HB4499 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB094 18346 RAS 53657 b

94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB4499

Introduced 1/11/2006, by Rep. Elizabeth Coulson

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

225 ILCS 46/30

Amends the Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning non-fingerprint based UCIA criminal records checks.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning regulation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Health Care Worker Background Check Act is amended by changing Section 30 as follows:

(225 ILCS 46/30)

Sec. 30. Non-fingerprint based UCIA criminal records check.

(a) Beginning on January 1, 1997, an educational entity, other than a secondary school, conducting a nurse aide training program must initiate a UCIA criminal history records check prior to entry of an individual into the the training program. A nurse aide seeking to be included on the nurse aide registry shall authorize the Department of Public Health or its designee that tests nurse aides or the health care employer or its designee to request a criminal history record check pursuant to the Uniform Conviction Information Act (UCIA) for each nurse aide applying for inclusion on the State nurse aide registry. Any nurse aide not submitting the required authorization and information for the record check will not be added to the State nurse aide registry. A nurse aide will not be entered on the State nurse aide registry if the report from the Department of State Police indicates that the nurse aide has a record of conviction of any of the criminal offenses enumerated in Section 25 unless the nurse aide's identity is validated and it is determined that the nurse aide does not have a disqualifying criminal history record based upon a fingerprint-based records check pursuant to Section 35 or the nurse aide receives a waiver pursuant to Section 40.

(b) The Department of Public Health shall notify each health care employer inquiring as to the information on the State nurse aide registry of the date of the nurse aide's last UCIA criminal history record check. If it has been more than one year since the records check, the health care employer must initiate or have initiated on his or her behalf a UCIA criminal history record check for the nurse aide pursuant to this Section. The health care employer must send a copy of the results of the record check to the State nurse aide registry for an individual employed as a nurse aide.

(c) Beginning January 1, 1996, a health care employer who makes a conditional offer of employment to an applicant other than a nurse aide for position with duties that involve direct care for clients, patients, or residents must initiate or have initiated on his or her behalf a UCIA criminal history record check for that applicant.

(d) No later than January 1, 1997, a health care employer must initiate or have initiated on his or her behalf a UCIA criminal history record check for all employees other than those enumerated in subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this Section with duties that involve direct care for clients, patients, or residents. A health care employer having actual knowledge from a source other than a non-fingerprint check that an employee has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit one of the offenses enumerated in Section 25 of this Act must initiate a fingerprint-based background check within 10 working days of acquiring that knowledge. The employer may continue to employ that individual in a direct care position, may reassign that individual to a non-direct care position, or may suspend the individual until the results of the fingerprint-based background check are received.

(d-5) Beginning January 1, 2006, each long-term care facility operating in the State must initiate, or have initiated on its behalf, a criminal history record check for all employees hired on or after January 1, 2006 with duties that involve or may involve contact with residents or access to the living quarters or the financial, medical, or personal records of residents.

(e) The request for a UCIA criminal history record check must be in the form prescribed by the Department of State Police.

(f) The applicant or employee must be notified of the following whenever a non-fingerprint check is made:

(i) that the health care employer shall request or have requested on his or her behalf a UCIA criminal history record check pursuant to this Act;

(ii) that the applicant or employee has a right to obtain a copy of the criminal records report from the health care employer, challenge the accuracy and completeness of the report, and request a waiver under Section 40 of this Act;

(iii) that the applicant, if hired conditionally, may be terminated if the criminal records report indicates that the applicant has a record of conviction of any of the criminal offenses enumerated in Section 25 unless the applicant's identity is validated and it is determined that the applicant does not have a disqualifying criminal history record based on a fingerprint-based records check pursuant to Section 35.

(iv) that the applicant, if not hired conditionally, shall not be hired if the criminal records report indicates that the applicant has a record of conviction of any of the criminal offenses enumerated in Section 25 unless the applicant's record is cleared based on a fingerprint-based records check pursuant to Section 35.

(v) that the employee may be terminated if the criminal records report indicates that the employee has a record of conviction of any of the criminal offenses enumerated in Section 25 unless the employee's record is cleared based on a fingerprint-based records check pursuant to Section 35.

(g) A health care employer may conditionally employ an applicant for up to 3 months pending the results of a UCIA criminal history record check.

(Source: P.A. 94-665, eff. 1-1-06.)