CSHB 162 - Criminal and Civil History Record Checks

• Expands background check requirements for Department of Health and Social Services licensure and payments to include civil history databases, replacing the prior "centralized registry" system with multiple civil history databases reviewed during civil history checks.

• Establishes civil history standards that deny licensure or payments to individuals who are biological/adoptive parents with a child-in-need-of-aid petition, have substantiated child abuse or neglect findings, or appear in other specified civil history databases for abuse, exploitation, or licensing violations.

• Creates a variance request procedure allowing individuals or entities denied licensure or payments to request reconsideration before a variance committee, with appeal rights to the commissioner and superior court within 30 days.

• Provides immunity from civil and criminal liability for persons who report medical assistance fraud, submit information to civil history databases, or fail to hire individuals included in those databases.

• Requires Department of Health and Social Services to establish regulations for civil history standards, variance procedures, and information disclosure to governmental agencies and political subdivisions for similar purposes.

• Takes effect immediately.