Official Text and Analysis.

Changes requirements relating to background checks for long-term care workers. • Alters certain regulatory requirements relating to long-term care facilities in the event of a pandemic, natural disaster, or other declared state of emergency. • Changes licensing requirements for nursing assistants.

Provides alternate expiration periods for rules adopted in response to a pandemic, natural disaster, or other declared state of emergency: (a) For long-term care facility inspections, the rules are effective until the termination of the pandemic, disaster, or emergency or the reestablishment of normal inspection timelines, whichever is later; (b) For staffing requirements for nursing homes, the rules are effective until 18 months after the termination of the pandemic, disaster, or emergency or when the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) determines they are no longer necessary, whichever occurs first; (c) For training requirements, the rules are effective until the termination of the pandemic, disaster, or emergency or until there is adequate access to complete the required training, whichever is later; (d) For health care aide certification, the rules are effective until the termination of the pandemic, disaster, or emergency or until the Department of Health (DOH) determines the rules are no longer necessary, whichever occurs first.

• Clarifies that a long-term care worker must pass both the state and federal background checks, but may work and have unsupervised access once they pass the state background check and wait completion of the federal check. • Reduces the 18-month time frame for SNF minimum staffing rules to remain in effect to 12 months after the state of emergency is terminated. • Removes the requirement for DSHS to review and report SNF minimum staffing compliance 12 months after the termination of the state of emergency.

Clarifies that a long-term care worker must pass both the state and federal background checks. Reduces the 18-month time frame for SNF minimum staffing rules to remain in effect to 12 months after the state of emergency is terminated. Removes the requirement for DSHS to review and report SNF minimum staffing compliance 12 months after the termination of the state of emergency.