The Patient Safety and Abuse Prevention Act (S. 1577) made headlines again this week as forward progress on the bill provides the blueprint for background investigations for long-term care employees. The bill will protect the nation’s seniors from predators and abusive caregivers. The bill requires screening, including national criminal history background checks, of direct patient access employees of skilled nursing facilities, nursing facilities, and other long-term care facilities and providers, and to provide for nationwide expansion of the pilot program for national and State background checks on direct patient access employees of long-term care facilities or providers.