Bill to License Staffing Agencies to be Introduced in Michigan House

Michigan Rep. Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw) plans to introduce a bill this week to address the many challenges skilled nursing facilities face when using agency staff. The bill would create a reasonable framework through which staffing agencies can operate in Michigan. It requires staffing agencies to:

• Be licensed. This provides transparency to state regulatory departments.
• Document that the workers they provide meet Michigan’s minimum licensing, training and continuing education standards.
• Supply workers who meet the qualifications requested by the nursing facility with which they contract.
• Show that each staff member is an employee of the staffing agency, not an independent contractor who has to pay his or her own employment taxes.
• Allow staff to be hired directly by a facility without paying a fee, penalty or other compensation to the staffing agency.
• Disclose to the department the average wage paid to staff and the average amount paid to each facility to which it provided staff.
• Cap charges to nursing facilities at no more than 25% beyond the hourly wage paid to staff.

Once introduced, HCAM will advocate with legislators to advance the legislation.