The Senate Finance Committee heard SB 2431, a Health Facilities Commission cleanup bill that includes extending the deadline for required nursing‑home inspections to Dec. 31, 2028, and HFC representative Katie Thomas said the agency is requesting a one‑time $1.8 million budget item to hire contractors and reduce the backlog by an estimated 25–50%.

The Health Facilities Commission asked the Senate committee for additional surveyors, licensure staff and a paralegal to address a recertification and complaint backlog; the commission reported progress but said eliminating the backlog by the statutory deadline was unlikely without federal flexibility. The panel’s budget was approved and sent to Finance.

Health Facilities Commission executive director Logan Grant told the House Finance committee the agency faces a surge to about 1,500 complaints a year, a shortage of surveyors and that current resources — including $6.6 million for contract surveyors and an uncertain CMS match — are unlikely to eliminate the recertification backlog by the statutory deadline of Dec. 31, 2026.