New Jersey's nursing homes — which were devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic — will have to boost their staffing levels under a new bill lawmakers will consider on Thursday.

The measure will set quotas for certified nursing aides who are responsible for feeding and bathing residents. For the day shift, one nurse aide can only care for eight nursing home residents. 

Milly Silva, executive vice president of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, which represents 8,000 nursing home employees, said staffing shortages have been a problem at the facilities for years. She said a version of the bill passed the Legislature five years ago but was vetoed by former Gov. Chris Christie. 

"It's the biggest piece that's missing as we figure out how to make nursing homes a place where we would feel comfortable having our loved ones live there and live with dignity and respect," she said. 

Silva said nursing aides "are the men and women, who, during this pandemic, have been the closest to every nursing home resident in the state, holding their hands, providing comfort, providing care in this moment. And their message has been to every elected official who will listen: We need more staff who can help us to do the work."

The proposal is the latest in a string of reforms for the state's long term care industry, where more than 7,000 residents and staff have died of COVID-19.