Member News

March 18, 2025

On March 12, the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing entitled “Breaking the Cycle of Senior Loneliness: Strengthening Family and Community Support.” Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), Chairman and Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) convened the hearing to call attention to the health risks associated with loneliness and the need to do more, including Congress to address this epidemic. The Committee is expected to hold hearings every two weeks in the 119^th Congress, this being the fifth hearing since January, outpacing most committees.

ASHA submitted a statement to the committee, highlighting the significant efforts the senior living industry employs to promote social engagement among residents.  We also shared with the Committee, Senior Living Communities: Uniquely Positioned to Reduce Social Isolation and Promote Social Connection in Older Adults. This Special Issue Brief was prepared for ASHA by ATI Advisory, and included a literature review, senior living company surveys and individual case studies that highlight the impact of social opportunities on residents’ wellbeing. Argentum was a witness at the hearing and presented thoughtful testimony underscoring the importance of senior living in addressing isolation and loneliness.

Senator Scott opened the hearing with a statement about the impacts of senior loneliness: “The sad reality we face today is that a growing number of senior citizens are suffering from mental and physical health issues, largely driven by an epidemic of loneliness. Despite public health officials sounding the alarm, the issue has not yet been addressed through any major legislation.”

Other hearing witnesses included the YMCA of the USA, the Foundation for Social Connection-Action Network, and Clayton County Seniors Services Department. Senator Scott recently introduced bipartisan legislation, the Social Engagement and Network Initiatives for Older Relief (SENIOR Act) which among other things, adds “loneliness” to the definition of “disease prevention and health promotion services” under the Older Americans Act. It also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to prepare a report on the impacts of loneliness on seniors and propose solutions for identifying impacts; and analyzes the relationship between the strength of multigenerational family units, loneliness, and seniors. ASHA expressed support for this bill and interest in working with the committee on this and other issues of importance to the industry.

Click Here for ASHA's Statement

March 7, 2025

On March 7, ASHA joined in coalition with real estate industry partners to ask Congress to reject any cap or limit to the deductibility of business-related property taxes, otherwise known as business SALT (B-SALT).

Property taxes paid by businesses are fundamentally different from state and local individual income taxes. Property taxes are an unavoidable expense, an inescapable cost of operating any business, large or small, public or private. Eliminating the business deduction for property taxes would be the equivalent of raising business owners’ property tax bills by roughly 40 percent, causing employers to owe federal tax on money that they do not have. It would lead to insolvencies and foreclosures, and it would cause self-inflicted injury to the U.S. economy, including unnecessary job losses, pressure on rents for families and individuals, and other inflationary cost increases for American consumers.

Click Here for Letter

February 24, 2025

ASHA joined with our coalition partners in the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (EWIC) to ask Congress to reject a Congressional Review Act (CRA)  resolution that would repeal a final Biden Administration rule to permanently extend the automatic renewal period for certain Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) from 180 days to 540 days, a necessary and well-reasoned policy that benefits U.S. businesses, workers, and the economy at large.

The CRA enables Congress and the President, if they are in agreement, to overturn by simple majority regulations that were promulgated during the 60 Senate session days or 60 legislative House days before a session of Congress adjourns, whichever is earlier. In this case, President Trump and congressional Republicans can use the CRA to override rules finalized on or after August 16, 2024.

This rule is an essential workforce stability measure. Government estimates indicate that the temporary 540-day extension has already prevented at least 800,000 legally authorized workers from being forced out of the labor force due to bureaucratic processing delays within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The consequences of rescinding this policy would be dire for businesses, workers and U.S. economic growth.

Click Here for EWIC's Statement

December 2, 2024

On December 2, 2024, ASHA submitted comments in response to Senator Mark Kelly's (D-AZ) draft legislation, the ASSISTED in Assisted Living Act. ASHA expressed concerned that what is being proposed can interfere with industry innovation and divert necessary resources from state initiatives. Specifically, in a few areas: 1) what appears to be a voluntary effort can lead to new and duplicative federal oversight; and 2) the purpose of the Advisory Commission, which is to create best practices, is already underway by an industry and regulatory stakeholder community through the Quality in Assisted Living Collaborative (QALC). Click Here for Letter

November 22, 2024

ASHA and its long-term care coalition partners sent a letter to leaders of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (R-KS), urging them to seek a Unanimous Consent (UC) agreement on H.R. 8371, The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. H.R. 8371 passed the U.S. House with a favorable vote of 389-9 on November 18, 2024. Specific to the interests of the coalition is Subtitle B, Section 127, which reflects key provisions of S. 495, the Expanding Veterans’ Options for Long Term Care Act. This section authorizes the VA to offer assisted living settings for aging and disabled veterans who would otherwise require more costly nursing home care. Click Here for Letter

November 19, 2024

The Quality in Assisted Living Collaborative (QALC) today released its Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Guidelines for Assisted Living Communities. The guidelines were developed to ensure assisted living providers and other stakeholders have access to a vetted resource that can be used to develop and maintain IPC plans that are appropriate for assisted living communities. One goal of these Guidelines is to avoid any perceived need by the federal government to potentially consider a “one-size-fits-all” approach. The guidelines focus on essential measures that have been updated and widely implemented by assisted living communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidelines recommend establishing an IPC leader and an IPC Plan that addresses staff training, standard precautions, transmission-based precautions, and other important elements. The Guidelines outline a comprehensive approach to IPC planning for assisted living communities and are intended to be customized to meet the unique needs of the various populations being served throughout the sector as well as serve as a resource for on-site self-assessment and continual improvement. The QALC is a collaborative effort involving Argentum, the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA), LeadingAge, the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), and the National Association for Regulatory Administration (NARA). Since its launch in 2023, the Collaborative has prioritized developing IPC guidelines for assisted living providers. Click Here for QALC Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Guidelines

November 13, 2024

ASHA along with long-term care partners, Argentum, LeadingAge and NCAL, as well as the Alzheimer’s Association, wrote to House Veterans' Affairs Committee leaders urging them to advance H.R. 8371, The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act during the year-end Lame Duck session. This legislation includes a provision to create a pilot program within the Veterans Administration (VA) to allow veterans access to assisted living as an alternative to a nursing home. The letter references the over 40 organizations that support H.R. 8371, including 20 Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs), and asks Congress to take action to advance this legislation this year by placing it on the Suspension calendar. Click Here for Letter

October 2, 2024

On September 25-26, 20 ASHA advocates delivered important industry policy messages to Capitol Hill where they met with 18 congressional offices in a fast-paced day-and-a-half of lobbying. It was a busy time in Washington D.C. as policymakers scrambled to finish up a spending bill to keep the government open past the September 30, 2024, fiscal year deadline. The high stakes pressure didn’t deter our efforts to discuss our senior living policy priorities. Among the topics discussed were: 1) the value proposition of senior living, 2) the workforce shortage and the need for immigration reform, and 3) urging final action on veterans assisted living legislation. These meetings were instrumental in raising awareness about the significant benefits of senior living to residents and families and to the overall health care system. It is important to promote the positive narrative of this industry that is sometimes overlooked or lost by policymakers, and our ASHA members did just that. While Congress is now in recess until after the November elections, we were encouraged to learn in our meetings that the ASHA-led veterans bill, the Expanding Veterans Options for Long Term Care Act, has a high chance of moving during the lame duck session. We will call on ASHA members to weigh in on this with their Members of Congress to push this over the finish line. We also advanced our message relative to the need for immigration reform to address some of the workforce shortages. The politics of the issue remain an obstacle to getting anything done but we must continue to raise our collective voices to be prepared for the time when the stars align, and meaningful reform is on the agenda. There is much work to do in the years ahead as the aging population escalates the demand for our product and services. These fly-ins are a necessary component of our advocacy efforts. The importance of sharing your individual experiences and expertise with congressional offices cannot be overstated and we are grateful for those who spent valuable and in short supply time, to be with us. Please click here for a more expansive report of our day.

August 13, 2024

ASHA Joins Coalition in Letter to HUD on Section 232-Loan Program Click Here for Coalition Letter

July 22, 2024

ASHA Joins Broad Coalition of Housing Providers in Letter to President Biden Opposing National Rent Cap Click Here for Coalition Letter