 

JEFFERSON CITY, January 14, 2003  - Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell announced today the filing of the Senior Care and Protection Act, a proposal to toughen laws dealing with the protection and treatment of Missouri seniors in long-term care. The bill is a proposal by Gov. Bob Holden and Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell in response to mounting public pressure to rid the state of the bad actors in the industry by focusing on the abuses of the system.

	Rep. Cathy Jolly (D-Kansas City) of the 45th District and Rep. Phil Willoughby (D-Gladstone) of the 33rd District are the sponsors of the bill, as well as 41 other co-sponsors from across the state. The bill was filed in the Missouri House of Representatives as HB 186.

	Lt. Gov. Maxwell has been travelling around the state to nursing homes promoting the act and receiving feedback from nursing home residents, their family members, employees and administrators.

	"The majority of nursing homes in this state are good," Maxwell said. "But we've got to strengthen weak protection laws so we can drive the bad actors out and ensure our seniors receive the best quality of care for their specific needs."

Changes proposed in the bill will:

* Toughen the state's neglect statute to make it easier for the Department of Health and Senior Services to bar individuals, who have abused, neglected, or financially exploited seniors from working in the eldercare industry.

* Strengthen civil penalties for poor performance. Current law allows nursing homes to avoid civil penalties if problems cited have been corrected at the time of reinspection.

* Hold CEOs accountable by requiring nursing home executives to certify the quality of care being provided in their nursing homes.

* Prevent bad actors from other states from entering Missouri. Current law prevents consideration of an operator's history in another state before allowing them to do business in Missouri.

* Allow the Department of Health and Senior Services to revoke the license of a long-term care facility for the same reasons it would deny issuing that license in the first place.

* Protect employees of nursing home districts by enacting anti-retaliation protections for them.

	Maxwell said he is actively seeking bipartisan support in passing this bill, and is asking Democrats and Republicans for assistance. "We've waited too long already," Maxwell said. "It's time to put laws in the books that will truly improve the lives of our Missouri seniors."