A proposed rule requiring Florida nursing homes to have backup power in the event of an outage advanced recently in the Florida legislature, according to an article on The News Tribune website.
The proposal now heads to the full House after being passed by that chamber's Health and Human Services Committee.
It would require facilities to have a generator capable of keeping facilities at 81 degrees Fahrenheit or lower for at least four days. It also requires them to keep 72 hours of fuel on site.
A rule to that effect was originally issued after residents died in a sweltering South Florida nursing home following Hurricane Irma At the time, facilities had to be in compliance by Nov. 15 or face a fine of $1,000 per day. But an administrative judge sided with nursing homes that had challenged the rules due to the tight deadlines.
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