Bill Text: CA AB1038 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 1038 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Health facilities: nursing hours.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-02 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1038 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB1038-Introduced.html

BILL NUMBER: AB 1038	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Furutani

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2009

   An act to amend Section 1276.5 of the Health and Safety Code,
relating to health facilities.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1038, as introduced, Furutani. Health facilities: nursing
hours.
   Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health
facilities by the State Department of Public Health. A violation of
these provisions is a crime.
   Existing law requires that the minimum number of actual nursing
hours per patient required in a skilled nursing facility shall be 3.2
hours, with specified exceptions.
   This bill would increase this requirement to 3.5 nursing hours per
patient. By expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would impose a
state-mandated local program.
   The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 1276.5 of the Health and Safety Code is amended
to read:
   1276.5.  (a) The department shall adopt regulations setting forth
the minimum number of equivalent nursing hours per patient required
in skilled nursing and intermediate care facilities, subject to the
specific requirements of Section 14110.7 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code. However, notwithstanding Section 14110.7  of
the Welfare and Institutions Code  or any other provision of
 law, commencing   law: 
    (1)     Commencing  January 1, 2000,
the minimum number of actual nursing hours per patient required in a
skilled nursing facility shall be 3.2 hours, except as provided in
Section 1276.9. 
   (2) Commencing January 1, 2010, the minimum number of actual
nursing hours per patient required in a skilled nursing facility
shall be 3.5 hours, except as provided in Section 1276.9. 
   (b) (1) For the purposes of this section, "nursing hours" means
the number of hours of work performed per patient day by aides,
nursing assistants, or orderlies plus two times the number of hours
worked per patient day by registered nurses and licensed vocational
nurses (except directors of nursing in facilities of 60 or larger
capacity) and, in the distinct part of facilities and freestanding
facilities providing care for the developmentally disabled or
mentally disordered, by licensed psychiatric technicians who perform
direct nursing services for patients in skilled nursing and
intermediate care facilities, except when the skilled nursing and
intermediate care facility is licensed as a part of a state hospital,
and except that nursing hours for skilled nursing facilities means
the actual hours of work, without doubling the hours performed per
patient day by registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses.
   (2) Concurrent with implementation of the first year of rates
established under the Medi-Cal Long Term Care Reimbursement Act of
1990 (Article 3.8 (commencing with Section 14126) of Chapter 7 of
Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code), for the
purposes of this section, "nursing hours" means the number of hours
of work performed per patient day by aides, nursing assistants,
registered nurses, and licensed vocational nurses (except directors
of nursing in facilities of 60 or larger capacity) and, in the
distinct part of facilities and freestanding facilities providing
care for the developmentally disabled or mentally disordered, by
licensed psychiatric technicians who performed direct nursing
services for patients in skilled nursing and intermediate care
facilities, except when the skilled nursing and intermediate care
facility is licensed as a part of a state hospital.
   (c) Notwithstanding Section 1276, the department shall require the
utilization of a registered nurse at all times if the department
determines that the services of a skilled nursing and intermediate
care facility require the utilization of a registered nurse.
   (d) (1) Except as otherwise provided by law, the administrator of
an intermediate care facility/developmentally disabled, intermediate
care facility/developmentally disabled habilitative, or an
intermediate care facility/developmentally disabled--nursing shall be
either a licensed nursing home administrator or a qualified mental
retardation professional as defined in Section 483.430 of Title 42 of
the Code of Federal Regulations.
   (2) To qualify as an administrator for an intermediate care
facility for the developmentally disabled, a qualified mental
retardation professional shall complete at least six months of
administrative training or demonstrate six months of experience in an
administrative capacity in a licensed health facility, as defined in
Section 1250, excluding those facilities specified in subdivisions
(e), (h), and (i).
  SEC. 2.  No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the
Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the
meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.