(a) (1) A criminal record clearance shall be conducted by the department for all home health aides by electronically submitting fingerprint images and related information to the Department of Justice. The Licensing and Certification Program shall issue an All Facilities Letter (AFL) to facility licensees when it determines that both of the following criteria have been met for a period of 30 days:
(A) The program receives, within three business days, 95 percent of its total responses indicating no evidence of recorded criminal information from the Department of Justice.
(B) The program processes 95 percent of its total responses requiring disqualification with notices mailed to the individual in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 1736.5, no later than 45 days after the date that the report is received from the Department of Justice.
(2) After the AFL is issued, facilities must not allow newly hired administrators, program directors, and fiscal officers to have direct contact with clients or residents of the facility prior to completion of the criminal record clearance. A criminal record clearance shall be complete when the department has obtained the person’s criminal offender record information search response from the Department of Justice and has determined that the person is not disqualified from engaging in the activity for which clearance is required. Applicants shall be responsible for any costs associated with capturing or transmitting the fingerprint images and related information. The fee to cover the processing costs of the Department of Justice, not including the costs associated with capturing or transmitting the fingerprint images and related information, shall not exceed thirty-two dollars ($32) per submission.
(3) An applicant or certificate holder who may be disqualified on the basis of a criminal conviction shall provide the department with a certified copy of the judgment of each conviction. In addition, the individual may, during a period of two years after the department receives the criminal record report, provide the department with evidence of good character and rehabilitation in accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 1736.5. Upon receipt of a new application for certification of the individual, the department may receive and consider the evidence during the two-year period without requiring additional fingerprint imaging to clear the individual.
(4) The department’s Licensing and Certification Program shall explore and implement methods for maximizing its efficiency in processing criminal record clearances within the requirements of law, including a streamlined clearance process for persons that have been disqualified in the basis of criminal convictions that do not require automatic denial pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 1736.5.
(b) Upon enrollment in a training program for home health aide certification, and prior to direct contact with residents, a candidate for training shall submit a training and examination application to the department and submit electronic fingerprint images and related information to receive a criminal record review through the Department of Justice. This criminal record clearance shall be completed prior to direct contact with residents. Submission of the fingerprint images to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, through the Department of Justice, shall be at the discretion of the state department.
(c) A criminal record clearance, consistent with this section shall be implemented for home health aide applicants beginning July 1, 1998, and phased in for all certified home health aides by June 30, 2000.
(d) The department shall develop procedures to ensure that any licensee, direct care staff, or certificate holder for whom a criminal record has been obtained pursuant to this section or Section 1265.6 or 1338.5 shall not be required to obtain multiple criminal record clearances.
(e) An applicant and any other person specified in this subdivision, as part of the background clearance process, shall provide information as to whether or not the person has any prior criminal convictions, has had any arrests within the past 12-month period, or has any active arrests, and shall certify that, to the best of his or her knowledge, the information provided is true. This requirement is not intended to duplicate existing requirements for individuals who are required to submit fingerprint images as part of a criminal background clearance process. Every applicant shall provide information on any prior administrative action taken against him or her by any federal, state, or local government agency and shall certify that, to the best of his or her knowledge, the information provided is true. An applicant or other person required to provide information pursuant to this section that knowingly or willfully makes false statements, representations, or omissions may be subject to administrative action, including, but not limited to, denial of his or her application or exemption or revocation of any exemption previously granted.
(f) If, at any time, the department determines that it does not meet the standards specified in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) for a period of 90 consecutive days, the requirements in subdivision (a) shall be inoperative until the department determines that that it has met those standards for a period of 90 consecutive days.
(g) During any period of time in which the requirements of subdivision (a) are inoperative, home health agencies may allow newly hired home health aides to have direct contact with patients after those persons have submitted live-scan fingerprint images to the Department of Justice, and the department shall issue an AFL advising facilities of this change in the statutory requirement.
(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department may provide an individual with a copy of his or her state or federal level criminal offender record information search response as provided to that department by the Department of Justice if the department has denied a criminal background clearance based on this information and the individual makes a written request to the department for a copy specifying an address to which it is to be sent. The state or federal level criminal offender record information search response shall not be modified or altered from its form or content as provided by the Department of Justice and shall be provided to the address specified by the individual in his or her written request. The department shall retain a copy of the individual’s written request and the response and date provided.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 902, Sec. 15. Effective January 1, 2007.)