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H 1411

An Act increasing the personal needs allowance for long term care residents

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Michelle Badger and 26 co-sponsors

Raises the monthly personal needs allowance for long-term care residents not maintaining a home to $113.42, with automatic annual increases aligned to SSI/SSP adjustments.

Reporting date extended to Friday, July 31, 2026
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Bill Summary · H 1411

Summary of H.1411: An Act Increasing the Personal Needs Allowance for Long Term Care Residents

Purpose and Intent

  • This bill seeks to increase the monthly personal needs allowance (PNA) for certain elderly and disabled residents who reside in licensed long-term care facilities and receive financial assistance from state programs.
  • It updates the statutory amounts and ties annual adjustments to the same schedule used for increases to state supplementary payments for those maintaining their own home.

Key Provisions

  • Section 1 (Chapter 117A) — Personal needs allowance in facilities

    • Replaces the current paragraph governing the PNA for residents not maintaining their own home who live in licensed facilities (nursing facilities, chronic hospitals, rest homes, or approved public medical institutions).
    • Establishes that such residents shall retain the first $113.42 of their monthly income for clothing, personal needs, and leisure time activities.
    • If the resident has no income or income is less than $113.42, the difference is paid monthly in advance.
    • The $113.42 amount is to be increased annually in the same fiscal-year timing and percentage as increases to state supplementary payments under Chapter 118A.

  • Section 2 (Chapter 118A) — Creation of a new section 7B (PNA for facility residents)

    • Adds a new section ensuring residents who are not maintaining their home and are in facilities eligible for medical assistance (or paying fixed rates for rest homes) retain the first $113.42 of monthly income for personal needs.
    • Annual increases are aligned with those in 118A for home-maintainers receiving SSI/SSP.

  • Section 3 (Chapter 118E) — PNA for medical assistance residents

    • Amends Section 15 to mirror the increased PNA ($113.42) for residents not maintaining their own home who receive medical assistance in eligible facilities.
    • The annual increase follows the same schedule as the 118A-based increases.

  • Section 4 — Amount adjustment in 118E

    • Replaces the existing figure of $72.80 with $113.42 in the relevant paragraph, aligning with the new PNA.

  • Overall effect

    • The bill increases the monthly personal needs allowance from the prior base (historically around $72.80) to $113.42 for eligible residents, with annual inflation-like adjustments paralleling increases for residents who maintain their own home and receive state supplementary payments.

Affected Population and Institutions

  • Elderly and disabled residents in licensed facilities who are eligible for financial assistance under:
    • Chapter 117A (SSI-related assistance)
    • Chapter 118A (state supplementary payments, SSPI)
    • Chapter 118E (medical assistance)
  • Facilities include licensed nursing facilities, licensed chronic hospitals, licensed rest homes, and approved public medical institutions; and, for 118E, facilities eligible for medical assistance payments or rest homes with fixed-rate arrangements.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Introduced: February 27, 2025
  • Referred to: Health Care Financing (February 27, 2025)
  • Hearing: Scheduled for July 1, 2025 (Gardner Auditorium)
  • Status updates:
    • Reporting date extended to March 18, 2026 (as of September 15, 2025)
    • Senate concurred; House Docket No. 830 (HD 830) is related/replaces this measure
  • Related bill: HD 830 (replaces)

Potential Impact

  • Provides a higher, standardized monthly allowance for personal needs (clothing, personal care, leisure) for residents in long-term care facilities who do not own their homes.
  • Establishes automatic, annual increases in line with other state-assisted living payment programs, reducing the risk of erosion due to inflation.
  • Directly affects budgeting for facilities and state aid programs by increasing the portion of income residents can use for personal needs.

Notes

  • The bill language specifies the exact numerical increase to $113.42 and aligns annual adjustments with 118A/SSI-like increases.
  • The fiscal and operational impact would depend on annual approval of the accompanying budget adjustments to fund the increased allowances.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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