asset: nursing-home-minimum-staffing-by-state

asset_type: minimum-ratio

body: State-by-state comparison of legally mandated minimum staffing levels for nursing homes (skilled nursing facilities). Each record is one state with the total hours of nursing care per resident per day (HPRD), the RN-specific HPRD minimum, the CNA-specific HPRD minimum, whether a 24/7 RN is required, the RN coverage requirement (hours per day), the penalty for noncompliance, and the statutory citation. The federal CMS minimum (3.48 HPRD + 24/7 RN) was REPEALED in December 2025, effective February 2026, and a moratorium through October 2034 was enacted via the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. States are now the only authority. New York requires 3.5 HPRD (2.2 CNA + 1.1 licensed nurse); South Carolina requires 1.63 hours from non-licensed staff; many states have no specific HPRD requirement. Answers 'what is the minimum nursing staff my state requires per resident', 'is there still a federal nursing home staffing minimum', and 'what are the penalties for understaffing'.

key_field: state

licence: unknown

title: Nursing home minimum staffing requirements by US state — hours per resident day, RN coverage mandates, and penalty structures after the 2026 federal repeal

type: dataset


body:
**State:** New York

**Total HPRD minimum:** 3.5

**RN HPRD minimum:** none specified

**CNA HPRD minimum:** 2.2

**RN on-site requirement:** none specified

**Penalty for noncompliance:** civil penalty up to $2,000 per day for each day in a quarter of noncompliance

**Regulatory citation:** Public Health Law § 2895-b and 10 NYCRR 415.13

**Federal standard status:** repealed

> Nursing Homes are required by New York State Public Health Law and Regulations to meet minimum staffing standards. These minimum standards require every nursing home to maintain daily staffing hours equal to 3.5 hours of care per resident per day by a certified nurse aide, licensed practical nurse, or registered nurse. Of the 3.5 hours required, at least 2.2 hours of care per resident per day must be provided by a CNA and at least 1.1 hours of care per resident per day must be provided by a licensed nurse.

Source: <https://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/nursing/minimum_staffing/>

federal_status: repealed

rn_coverage_hours: none specified

rn_hprd: none specified

state: New York

title: New York — Nursing home minimum staffing requirements by US state — hours per resident day, RN coverage mandates, and penalty structures after the 2026 federal repeal

type: minimum-ratio

unverified_fields: federal_status, penalty_type, regulatory_citation, rn_coverage_hours, rn_hprd


body:
**State:** South Carolina

**Total HPRD minimum:** none specified

**RN HPRD minimum:** none specified

**CNA HPRD minimum:** 1.63

**RN on-site requirement:** at least one licensed nurse per shift for each staff work area

**Penalty for noncompliance:** none specified

**Regulatory citation:** 2025-2026 Appropriations Act (2025 Act No. 69 (H.4025)), proviso 31.17; R61-17, Code of State Regulations

**Federal standard status:** repealed

> Regulations for nursing home staﬃng for the current ﬁscal year must (1) provide a minimum of one and sixty-three hundredths (1.63) hours of direct care per resident per day from the non-licensed nursing staﬀ; and (2) maintain at least one licensed nurse per shift for each staﬀ work area.

Source: <https://dph.sc.gov/sites/scdph/files/2025-08/Nursing_Home_Staffing_Ratios_Memo_08.25.2025.pdf>

penalty_type: none specified

state: South Carolina

title: South Carolina — Nursing home minimum staffing requirements by US state — hours per resident day, RN coverage mandates, and penalty structures after the 2026 federal repeal

total_hprd: none specified

unverified_fields: federal_status, penalty_type, regulatory_citation, rn_hprd, state, total_hprd