RESOLVED, That a special house commission be and the same is hereby created consisting of fifteen (15) members: three (3) of whom shall be from the house of representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party to be appointed by the speaker; one (1) of whom shall be the executive director of a nonprofit nursing home association, or his or her designee, to be appointed by the speaker; one (1) of whom shall be the executive director of a for-profit nursing home association, or his or her designee, to be appointed by the speaker; one (1) of whom shall be the chief of the Office of Facilities Regulation of the Department of Health; three (3) of whom shall be employees of nursing homes who are involved in the inspection process, to be appointed by the speaker; three (3) of whom are family members of nursing home residents or of former nursing home residents, to be appointed by the speaker; one (1) of whom shall be the executive director of the Alliance for Better Nursing Home Care; and two (2) of whom shall be from Academia specializing in Gerontology.

In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a general assembly resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator, provided that the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which is entitled to the appointment consents to the appointment of the member of the general public.

The purpose of said commission shall be to investigate the procedures currently in use for the inspection of nursing homes, and to recommend methods to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the inspection procedure, including but not limited to the feasibility of requiring electronic reporting of data and uniformity of software formats.

Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at the call of the speaker of the house and organize and shall select from among the legislators a chairperson. Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.

The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

The speaker of the house is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the house on or before January 12, 1997 and said commission shall expire on March 12, 1997.