ENGR. S. B. NO. 369 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 369 By: Garvin of the Senate and McEntire of the House An Act relating to long-term care; amending 63 O.S. 2021, Section 1-1950.1, which relates to criminal history background check for nurse aide; modifying time period of certain requirement; modifying certain restrictions on employment; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 63 O.S. 2021, Section 1-1950.1, is amended to read as follows: Section 1-1950.1. A. For purposes of this section: 1. “Nurse aide” means any person who provides, for compensation, nursing care or h ealth-related services to residents in a nursing facility, a specialized facility, a residential care home, continuum of care facility, assisted living center or an adult day care center and who is not a licensed health profess ional. Such term also means any person who provides such services to individuals in their own homes as an employe e or contract provider of a home health or home care agency, or as a contract provider o f the Medicaid State Plan Personal Care Program; ENGR. S. B. NO. 369 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 2. “Employer” means any of the following facilities, homes, agencies or programs which are subject to the provision of this section: a. a nursing facility or specialized facility as such terms are defined in the Nursing Home Care Act, b. a residential care hom e as such term is defined by the Residential Care Act, c. an adult day care center as such term is defined in the Adult Day Care Act, d. an assisted living center as such term is defined by the Continuum of Care and Assisted Living Act, e. a continuum of care facility as such term is defined by the Continuum of Care and Assisted Living Act, f. a home health or home ca re agency, g. the Department of Human Services, in its capacity as an operator of any ho spital or health care institution or as a contractor w ith providers under the Medic aid State Plan Personal Care Program, h. any facility operated by the Oklahoma Depart ment of Veterans Affairs, and i. any facility approved and annually reviewed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as a medical foster home in which care is provided exclusively to three or fewer veterans; ENGR. S. B. NO. 369 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 3. “Home health or home care agency ” means any person, partnership, association, corporation or other organization which administers, offers or provides health care services or supportive assistance for compensation to three or more ill, disabled, or infirm persons in the temporary or perma nent residence of such persons, and includes any subunits or branch offices of a parent home health or home care agency; 4. “Bureau” means the Oklahoma State Bureau of In vestigation; and 5. “Completion of the sentence” means the last day of the entire term of the incarceration imposed by the sentence including any term that is deferred, su spended or subject to parole. B. Before any employer makes an offer to employ or to contract with a nurse aide begins employment or a contract to provide nursing care, health-related services or supportive assistance to any individual, the employer shall provide for a criminal history background check to be m ade on the nurse aide pursuan t to the provisions of the Long-Term Care Security Act. If the employer is a facility, home or institution which is part of a larger complex of buildings, the requirement of a criminal history background check shall apply only to an offer of employment or contract made to a person who will work pr imarily in the immediate boundaries of the facility, home, or institution. ENGR. S. B. NO. 369 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Where the provisions of the Long -Term Care Security Act pertaining to registry screenin gs and national crimin al history record check checks are not in effect pending an effective date established in rulemaking, an employer is authorized to obtain any criminal history background records maintained by the Bureau pursuant to the following: 1. The employer shall request the Bureau to conduct a criminal history background check on the nurse aid e and shall provide to the Bureau any relevant information required by the Bureau to conduct the check. The employer shall pay a fee of Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) to the Bureau for each criminal history back ground check that is conducted pursuant to such a request; 2. An employer may make an offer of temporary employment to a nurse aide pending the results of the criminal history background check. The employer in such instance shall provide to the Bureau the name and relevant information relating to the pe rson within seventy-two (72) hours after the date the person accepts temporary employment. The employer shall not hire or contract with the nurse aide on a permanent basis until the results of the criminal history background check are received; 3. An employer may accept a criminal history background report less than one (1) year old of a person to whom such employer makes an offer of employment. The report shall be obtained from the ENGR. S. B. NO. 369 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 previous employer or c ontractor of such person and shall only be obtained upon the written consent of such person; and 4. Every employer while subject to the provisions of this subsection shall inform each applicant for employment, o r each prospective contract provider, as app licable, that the employer is required to obtain a criminal history background record before making an offer of permanent employment or contract to a nurse aide. C. 1. If the results of a criminal history backg round check reveal that the subject person h as been convicted of, pled guilty or no contest to, or received a deferred sentence for, a felony or misdemeanor offense for any of the following offenses in any state or federal jurisdiction, the employer shall not hire or contract with the person: a. abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation of any person entrusted to the care or possession of such person, b. rape, incest, or sodomy, or any crime that resulted in the person being registered on a sex offender registry at any time, c. child abuse, d. murder or attempted murder, e. manslaughter, f. kidnapping, g. human trafficking, ENGR. S. B. NO. 369 Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 h. aggravated assault and battery, h. i. assault and battery with a dan gerous weapon, or i. j. arson in the first degree. 2. If less than seven (7) five (5) years have elapsed sin ce the completion of sentence, and the results of a criminal history check reveal that the subject person has been convicted of, or pled guilty or no contest to, a felony or misdemeanor offense for any of t he following offenses, in any state or federal jur isdiction, the employer shall not hire or contract with the person: a. assault, b. battery, c. indecent exposure and indecent exhibition, except where such offense disqualifies the applicant as a registered sex offender, d. pandering, e. burglary in the first or second degree, f. robbery in the first or second degree, g. robbery or attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, or imitation firearm, h. arson in the second degree, i. unlawful manufacture , distribution, prescription, or dispensing of a Schedule I through V drug as defined by the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act, j. grand larceny, or ENGR. S. B. NO. 369 Page 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 k. petit larceny or shop lifting. D. An employer shall not employ or continue employing a person addicted to any Schedule I thr ough V drug as specified by the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act unless the person produces evidence tha t the person has successfully complete d a drug rehabilitation program. E. All employment eligibility determination reco rds received by the employer pursuant to this section are confidential and are for the exclusive use of the State D epartment of Health a nd the employer which requested the in formation. Except on court order or with the written consent of the person being investigated, the rec ords shall not be released or otherwise disclosed to any other person or agency. These record s shall be destroyed after one (1) year from the end of employment of the person to whom such records relate. F. As part of the inspections required by the Nursi ng Home Care Act, Continuum of Care and Assisted Living Act, the Residential Care Act, and the Adult Day Care Act, the State Department of Health shall review the employment files of any facility, home or institution required to obtain a criminal history b ackground determination to ensure such facilities, homes or institutions are in compliance with the provisions of t his section. SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 202 3. ENGR. S. B. NO. 369 Page 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Passed the Senate the 20th day of March, 2023. Presiding Officer of the Senate Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, 2023. Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives