LeadingAge Submits Comments on Repeal of Nursing Home Staffing Standards

LeadingAge submitted comments on January 31, 2026, on the interim final rule Repeal of Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities. The interim final rule was released in December 2025 and is the final chapter in the minimum staffing standards initially proposed in 2023. The rule was finalized in 2024, struck down by federal courts in spring and summer 2025, and placed on a moratorium in the Fiscal Year 2025 federal budget. LeadingAge supported the repeal of this rule and provided suggestions for actions the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could take to improve staffing by investing in the long-term care workforce. Suggestions addressed nurse aide training programs, CMS's Nursing Home Staffing Campaign, and Medicaid reimbursement rates. Read our comments here.