Imposes a moratorium on the issuance of new home care provider, home nursing care provider and hospice provider licenses prior to 7/1/2031, and provides for health systems planning specific to these provider licenses during the moratorium by the DOH.

Rhode Island Bill Summary: Home Care & Hospice License Moratorium

This bill would put a temporary freeze on issuing new licenses for home care providers, home nursing care providers, and hospice providers in Rhode Island. Specifically, no new businesses or organizations could receive approval to operate in these fields until at least July 1, 2031. During this pause, the Rhode Island Department of Health (DOH) would be responsible for studying and planning the state's needs in these areas of healthcare.

The bill affects anyone who might want to start a new home care, home nursing, or hospice business in Rhode Island — they would not be able to obtain a license to operate until after the moratorium ends. It also affects Rhode Island residents who rely on or might need these services in the future, since the number of providers offering care in people's homes or end-of-life hospice care would be limited to those already licensed and operating. Existing licensed providers would not be impacted and could continue operating normally.

The reasoning behind moratoriums like this is typically to allow the state time to assess whether there is enough demand and resources to support additional providers, and to ensure quality and oversight aren't stretched too thin. While the bill is under review by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, it has not yet been passed into law. Rhode Islanders interested in home-based healthcare — whether as patients, caregivers, or potential business owners — may want to follow this legislation closely.