HB 2419: DOH; Community Care Homes; Caregivers

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to community care homes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  Section 321-483, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

     "(b)  The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 relating to:

     (1)  Standards of conditions and competence for the operation of community care foster family homes;

     (2)  Procedures for obtaining and renewing a certificate of approval from the department;

     (3)  Minimum grievance procedures for clients of community care foster family home services; and

     (4)  Requirements for primary and substitute caregivers caring for three clients in community care foster family homes including:

          (A)  Mandating that primary [and substitute] caregivers be twenty-one years of age or older[;] and that substitute caregivers be eighteen years of age or older;

          (B)  Mandating that primary and substitute caregivers complete a minimum of twelve hours of continuing education every twelve months or at least twenty-four hours of continuing education every twenty-four months;

          (C)  Allowing the primary caregiver to be absent from the community care foster family home for no more than twenty-eight hours in a calendar week, not to exceed five hours per day; provided that the substitute caregiver is present in the community care foster family home during the primary caregiver's absence;

          (D)  Where the primary caregiver is absent from the community care foster family home in excess of the hours as prescribed in subparagraph (C), mandating that the substitute caregiver be a certified nurse aide; and

          (E)  Mandating that the substitute caregiver have, at a minimum, one year prior work experience as a caregiver in a community residential setting or in a medical facility."

     SECTION 2.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Report Title:

DOH; Community Care Homes; Caregivers

Description:

Lowers the minimum age required by Department of Health rules for substitute caregivers in community care foster family homes to eighteen years.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.