Senate Bill 1211 Summary

• Requires intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities operated by the department of economic security or private entities to be licensed under Arizona health care institution laws and federally certified by January 1, 2020.

• Expands central registry background checks to include employees and job applicants at intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, similar to existing requirements for child care and other health facilities.

• Adds "intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities" as a defined term in health care licensing statutes and clarifies that accreditation reports cannot substitute for compliance inspections of these facilities.

• Requires employees of intermediate care facilities to report abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults pursuant to state law and establishes adult protective services registry background check requirements for direct care workers.

• Grants the Department of Health Services a one-year exemption from standard rulemaking procedures to implement regulatory changes related to intermediate care facility licensing requirements.