Key finding: 6,422 of 14,690 Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing homes (43.7%) were cited for at least one electrical safety deficiency on a Life Safety Code survey between September 2023 to August 2026.
In This Report
Every certified nursing home gets a Life Safety Code survey, and the results are public. We analyzed every fire safety citation CMS published for the three years from September 2023 to August 2026, focusing on the six K-tags that cover electrical systems and equipment. Here's what surveyors are actually finding, and where.
Key Findings
- 43.7% of nursing homes (6,422 facilities) received at least one electrical citation in three years.
- Power strips and extension cords (K920) are the #1 electrical problem, with 5,299 citations at 4,170 facilities.
- 1,345 facilities were cited under K921, the tag for PCREE testing and maintenance of electrical equipment (1,563 citations).
- Patient bed receptacles (K914) drew 1,963 citations at 1,788 facilities.
- Where you are matters. The share of facilities cited ranges from 95.9% in Washington to 0.0% in Vermont.
- Most are "potential for harm" findings. 98% of electrical citations were scope/severity D, E or F, meaning no actual harm but more than minimal potential for harm. They still require a plan of correction.
The Electrical Tags Surveyors Cite Most
| K-tag | What it covers | Citations | Facilities cited |
|---|---|---|---|
| K920 | Power strips and extension cords | 5,299 | 4,170 |
| K914 | Receptacles at patient bed locations | 1,963 | 1,788 |
| K921 | Testing and maintenance of electrical equipment (PCREE) | 1,563 | 1,345 |
| K911 | Installation and maintenance of electrical systems | 973 | — |
| K919 | Use of electrical equipment | 765 | — |
| K912 | Receptacle grounding | 604 | — |
Three of these tags are directly about how equipment is used and tested in resident rooms: K920 (what's plugged into what), K914 (the receptacles at the bedside) and K921 (whether patient care equipment was tested and the testing documented). Read more: power strips in SNF resident rooms, receptacle testing in patient rooms and what a K921 citation means.
Your State Matters More Than You Think
The same federal rules apply everywhere, but state survey agencies conduct the inspections, and their findings vary widely. In Washington, Nevada, Nebraska, Kansas and California, a majority of nursing homes were cited for an electrical issue in three years. In South Dakota, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama and Vermont, very few were. Some states focus heavily on one tag: California surveyors cited K920 power strip issues 1,100 times, while Washington and Indiana led on K921 testing citations.
A low rate in your state is not a safe harbor. Survey teams change, complaint surveys can trigger a Life Safety Code review, and the requirements themselves don't vary by state. Use the table below to see how surveyors in your state compare, then check your own program with the 2-minute readiness self-assessment.
Free tool: Look up any nursing home to see its electrical citations and when its next survey is likely.
State-by-State Table
Ranked by the share of nursing homes with at least one electrical citation, September 2023 to August 2026. Click a state for its PCREE testing page.
| Rank | State | Nursing homes | % cited (any electrical) | K921 | K920 | K914 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 193 | 95.9% | 215 | 256 | 80 |
| 2 | Nevada | 66 | 89.4% | 58 | 37 | 21 |
| 3 | Nebraska | 180 | 83.9% | 137 | 157 | 19 |
| 4 | Kansas | 296 | 76.7% | 19 | 284 | 73 |
| 5 | California | 1,165 | 76.1% | 47 | 1,100 | 129 |
| 6 | Indiana | 507 | 70.8% | 211 | 339 | 111 |
| 7 | Montana | 61 | 70.5% | 41 | 10 | 9 |
| 8 | Maryland | 221 | 68.3% | 36 | 87 | 94 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 323 | 67.8% | 1 | 147 | 68 |
| 10 | Minnesota | 338 | 67.2% | 43 | 219 | 116 |
| 11 | Kentucky | 267 | 67.0% | 71 | 188 | 55 |
| 12 | Iowa | 387 | 64.6% | 166 | 163 | 133 |
| 13 | Maine | 78 | 64.1% | 1 | 27 | 33 |
| 14 | Missouri | 487 | 61.8% | 31 | 260 | 78 |
| 15 | New Jersey | 348 | 54.6% | 103 | 46 | 70 |
| 16 | Michigan | 422 | 54.3% | 2 | 217 | 76 |
| 17 | Wyoming | 36 | 52.8% | 3 | 12 | 6 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | 656 | 51.4% | 2 | 235 | 66 |
| 19 | Oregon | 128 | 48.4% | 0 | 60 | 0 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 123 | 48.0% | 54 | 8 | 16 |
| 21 | Hawaii | 43 | 44.2% | 2 | 8 | 13 |
| 22 | New York | 593 | 44.0% | 138 | 173 | 14 |
| 23 | New Mexico | 68 | 42.6% | 0 | 23 | 14 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | 73 | 42.5% | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| 25 | Illinois | 666 | 41.6% | 0 | 331 | 70 |
| 26 | Alaska | 20 | 40.0% | 4 | 8 | 0 |
| 27 | Ohio | 922 | 38.8% | 1 | 284 | 164 |
| 28 | Colorado | 210 | 38.6% | 0 | 21 | 66 |
| 29 | North Carolina | 419 | 35.6% | 3 | 7 | 109 |
| 30 | North Dakota | 72 | 33.3% | 12 | 0 | 14 |
| 31 | Connecticut | 191 | 33.0% | 21 | 22 | 17 |
| 32 | Utah | 97 | 33.0% | 25 | 16 | 7 |
| 33 | Florida | 694 | 32.6% | 54 | 143 | 69 |
| 34 | Massachusetts | 341 | 31.1% | 0 | 42 | 44 |
| 35 | Tennessee | 303 | 31.0% | 25 | 73 | 12 |
| 36 | Arkansas | 221 | 30.8% | 1 | 70 | 0 |
| 37 | Arizona | 140 | 25.0% | 16 | 17 | 11 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | 283 | 22.6% | 0 | 1 | 17 |
| 39 | Georgia | 356 | 20.8% | 0 | 63 | 0 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | 72 | 13.9% | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 41 | Idaho | 80 | 13.8% | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 42 | Delaware | 44 | 13.6% | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 43 | Louisiana | 265 | 12.5% | 4 | 21 | 10 |
| 44 | Texas | 1,177 | 10.8% | 0 | 88 | 21 |
| 45 | Virginia | 289 | 8.3% | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| 46 | South Dakota | 96 | 7.3% | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 47 | South Carolina | 187 | 4.3% | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 48 | Mississippi | 202 | 2.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 49 | Alabama | 224 | 0.9% | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 50 | Vermont | 33 | 0.0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Electrical Citations in Context
For perspective, these were the most-cited Life Safety Code tags of any kind over the same period. Sprinkler maintenance and generator testing top the list; power strips (K920) rank among the top ten.
| K-tag | Description (CMS) | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| K353 | Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems. | 11,560 |
| K918 | Have generator or other power source capable of supplying service within 10 seconds. | 7,918 |
| K345 | Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems. | 6,390 |
| K363 | Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke. | 5,971 |
| K321 | Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system. | 5,864 |
| K712 | Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times. | 5,850 |
| K324 | Provide properly protected cooking facilities. | 5,393 |
| K920 | Ensure proper usage of power strips and extension cords. | 5,299 |
| K511 | Have properly installed electrical wiring and gas equipment. | 4,036 |
| K372 | Ensure smoke barriers are constructed to a 1 hour fire resistance rating. | 3,995 |
Survey Watch: see what surveyors cited this month, by state →
More From the Data
- K921 citations by state
- Repeat electrical citations
- Citation rates by facility size
- How long K921 corrections take
- Overdue CMS surveys by state
- Why most K921 citations are widespread
- Star ratings and electrical citations
- Rural vs. urban K921 rates
- Uneven compliance across chains
- Why electrical citations are preventable
Methodology
Read our editorial standards and data methodology.
We used the CMS Provider Data Catalog's Nursing Homes "Fire Safety Deficiencies" and "Provider Information" files (processed September 2026). We counted citations with survey dates from September 1, 2023 through August 20, 2026 under K911, K912, K914, K919, K920 and K921. "Facilities cited" counts each nursing home once, no matter how many times it was cited. The facility count per state is the number of certified nursing homes in the Provider Information file. State rankings include the 50 states. Differences between states reflect both facility conditions and how each state's survey agency inspects and records findings.
You're welcome to cite or link to this report. Please credit "PCREETest.com analysis of CMS data" and link to this page.
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About the Author
PCREE Test Editorial Team
Content reviewed by biomedical professionals with experience in patient care electrical equipment testing, NFPA 99 compliance, and CMS Life Safety survey preparation for skilled nursing facilities.