The Massachusetts House and Senate have forwarded a bill to Governor Charlie Baker that would change operational procedures at the Holyoke and Chelsea Soldiers' Homes.
Seventy-six residents at the Holyoke facility died during a coronavirus outbreak in 2020.
Among the changes: the Department of Veterans Services would be elevated to a cabinet-level position, an independent office for veteran advocacy would be created, and the superintendents of both soldiers' homes would need nursing home administrative licenses.
(Photo by Matthew Cavanaugh/Getty Images)
Photo: Getty Images