Nursing homes should be allowed to serve alcohol to residents without having to pay excise taxes or permits, according to a group of Indiana seniors who want to gain an exemption from the state.
Three residents of the Meadowood Retirement Community spearheaded a legislative drive after their community was cited by state inspectors for violating the law. The legislation would exempt nursing homes and other long-term care facilities from having to gain permits to serve alcohol.The bill was introduced by Rep. Tom Dermody (R) on Wednesday at a House committee hearing. The measure was tabled.
The Indiana Health Care Association supports the proposal, asserting that nursing homes and retirement communities shouldn’t be treated the same as restaurants.
“This is a nursing home, not a nursing bar and grill,” the IHCA’s legislative and public affairs director, Dennis Neary, told the Lafayette Journal & Courier.
