A bill that requires nursing homes in New York to prominently display their most recent rating from federal officials was signed into law last week by Gov. Kathy Hochul. 

Approval of the measure comes after the COVID-19 pandemic has led to heightened concerns around nursing homes and other long-term care facilties which have been considered especially vulnerable to the virus. 

State lawmakers over the last 18 months have pushed for the approval of multiple consumer protections measures meant to bolster safety at the facilities as well as encourage compliance with health guidelines. 

At the same time, the handling of nursing home fatality data by the former Cuomo administration, and the subsequent investigations over whether the state failed to report where residents died during the pandemic, has led to calls for greater transparency surrounding the facilities in New York. 

The measure, set to take effect next month, will mandate nursing home facilities to display their star rating from the U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services both at its physical location and on the state Department of Health website as well as the facility's own website. 

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services uses a five-star rating system to assess nursing homes across the country. 

"With the rise of publicly available data, family members should have the ability to go into the nursing home selection process well informed," the bill's sponsors wrote. "Information can bring great emotional ease and expedition to the process of picking a long-term, out-of-home care, facility for their loved ones."