(A) As used in this section:

Ask an insurance law question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

“Applicant” means a person who is under final consideration for employment with a waiver agency in a full-time, part-time, or temporary position that involves providing home and community-based services.

“Community-based long-term care provider” means a provider as defined in section 173.39 of the Revised Code.

“Community-based long-term care subcontractor” means a subcontractor as defined in section 173.38 of the Revised Code.

“Criminal records check” has the same meaning as in section 109.572 of the Revised Code.

“Disqualifying offense” means any of the offenses listed or described in divisions (A)(3)(a) to (e) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code.

“Employee” means a person employed by a waiver agency in a full-time, part-time, or temporary position that involves providing home and community-based services.

“Waiver agency” means a person or government entity that provides home and community-based services under a home and community-based services medicaid waiver component administered by the department of medicaid, other than such a person or government entity that is certified under the medicare program. “Waiver agency” does not mean an independent provider as defined in section 5164.341 of the Revised Code.

(B) This section does not apply to any individual who is subject to a database review or criminal records check under section 3740.11 of the Revised Code. If a waiver agency also is a community-based long-term care provider or community-based long-term care subcontractor, the waiver agency may provide for any of its applicants and employees who are not subject to database reviews and criminal records checks under section 173.38 of the Revised Code to undergo database reviews and criminal records checks in accordance with that section rather than this section.

(C) No waiver agency shall employ an applicant or continue to employ an employee in a position that involves providing home and community-based services if any of the following apply:

(1) A review of the databases listed in division (E) of this section reveals any of the following:

(a) That the applicant or employee is included in one or more of the databases listed in divisions (E)(1) to (5) of this section;

(b) That there is in the state nurse aide registry established under section 3721.32 of the Revised Code a statement detailing findings by the director of health that the applicant or employee abused, neglected, or exploited a long-term care facility or residential care facility resident or misappropriated property of such a resident;

(c) That the applicant or employee is included in one or more of the databases, if any, specified in rules authorized by this section and the rules prohibit the waiver agency from employing an applicant or continuing to employ an employee included in such a database in a position that involves providing home and community-based services.

(2) After the applicant or employee is given the information and notification required by divisions (F)(2)(a) and (b) of this section, the applicant or employee fails to do either of the following:

(a) Access, complete, or forward to the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation the form prescribed to division (C)(1) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code or the standard impression sheet prescribed pursuant to division (C)(2) of that section;

(b) Instruct the superintendent to submit the completed report of the criminal records check required by this section directly to the chief administrator of the waiver agency.

(3) Except as provided in rules authorized by this section, the applicant or employee is found by a criminal records check required by this section to have been convicted of or have pleaded guilty to a disqualifying offense, regardless of the date of the conviction or date of entry of the guilty plea.

(D) At the time of each applicant’s initial application for employment in a position that involves providing home and community-based services, the chief administrator of a waiver agency shall inform the applicant of both of the following:

(1) That a review of the databases listed in division (E) of this section will be conducted to determine whether the waiver agency is prohibited by division (C)(1) of this section from employing the applicant in the position;

(2) That, unless the database review reveals that the applicant may not be employed in the position, a criminal records check of the applicant will be conducted and the applicant is required to provide a set of the applicant’s fingerprint impressions as part of the criminal records check.

(E) As a condition of employing any applicant in a position that involves providing home and community-based services, the chief administrator of a waiver agency shall conduct a database review of the applicant in accordance with rules authorized by this section. If rules authorized by this section so require, the chief administrator of a waiver agency shall conduct a database review of an employee in accordance with the rules as a condition of continuing to employ the employee in a position that involves providing home and community-based services. A database review shall determine whether the applicant or employee is included in any of the following:

(1) The excluded parties list system that is maintained by the United States general services administration pursuant to subpart 9.4 of the federal acquisition regulation and available at the federal web site known as the system for award management;

(2) The list of excluded individuals and entities maintained by the office of inspector general in the United States department of health and human services pursuant to the “Social Security Act,” sections 1128 and 1156, 42 U.S.C. §§ 1320a-7 and 1320c-5;

(3) The registry of developmental disabilities employees established under section 5123.52 of the Revised Code;

(4) The internet-based sex offender and child-victim offender database established under division (A)(11) of section 2950.13 of the Revised Code;

(5) The internet-based database of inmates established under section 5120.66 of the Revised Code;

(6) The state nurse aide registry established under section 3721.32 of the Revised Code;

(7) Any other database, if any, specified in rules authorized by this section.

(F)(1) As a condition of employing any applicant in a position that involves providing home and community-based services, the chief administrator of a waiver agency shall require the applicant to request that the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation conduct a criminal records check of the applicant. If rules authorized by this section so require, the chief administrator of a waiver agency shall require an employee to request that the superintendent conduct a criminal records check of the employee at times specified in the rules as a condition of continuing to employ the employee in a position that involves providing home and community-based services. However, a criminal records check is not required for an applicant or employee if the waiver agency is prohibited by division (C)(1) of this section from employing the applicant or continuing to employ the employee in a position that involves providing home and community-based services. If an applicant or employee for whom a criminal records check request is required by this section does not present proof of having been a resident of this state for the five-year period immediately prior to the date the criminal records check is requested or provide evidence that within that five-year period the superintendent has requested information about the applicant or employee from the federal bureau of investigation in a criminal records check, the chief administrator shall require the applicant or employee to request that the superintendent obtain information from the federal bureau of investigation as part of the criminal records check. Even if an applicant or employee for whom a criminal records check request is required by this section presents proof of having been a resident of this state for the five-year period, the chief administrator may require the applicant or employee to request that the superintendent include information from the federal bureau of investigation in the criminal records check.

(2) The chief administrator shall provide the following to each applicant and employee for whom a criminal records check is required by this section:

(a) Information about accessing, completing, and forwarding to the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation the form prescribed pursuant to division (C)(1) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code and the standard impression sheet prescribed pursuant to division (C)(2) of that section;

(b) Written notification that the applicant or employee is to instruct the superintendent to submit the completed report of the criminal records check directly to the chief administrator.

(3) A waiver agency shall pay to the bureau of criminal identification and investigation the fee prescribed pursuant to division (C)(3) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code for any criminal records check required by this section. However, a waiver agency may require an applicant to pay to the bureau the fee for a criminal records check of the applicant. If the waiver agency pays the fee for an applicant, it may charge the applicant a fee not exceeding the amount the waiver agency pays to the bureau under this section if the waiver agency notifies the applicant at the time of initial application for employment of the amount of the fee and that, unless the fee is paid, the applicant will not be considered for employment.

(G)(1) A waiver agency may employ conditionally an applicant for whom a criminal records check is required by this section prior to obtaining the results of the criminal records check if both of the following apply:

(a) The waiver agency is not prohibited by division (C)(1) of this section from employing the applicant in a position that involves providing home and community-based services.

(b) The chief administrator of the waiver agency requires the applicant to request a criminal records check regarding the applicant in accordance with division (F)(1) of this section not later than five business days after the applicant begins conditional employment.

(2) A waiver agency that employs an applicant conditionally under division (G)(1) of this section shall terminate the applicant’s employment if the results of the criminal records check, other than the results of any request for information from the federal bureau of investigation, are not obtained within the period ending sixty days after the date the request for the criminal records check is made. Regardless of when the results of the criminal records check are obtained, if the results indicate that the applicant has been convicted of or has pleaded guilty to a disqualifying offense, the waiver agency shall terminate the applicant’s employment unless circumstances specified in rules authorized by this section exist that permit the waiver agency to employ the applicant and the waiver agency chooses to employ the applicant.

(H) The report of any criminal records check conducted pursuant to a request made under this section is not a public record for the purposes of section 149.43 of the Revised Code and shall not be made available to any person other than the following:

(1) The applicant or employee who is the subject of the criminal records check or the representative of the applicant or employee;

(2) The chief administrator of the waiver agency that requires the applicant or employee to request the criminal records check or the administrator’s representative;

(3) The medicaid director and the staff of the department who are involved in the administration of the medicaid program;

(4) The director of aging or the director’s designee if the waiver agency also is a community-based long-term care provider or community-based long-term care subcontractor;

(5) An individual receiving or deciding whether to receive home and community-based services from the subject of the criminal records check;

(6) A court, hearing officer, or other necessary individual involved in a case or administrative hearing dealing with any of the following:

(a) A denial of employment of the applicant or employee;

(b) Employment or unemployment benefits of the applicant or employee;

(c) A civil or criminal action regarding the medicaid program;

(d) A denial, suspension, or termination of a provider agreement.

With respect to an administrative hearing dealing with a denial, suspension, or termination of a provider agreement, the report of a criminal records check may be introduced as evidence at the hearing and if admitted, becomes part of the hearing record. Any such report shall be admitted only under seal and shall maintain its status as not a public record.

(I) The medicaid director shall adopt rules under section 5164.02 of the Revised Code to implement this section.

(1) The rules may do the following:

(a) Require employees to undergo database reviews and criminal records checks under this section;

(b) If the rules require employees to undergo database reviews and criminal records checks under this section, exempt one or more classes of employees from the requirements;

(c) For the purpose of division (E)(7) of this section, specify other databases that are to be checked as part of a database review conducted under this section.

(2) The rules shall specify all of the following:

(a) The procedures for conducting a database review under this section;

(b) If the rules require employees to undergo database reviews and criminal records checks under this section, the times at which the database reviews and criminal records checks are to be conducted;

(c) If the rules specify other databases to be checked as part of a database review, the circumstances under which a waiver agency is prohibited from employing an applicant or continuing to employ an employee who is found by the database review to be included in one or more of those databases;

(d) The circumstances under which a waiver agency may employ an applicant or employee who is found by a criminal records check required by this section to have been convicted of or have pleaded guilty to a disqualifying offense.

(J) The amendments made by H.B. 487 of the 129th general assembly to this section do not preclude the department of medicaid from taking action against a person for failure to comply with former division (H) of this section as that division existed on the day preceding January 1, 2013.