What the FY 2025-26 proviso required (DPH memo of August 27, 2025; 2025 Act No. 69, H.4025, Proviso 31.17):
| Requirement | Standard |
|---|---|
| Direct care hours | At least 1.63 hours per resident per day from non-licensed nursing staff, calculated over a 24-hour day |
| Licensed nurse coverage | At least one licensed nurse per shift for each staff work area, regardless of how many residents it houses |
All other staffing and non-staffing standards in the nursing home licensing regulation remain enforceable. DPH Bureau of Nursing Homes and Medical Services: (803) 545-4370.
Current fiscal year: The state fiscal year began July 1, 2026. This is a temporary modification set through each year's appropriations act, and we could not confirm the FY 2026-27 proviso text or whether DPH has issued a new memo. Check the FY 2026-27 Appropriations Act and DPH's nursing home staffing memo before relying on these numbers.
Memory care study: DPH's study under the memory care proviso was delivered January 1, 2026 and recommended higher ratios and training without a numeric target. A House Ways and Means healthcare subcommittee recommendation for FY 2026-27 (February 2026) proposed deleting the study proviso, since the report is complete. The House and the Senate Finance subcommittee also recommended deletion; we could not confirm the final enacted budget.
Last verified against the cited source on October 30, 2026.
General information, not legal advice. Requirements change; confirm against the official source before you act, or ask us how this applies to your organization.