The Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act was passed by the House Judiciary Committee in  July, moving it one step closer to becoming law. This bill prohibits the signing of an arbitration agreement as the only method of dispute resolution prior to nursing home admission, restoring a citizen’s right to seek justice in a law court once they have been admitted to a facility. These pre-admission agreements protect long-term care facilities from the consequences of allowing abuse and neglect to occur on their premises. Agreements to use arbitration to resolve a dispute between a resident and the nursing home corporation are still allowed, as long as they are entered into voluntarily and are made after the dispute has arisen.

Read the full bill or follow its progress through Congress here.