Assisted living updates approved

Lawmakers passed a bill April 11 intended to improve the services provided by Nebraska assisted living facilities.

LB439, sponsored by Lincoln Sen. Anna Wishart, permits an assisted living facility nurse to provide nursing care to residents on a part-time, intermittent basis. Such care is defined as less than 10 hours each week for each resident, with a predictable end time within a 21-day period.

The bill also requires assisted living facilities to disclose in writing if brief nursing care is available in their facility and updates a variety of definitions.

Any expenses resulting from the bill will be paid from the Nebraska Health Care Cash Fund for fiscal year 2018-19 and FY2019-20.

LB439 passed on a vote of 47-0.