U.S. Senate advances health and human services spending bill

On December 2, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published an interim final rule that repeals the federal nursing home staffing mandate, a regulation that would have required long-term care facilities to meet strict minimum staffing levels.

States and localities are set to receive $56 billion in opioid settlement dollars over an 18-year period, but not every county that receives settlement funding will get enough to build out infrastructure.

On September 18, the U.S. Senate passed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (SUPPORT Act Reauthorization) (H.R. 2483) by voice vote, following House passage earlier this year. With strong bipartisan backing in both chambers, the legislation now heads to the President’s desk for signature.