Pennsylvania SB 841: An Act amending the act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the Health Care Facilities Act, in licensing of health care facilities, further providing for licensure.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 926
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 841
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY ARGALL, PICOZZI, VOGEL, COSTA, FONTANA, SCHWANK,
COLLETT, TARTAGLIONE AND MALONE, JUNE 9, 2025
REFERRED TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, JUNE 9, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), entitled "An
act relating to health care; prescribing the powers and
duties of the Department of Health; establishing and
providing the powers and duties of the State Health
Coordinating Council, health systems agencies and Health Care
Policy Board in the Department of Health, and State Health
Facility Hearing Board in the Department of Justice;
providing for certification of need of health care providers
and prescribing penalties," in licensing of health care
facilities, further providing for licensure.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 806(d.1)(3) of the act of July 19, 1979
(P.L.130, No.48), known as the Health Care Facilities Act, is
amended and subsections (d) and (d.1) are amended by adding
paragraphs to read:
Section 806. Licensure.
* * *
(d) Home health care agency regulations.--
* * *
(7) Individuals employed by a home health care agency or
a home care agency or registry providing home health aide
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services or personal assistance services shall complete at
least four hours of initial training and at least two hours
of continued training regarding the treatment and care for
persons with dementia, the credit for which shall be portable
between employment within this Commonwealth. The following
shall apply to the training requirements under this
paragraph:
(i) Initial dementia training shall include the
topics of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, person-
centered care, assessment and care planning, activities
of daily living and dementia-related behaviors and
communication.
(ii) In addition to the initial training, continued
education shall include new information on best practices
in the treatment and care of persons with dementia.
(iii) To provide training, an entity must submit a
proposed curriculum for review and validation to the
department, on a form and in a manner as determined by
the department. The department shall select a training
entity with experience in the development and
implementation of relevant curriculum in this
Commonwealth. Initial training is considered complete
once the individual takes and passes an evaluation, as
determined by the department.
(iv) Within one year of the effective date of this
paragraph, the department shall promulgate regulations
necessary to carry out the provisions of this paragraph.
(d.1) Home care agency and home care registry licensure
requirements.--
* * *
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(3) Documentation of compliance with at least one of the
training requirements under paragraph (1) and the training
requirements under paragraph (7) shall be maintained in each
individual's file in the home care agency or home care
registry office. Documentation of applicable State licensure
for any health care practitioner shall also be maintained on
file in the home care agency or registry office.
* * *
(7) (i) In addition to the requirements under this
subsection, the following individuals must complete at
least four hours of initial training and at least two
hours of continued training regarding the treatment and
care for persons with dementia, which shall be portable
between employment within this Commonwealth:
(A) A direct care worker providing personal
assistant services in Office of Long-Term Living
participant-directed service models within the
Community Health Choices Program and programs
authorized under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation
Act of 1987 (Public Law 100-203, 101 Stat. 1330).
(B) An individual with direct consumer contact
employed by a home care agency.
(C) An individual referred to a consumer by a
home care registry after the effective date of this
clause.
(ii) The following shall apply to the training
requirements under subparagraph (i):
(A) Initial dementia training shall include the
topics of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, person-
centered care, assessment and care planning,
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activities of daily living and dementia-related
behaviors and communication.
(B) To provide training, an entity must submit a
proposed curriculum for review and validation to the
department, on a form and in a manner as determined
by the department. The department shall select a
training entity with experience in the development
and implementation of relevant curriculum in this
Commonwealth. Initial training is considered complete
once the individual takes and passes an evaluation,
as determined by the department.
(C) Continued education shall include new
informatio