TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida's House of Representatives will vote to consider ratifying a rule requiring nursing homes to have backup power sources.
The rule passed the Health & Human Services Committee on Tuesday. It would require facilities to have a generator capable of keeping facilities at 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) or lower for at least four days. It also requires them to keep 72 hours of fuel on site.
The rule was originally issued by the state's Agency for Health Care Administration after residents died in a sweltering South Florida nursing home last September following Hurricane Irma.
All 577 nursing homes in Florida must be in compliance by July 1, but AHCA can grant an extension until Jan. 1, 2019, for nursing homes that would face delays in installing equipment.
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