PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

S. 998: Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights Act

Before you vote › Federal bills

S. 998: Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights Act

113th Congress · introduced 2013-05-21 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2013-05-21 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights Act

Plain summary

Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights Act - Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to make it the duty of the Assistant Secretary of Aging, acting through the designee responsible for elder abuse prevention and services, to: (1) establish best practices for state-based enforcement of a Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights through a Plan for Enforcement, (2) assist states with the development of such Bills of Rights and Plans for Enforcement to support the shift from institutional care to home and community-based long-term care (LTC) services, and (3) develop and use a process for review and approval of state Home Care Consumer Bills of Rights and Plans for Enforcement. Establishes additional state plan requirements,including that a state have a Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights and a Plan for Enforcement. Requires the Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights to address a home care consumer's right to: (1) basic safety; (2) information access; (3) choice, participation, and self-determination; (4) care and services provided in a way that promotes each consumer's dignity and individuality; and (5) redress of grievances. Requires the Bill of Rights also to address the role and responsibilities that fiduciaries may have in securing these rights of home care consumers. Requires that any allotment for vulnerable elder rights protection activities be used to develop a State Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights and Plan for Enforcement. Directs the Assistant Secretary to establish a National Adult Protective Services Resources Center to: (1) improve the capacity of state and local adult protective services programs, and (2) coordinate with the Home Care Ombudsman Program and Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program to protect home care consumers and residents of LTC facilities most effectively. Authorizes appropriations for State Home Care Ombudsman Programs. Directs the Assistant Secretary of Aging to award competitive grants to states for such Programs. Requires the Assistant Secretary of Aging, in implementing Aging and Disability Resource Centers in all states, to: (1) provide quality measures information about home and community-based LTC programs, service providers, and resources when referring consumers to them; and (2) identify measures of quality for such programs, providers, and resources. Requires the designated state agency, in promoting a comprehensive, coordinated state system enabling older individuals to receive LTC in home and community-based settings, to provide for distribution of quality measures information about home and community-based LTC programs, service providers, and resources.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)
Appropriation
Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong113-s998 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113