Connecticut is set to expand its paid sick leave law, affecting private-sector employees beginning January 1, 2025. Previously limited to employers with 50 or more employees and service workers, the new law will extend paid sick leave to all employees at companies with 25 or more employees, with further expansion in 2026 and 2027. Key changes include the elimination of the service worker criteria, no requirement for employees to provide documentation or advance notice for leave, and expanded use of sick time to care for family members. Additionally, the law increases accrual from one hour of sick leave for every 40 hours worked to one hour for every 30 hours worked, with a carryover of 40 hours or the option for employers to frontload sick leave at the start of each year. Governor Ned Lamont signed the bill in May, and the implementation will occur in phases over the next few years.

HCAOA is proud to celebrate a historic achievement for our nation’s veterans: the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act has passed Congress and is on its way to President Biden’s desk, who is expected to sign it into law! This landmark legislation will significantly enhance home-based care for veterans, including increasing the Veterans Administration's funding for in-home care to match 100% of the cost of nursing home care for veterans. HCAOA’s advocacy played a crucial role in making this a reality, with over 4,000 messages sent to Capitol Hill through its legislative action network. Over the past two years, advocacy efforts included numerous meetings with Veterans Affairs leadership, Congressional Policy Committee staff, in addition to meetings with key legislators during HCAOA's Home Care Advocacy Days.

HCAOA Connecticut Chapter leaders met recently with key lawmakers about Chapter legislative and public policy priorities in advance of the regular legislative session, which begins next month.

It’s not too late to register for today’s member-only webinar at 3:00 p.m. ET for a recap of the 2024 elections and a non-partisan discussion about opportunities and impacts for home care. HCAOA will also share insights into 2025 legislative and regulatory priorities.

HCAOA is excited to announce that the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. This milestone follows over a year of advocacy from thousands of HCAOA members. More than 3,000 messages were sent to Capitol Hill, and hundreds participated in the 2024 HCAOA Home Care Advocacy Day. HCAOA members succeeded in raising awareness about the importance of strengthening services for veterans and their families.

​As 2025 rapidly approaches, HCAOA is working with state chapters and industry partners to ensure home care is prioritized in state legislatures across the country next session. Check out this resource, which shares state-by-state legislative session dates for 2025. As 2025 sessions kick off, HCAOA will keep you equipped with advocacy resources, breaking policy updates, and opportunities to take action and bolster advocacy efforts happening in your state. If you’d like to learn more about how to get involved in advocacy efforts in your state, please reach out to [email protected]. 

HCAOA joined NAHC, LeadingAge, ANCOR, and other industry leaders for a quarterly meeting with the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) last week as CMS continues to seek feedback regarding the implementation of the Medicaid Access Rule. Throughout the meeting, our coalition of industry leaders continued to stress the potential impact of the 80/20 provision on providers and provided recommendations for sub-regulatory guidance that has yet to be articulated by CMS, such as reporting and audit requirements, to ensure state-by-state continuity in implementation and to mitigate unnecessary administrative burden on providers.

U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Bob Casey (D-Penn) have introduced three bills aimed at bolstering the Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who provide essential home care and assistance to seniors and individuals with disabilities. This initiative comes in response to the caregiver work shortage. The bills are designed to create new programs and adjust federal funding to enhance home and community-based services (HCBS), addressing the urgent need for support in this critical workforce.

Last week, on World Alzheimer’s Day, California Gov. Newsom signed a bill (SB 1249) to conform the Older Californians Act to the federal Older Americans Act, ensuring that California is in full compliance with the recently published final federal Administration for Community Living regulations before they take effect in October 2025.  It also requires the California Department of Aging to develop, on or before September 2025, in consultation with AAAs and stakeholders, key new provisions, including performance metrics, core programs and services, funding formulas, and a statewide engagement plan to improve outreach to underrepresented populations and underserved communities.

The New Jersey Legislature has formed a Home Care Caucus to collaborate with a bipartisan representation of members from both chambers on issues related to home health care services. HCAOA encourages all members in the state to participate in the next virtual meeting of the Caucus on Tuesday, September 24 at 11:00 a.m. Click here to register. Speakers at the meeting will include caucus Legislative Co-Chairs Senator Anthony M. Bucco (R-25), Senator Gordon Johnson (D-37), Assemblywoman Nancy F. Muñoz (R-21), and Assemblywoman Carol A. Murphy (D-7).

Last week, U.S. District Judge Ada E. Brown set aside the FTC’s sweeping ban on non-compete agreements, concluding that the rule was “arbitrary and capricious” and that the FTC lacked the statutory authority to issue the rule in the first place. (read Judge Brown’s decision here).

All HCAOA members are encouraged to register for the HCAOA National Legislative Call on September 12 from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. ET. This call is a key benefit for all members to hear about the latest legislative and regulatory proposals impacting home care and how HCAOA is mobilizing to take action for members.

Last month, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the Fair Contracting for Health Care Practitioners Act (HB 1633), which bans certain noncompete covenants, including patient nonsolicitation provisions, between an employer and health care practitioner if the covenant is more than one year or the health care practitioner was “dismissed by the employer.” The effective date of the Act is January 1, 2025, according to HCAOA Associate Member Littler.

A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators have introduced the Healthcare Cybersecurity Act of 2024 to enhance cybersecurity in the health care sector following the cyberattack on Change Healthcare earlier this year. The bill aims to improve readiness and response capabilities by directing collaboration between the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Health and Human Services (HHS), facilitating the sharing of cyber threat information and defense measures with non-federal entities. It also proposes establishing a dedicated liaison within CISA to support health care and public health sectors during cybersecurity incidents.

The House Committee on Education & the Workforce recently approved the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act, H.R.2941, towards a potential House floor vote. This legislation, already passed by the Senate (S.1332), aims to establish a standard occupational classification (SOC) for direct support professionals (DSPs). Currently grouped under broader categories like home healthcare aides, DSPs lack specific workforce data, hindering efforts to address their critical shortage. Supporters argue that a SOC designation would enable better data collection, aiding policymakers in addressing workforce challenges and improving access to home- and community-based services (HCBS). Despite committee approval, some lawmakers have expressed concerns that the bill does not go far enough to address DSPs' wage, benefit, and safety concerns.