Senate bill pushes arbitration, not jury trials for nursing home disputes

A proposed bill in the Senate would allow nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to ask residents to sign agreements that would waive their right to a jury trial. Instead, any disputes would be resolved by arbitration.

Senate Bill 202 states that the arbitration agreement would be voluntary. But critics of the bill fear individuals and their families will be pressured by nursing homes to sign away their right to a trial by jury with only the information about arbitration the facility chooses to provide, making an informed decision impossible.

The Senate House and Human Services Committee will discuss the bill Wednesday.