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S 2571Healthcare: Licensing & Accreditation

Health and Safety - Assisted Living Residence Licensing Act

This bill mandates annual, unannounced inspections for dementia care facilities and requires 10% of inspections to occur on nights or weekends.

Introduced37 Yea0 Nay1 Not voting
Population
Affected
8
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 13, 2026Committee Senate Health & Human Services

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends the "Assisted Living Residence Licensing Act" to increase oversight of assisted living facilities, specifically those caring for residents with Alzheimer's or dementia. It mandates that the state licensing agency conduct an unannounced, on-site inspection annually for facilities with special care units, covering the entire residence rather than just the special unit. Additionally, the bill requires that at least 10% of all assisted-living inspections take place during nights or weekends to ensure standards are maintained outside of regular business hours.

For younger readers

This law helps protect older people who live in special homes because they need help taking care of themselves, especially those who have memory problems like Alzheimer's. Before, inspectors might not visit very often. Now, the government must send inspectors to visit these homes at least once a year without telling the owners they are coming. Also, the law says that some of these surprise visits must happen at night or on the weekends. This helps make sure the older people are safe and being treated nicely all the time, not just during the day.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Residents with Alzheimer's or dementiaAssisted living facility ownersDepartment of Health inspectorsFamilies of assisted living residentsAssisted living facility staff
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Significantly increases protection for one of society's most vulnerable populations—seniors with dementia—by ensuring the entire facility they live in meets safety standards.
  • Enhances government oversight and accountability by mandating unannounced inspections during nights and weekends, preventing facilities from "cleaning up" only for scheduled daytime visits.
  • Strengthens the social safety net by codifying stricter regulations for care facilities, ensuring that profit motives do not compromise the quality of care for the elderly.
  • Does not appear to appropriate additional funding for the licensing agency, raising concerns that inspectors may be overworked or unable to meet the new quotas without compromising other duties.
  • The requirement that only 10% of inspections occur off-hours may be viewed as too low to effectively deter neglect or abuse that often happens when staffing is lowest.
  • Increased regulatory costs for facilities could potentially be passed on to residents, making assisted living less affordable for low-income seniors.
For Conservatives
  • Promotes accountability by ensuring that businesses providing care are actually delivering the services they are paid for, protecting consumers from fraud or negligence.
  • Protects the dignity and lives of the elderly, aligning with traditional values regarding the care and respect for older generations.
  • Focuses regulation specifically on high-risk areas (dementia care units) rather than imposing a blanket expansion of government across all sectors.
  • Increases the regulatory burden on private businesses, potentially interfering with their operations through government-mandated, unannounced intrusions.
  • Expands the power of the administrative state by giving government agents more authority to dictate inspection schedules and frequency.
  • May drive up operating costs for private care facilities, which interferes with the free market and could force smaller operators out of business.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 9 additions · 1 deletion

SECTION 1. Section 23-17.4-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-17.4 entitled "Assisted Living Residence Licensing Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: 23-17.4-10. Regulations, inspections, and investigations.

(a) The licensing agency shall after public hearing pursuant to reasonable notice, adopt, amend, promulgate, and enforce any rules, regulations, and standards with respect to assisted-living residences for adults licensed under this chapter as may be designed to further the accomplishment of the purposes of this chapter in promoting safe and adequate living environments for individuals in assisted-living residences in the interest of public safety and welfare. These regulations may provide for the establishment of levels of service provided by the residence.

(b) The licensing agency shall make or cause to be made any inspections and investigations that it deems necessary by duly authorized agents of the director at any time and frequency determined by the licensing agency. The licensing agency shall establish regulations to determine the frequency of inspections that shall include, but not be limited to, the residence’s past compliance with regulations, complaint investigations, quality of care issues and license type. However, the licensing agency shall:

(1) On, on a biennial basis, conduct an unannounced, on-site inspection of all licensed assisted-living residences; and

(2) On an annual basis, conduct an unannounced, on-site inspection of those assisted living residences that provide services to residents with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias by means of an Alzheimer's special care unit, in accordance with § 23-17.4-16.2 which inspection shall include the entire assisted living residence and not be limited to the Alzheimer's special care unit. The licensing agency shall, on an annual basis, cause no less than ten percent (10%) of all assisted-living inspections to be conducted, in whole or in part, on nights and/or weekends.

(c) Upon request of the licensing agency, health agencies and professionals may share resident health status information with the department of health for the purpose of determining each resident’s capability of self preservation.

(d) Each assisted-living residence licensed under this chapter shall have a plan for preventing the hazards of residents wandering from the facility. This plan shall be submitted to the licensing agency in a format determined by the director.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.