Workforce News 2026May07

Senators Reintroduce CNA Lockout Bill

Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Scott (R-SC) reintroduced on April 30 the Ensuring Seniors’ Access to Quality Care Act that will fix the CNA lockout that automatically bans nursing homes from training certified nurse aides for two years based on a civil money penalty above a certain threshold, even if the fines were unrelated to the quality of care provided to residents, unrelated to the quality of training, and were promptly identified and addressed to minimize impact and prevent recurrence. The bill also allows nursing homes to access the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) to better screen and vet potential employees. Read the full text of this bill here. LeadingAge has endorsed this bill and will continue working with Senator Warner’s and Senator Scott’s offices to advance legislation.



USCIS Immigration Fees and Related Procedures Required by HR 1 Reconciliation Bill.

A new USCIS interim final rule implementing the HR 1 reconciliation bill limits the validity of Temporary Protected Status (TPS)–based Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) to one year or the remaining TPS designation period, whichever is shorter. This change, published in the Federal Register on April 29, 2026, codifies a significant narrowing of work authorization periods for TPS holders, even when a country’s TPS designation extends beyond one year. The rule takes effect May 29, 2026, and is open for public comment through June 29, 2026.

CMS Highlights Nurse Incentive Program.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) included information on its Nursing Home Staffing Campaign in its April 30 MLN Matters newsletter. The article advertised the nurse financial incentives program and noted that applications would be opening soon. This program will provide up to $40,000 in loan repayments and $10,000 living stipends to registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) working in qualifying nursing homes for a commitment of three years. While CMS has still not released information about how “qualifying nursing homes” are determined, language in the notice seems to indicate that these nursing homes will be in areas that are designated “rural” and/or “underserved.” LeadingAge recently inquired about updates on the program and was told that more information would be coming soon. The updated webpage and mention of the nurse financial incentives in the MLN Matters article are welcome signs that CMS is moving this program forward.

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