The Regulation of Nursing and Assisted Living Beds Interim Committee of the South Dakota Legislature held their first meeting of the summer this week in Pierre.
There has been a freeze on the expansion of nursing home beds in the state for over twenty years, and the committee is looking to see if that should be eased.
The committee talked about the scope of the study and heard from state agencies and health care professionals.
Committee Chairman, Representative Wayne Steinhauer of Hartford says they should move out of Pierre for more public input…..

Steinhauer says they have a limited number of meetings to deal with the issues…..

Senator Bill Shorma of Dakota Dunes says members of the committee should split up, and visit a number of facilities in the state…………..

Committee members talked about meeting again in late August or early September, but didn’t set another date.