An Act Regarding Benefits and Training for Long-term Care
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1720
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: TALBOT ROSS, RANA
Amends: 5 MRSA §285, 5 MRSA §17001, 22 MRSA §1708, 22 MRSA §3174-P

Legislative Document
No. 1720
S.P. 673
In Senate, April 17, 2025
An Act Regarding Benefits and Training for Long-term Care 
Workers
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Representative RANA of Bangor and
Senator: TIPPING of Penobscot, Representatives: ARFORD of Brunswick, DHALAC of South 
Portland, ROEDER of Bangor, SHAGOURY of Hallowell, ZAGER of Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §285, sub-§1, ¶L, as amended by PL 2023, c. 20, §2, is further 
amended to read:
L.  Any employee of an academy approved for tuition purposes in accordance with 
Title 20‑A, sections 2951 to 2955; and
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA §285, sub-§1, ¶M, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 20, §3, is amended 
to read:
M.  A retired county or municipal law enforcement officer or retired municipal 
firefighter who meets the requirements for coverage under subsection 11‑A.; and
Sec. 3.  5 MRSA §285, sub-§1, ¶N is enacted to read:
N.  A nurse, certified nursing assistant, direct care worker, other qualified health care 
professional or ancillary support worker including housekeeping and dietary staff 
employed by a nursing home licensed under Title 22, chapter 405 or a residential care 
facility licensed under Title 22, chapter 1664.
Sec. 4.  5 MRSA §17001, sub-§14, ¶A, as amended by PL 1987, c. 402, Pt. A, 
§§64 and 65, is further amended to read:
A.  For purposes of this chapter, a state employee, including any person serving during 
any probationary period required under the Civil Service Law and rules of the Civil 
Service Appeals Board, a teacher or a participating local district employee or a long-
term care worker;
Sec. 5.  5 MRSA §17001, sub-§19-C is enacted to read:
19-C.  Long-term care worker.  "Long-term care worker" means a nurse, certified 
nursing assistant, direct care worker, other qualified health care professional or ancillary 
support worker including housekeeping and dietary staff employed by a nursing home 
licensed under Title 22, chapter 405 or a residential care facility licensed under Title 22, 
chapter 1664.
Sec. 6.  22 MRSA §1708, sub-§3, ¶E, as amended by PL 2013, c. 594, §1, is further 
amended by amending subparagraph (2) to read:
(2)  Uses the applicable regional inflation factor as established by a national 
economic research organization selected by the department to adjust costs other 
than labor costs or fixed costs; and
Sec. 7.  22 MRSA §1708, sub-§3, ¶F, as amended by PL 2021, c. 29, Pt. R, §1, is 
further amended by amending the first blocked paragraph to read:
Any rebasing done pursuant to this paragraph may not result in a nursing facility 
receiving a reimbursement rate that is lower than the rate in effect on June 30, 2018.;
Sec. 8.  22 MRSA §1708, sub-§3, ¶G is enacted to read:
G.  Ensure that the actual costs of training provided to nursing facility staff in a certified 
nursing assistant training program, a direct care worker training program and an 
English as a second language training for a staff member who is a nonnative English 
speaker are fully reimbursed; and
Sec. 9.  22 MRSA §1708, sub-§3, ¶H is enacted to read:
H.  Ensure that the actual costs of interpreter services for nursing facility staff and 
residents who require language assistance are fully reimbursed, including expenses for 
on-site interpreters, remote interpreting services and interpreter-related administrative 
costs.
Sec. 10.  22 MRSA §3174-PPP is enacted to read:
§3174-PPP.  Reimbursement for workforce training and interpreter services for 
private nonmedical institutions classified as residential care facilities
The department shall reimburse under the MaineCare program for private nonmedical 
institutions the actual costs of staff training for a certified nursing assistant training 
program, a direct caregiver training program and English as a second language training for 
a staff member who is a nonnative English speaker and the actual costs of interpreter 
services for staff and residents who require language assistance, including expenses for on-
site interpreters, remote interpreting services and interpreter-related administrative costs.
Sec. 11.  Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to offer 
certified nursing assistant examinations in several languages.  The Department of 
Professional and Financial Regulation shall collaborate with experts and relevant 
stakeholders to improve access to certification for  persons who do not speak English by 
offering, at a minimum, the certified nursing assistant written examination under the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 32, chapter 31 in French, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin and 
Filipino, ensuring the accuracy and cultural appropriateness of the translations. The 
department shall develop and make available written examinations under this section by 
January 1, 2026.
SUMMARY
This bill:
1. Provides access to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System for long-term 
care workers including nurses, certified nursing assistants, direct care workers and 
housekeeping and dietary staff;
2. Provides access to the state group health plan for long-term care workers including 
nurses, certified nursing assistants, direct care workers and housekeeping and dietary staff; 
3. Provides nursing homes and long-term care facilities with direct MaineCare 
reimbursement for training for staff, including a certified nursing assistant training 
program, a direct care worker training program and English as a second language training 
for a staff member who is a nonnative English speaker;
4. Provides nursing homes and long-term care facilities with direct MaineCare 
reimbursement for actual costs of interpreter services for staff and residents who require 
language assistance, including expenses for on-site interpreters, remote interpreting 
services and interpreter-related administrative costs; and
5. Directs the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to provide 
translations of certified nursing assistant written examinations in French, Spanish, 
Cantonese, Mandarin and Filipino.