Skip to Content

Do you allow analytics?

We use analytics tools to understand how people use the site. They're optional: if you decline, the site works the same, no analytics cookies are set and Google gets only a cookieless, anonymous count signal. Your votes are saved either way; the details are in the privacy policy.

Referandom is here: Tinder for Congress 🔥

Support Referandom
HealthH.R. 9641Not Yet VotedComments

Essential Caregivers Act of 2026

Official title: To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to require certain facilities to permit visits from an essential caregiver during certain periods.

What Do You Think?

How would you vote?

Referandom Vote

Vote to see the result.

How Congress Voted

What Happened in Congress?

Pending

Not yet voted on the floor.

Where the Bill Stands

  1. Introduced, done
  2. Committee, current stage
  3. Floor Vote, not yet
  4. Outcome, not yet

What This Bill Does

This bill requires certain nursing and long-term care facilities to ensure residents have access to their designated essential caregivers during periods of restricted visitation.

Specifically, the bill requires Medicare skilled nursing facilities, long-term care hospitals, and inpatient rehabilitation facilities, as well as Medicaid nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, to allow residents to designate two essential caregivers and to allow these caregivers in-person access to residents even when visitation is otherwise restricted.

Facilities may limit access of essential caregivers only in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as specified. Essential caregivers must agree to follow all safety protocols established by the facility, which may be no more restrictive than the protocols for staff.

Sponsors

Related Documents

Bill on Congress.govWeb Page ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Timeline

  1. House committee actionsCommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
  2. Library of CongressIntroduced in House
  3. House floor actionsReferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
  4. Introduced
  5. Committee

Comments

Comments with insults, hate speech or personal information are removed.