House Study Bill 252



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
                                            HUMAN RESOURCES BILL
                                            BY CHAIRPERSON UPMEYER)


    Passed House, Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the establishment of a direct care worker task
  2    force.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 3125YC 81
  5 pf/gg/14

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  DIRECT CARE WORKER TASK FORCE ==
  1  2 RECOMMENDATIONS == REPORT.
  1  3    1.  The Iowa department of public health shall convene a
  1  4 direct care worker task force to review the education and
  1  5 training requirements applicable to and to make
  1  6 recommendations regarding direct care workers.  The Iowa
  1  7 department of public health shall provide administrative
  1  8 support for the task force.
  1  9    2.  The task force shall consist of twelve members
  1 10 including representatives of the direct care workforce, health
  1 11 care providers, consumer and disability advocates, and
  1 12 individuals involved in the education and training of direct
  1 13 care workers selected by the governor.
  1 14    3.  The task force shall also include the director or the
  1 15 director's designee of the Iowa department of public health,
  1 16 the department of human services, the department of elder
  1 17 affairs, and the department of inspections and appeals, and
  1 18 members of the general assembly as ex officio, nonvoting
  1 19 members.
  1 20    3.  The legislative members of the task force shall be
  1 21 appointed by the president of the senate, after consultation
  1 22 with the majority leader and the minority leader of the
  1 23 senate, and by the speaker of the house, after consultation
  1 24 with the majority leader and the minority leader of the house
  1 25 of representatives.
  1 26    4.  Nonlegislative members shall receive actual expenses
  1 27 incurred while serving in their official capacity.
  1 28 Legislative members shall receive compensation pursuant to
  1 29 section 2.12.
  1 30    5.  The task force shall select a chairperson from its
  1 31 membership.  A majority of the members of the task force shall
  1 32 constitute a quorum.
  1 33    6.  The direct care worker task force shall do all of the
  1 34 following:
  1 35    a.  Identify the existing direct care worker
  2  1 classifications.
  2  2    b.  Review and outline the corresponding educational and
  2  3 training requirements for each direct care worker
  2  4 classification identified.
  2  5    c.  Determine the appropriate educational and training
  2  6 requirements for each direct care worker classification
  2  7 identified.
  2  8    d.  Recommend a process for streamlining the educational
  2  9 and training system for direct care workers.
  2 10    e.  Recommend a process for establishing a direct care
  2 11 worker registry by expanding the Iowa nurse aide registry to
  2 12 integrate direct care workers, and consider moving
  2 13 administration of the registry to the Iowa department of
  2 14 public health.
  2 15    7.  The task force shall submit a report of its
  2 16 recommendations regarding the issues specified in subsection 6
  2 17 to the governor and the general assembly no later than
  2 18 December 15, 2006.
  2 19                           EXPLANATION
  2 20    This bill directs the Iowa department of public health to
  2 21 convene a direct care worker task force to review the
  2 22 education and training requirements applicable to and to make
  2 23 recommendations regarding direct care workers.  The Iowa
  2 24 department of public health is also directed to provide
  2 25 administrative support to the task force.
  2 26    The task force consists of 12 members including
  2 27 representatives of the direct care workforce, health care
  2 28 providers, consumer and disability advocates, and individuals
  2 29 involved in the education and training of direct care workers
  2 30 selected by the governor.  The task force also includes the
  2 31 director or the director's designee of the Iowa department of
  2 32 public health, the department of human services, the
  2 33 department of elder affairs, and the department of inspections
  2 34 and appeals, and members of the general assembly as ex
  2 35 officio, nonvoting members.
  3  1    The bill provides for organization of the task force and
  3  2 requires the task force to identify the existing direct care
  3  3 worker classifications, review and outline the corresponding
  3  4 educational and training requirements for each direct care
  3  5 worker classification identified, determine the appropriate
  3  6 educational and training requirements for each direct care
  3  7 worker classification identified, recommend a process for
  3  8 streamlining the educational and training system for direct
  3  9 care workers, and recommend a process for establishing a
  3 10 direct care worker registry by expanding the Iowa nurse aide
  3 11 registry to integrate direct care workers, and consider moving
  3 12 administration of the registry to the Iowa department of
  3 13 public health.
  3 14    The bill requires the task force to submit a report of its
  3 15 recommendations to the governor and the general assembly no
  3 16 later than December 15, 2006.
  3 17 LSB 3125YC 81
  3 18 pf:rj/gg/14