Democratic congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz says she'll be introducing new legislation Monday, addressing the "horrific conditions" inside the Rehabilitation Center of Hollywood Hills where more than a dozen elderly patients died.
According to a press release, Wasserman Schultz is expected to introduce legislation mandating that facilities have in place an alternate source of energy capable of powering the facility for up to 96 hours after a natural disaster. The legislation will also ensure nursing homes are a top priority for power restoration after an outage, and it will also increase fines for facilities that don’t comply with emergency preparedness rules.
On Sept. 13, eight residents died and the others were evacuated from the sweltering Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills. Six more have since died, which attorneys say was a result of the conditions and evacuations immediately after Hurricane Irma.
Some who died had body temperatures as high as 109.9 degrees Fahrenheit. The dead range in age from 57 to 99.
A criminal investigation continues as the facility recently laid off 245 workers while its license has been suspended from the state pending the outcome.
