Respectfully Requesting the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to Adopt an Electronic Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) System

WHEREAS, The PASRR system is a federal requirement to evaluate individuals seeking admission to Medicaid-certified nursing facilities for serious mental illness or intellectual/developmental disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Most states have transitioned from paper-based submissions to an electronic PASRR system, which is a digital platform used to manage the federally mandated screening process. Rhode Island is one of the only states, if not the only state, to have not yet converted; and

WHEREAS, Benefits of adopting an electronic PASRR system include: • Protects Vulnerable Individuals: It identifies people with SMI/IDD to prevent them from being unnecessarily institutionalized in nursing facilities; • Promotes Least Restrictive Settings: Ensures people are placed in the most appropriate, least restrictive environment, often in the community, when possible; • Supports Community-Based Care: Facilitates home and community-based services (HCBS) for more independence and freedom; • Informed Choice & Dignity: Offers individuals and families awareness of alternatives to nursing homes, supporting person-centered care; • Ensures Appropriate Services: Guarantees that necessary specialized mental health or IDD services are identified and provided; • Rebalances Long-Term Services: Helps states shift resources from institutional care to community support; and • Reduces Readmissions: By connecting individuals with needed supports, it lowers the risk of hospital readmissions; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby respectfully requests the RI Executive Office of Health and Human Services to: • Investigate the potential cost savings and advantages to entering into a Memorandum of understanding (MUO) with neighboring states in implementing an electronic PASRR system; • Investigate potential grant funding and Federal Funding for the adoption of an electronic PASRR system; and • Establish and implement the electronic PASRR System no later than January 1, 2027; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Honorable Governor Daniel McKee, and Richard Charest III, R.Ph, MBA, Secretary, Executive Office of Health and Human Services.