HB 6618 Summary

• Establishes disciplinary actions for health care practitioners including license revocation, suspension, probation, civil penalties up to $25,000, and allows summary action based on felony convictions or out-of-state disciplinary actions

• Expands acupuncture practice definition to include needle insertion, herbal supplements, and Oriental dietary principles; establishes licensure requirements with minimum 1,350 hours of training

• Revises vital statistics procedures for foundlings and surrendered infants, requiring hospitals to file foundling reports and seal original birth certificates

• Strengthens child day care licensing and oversight by establishing assistant/substitute staff approval process, family day care home licensure for four-year terms, and increasing regulatory authority for investigations

• Modifies water supply regulations including bottled water source approval requirements, well testing procedures, and water system operator certification standards

• Implements criminal history and patient abuse background search program for long-term care facility employees with direct access to patients, effective January 1, 2012

• Updates homemaker-companion agency regulations to require comprehensive background checks of prospective employees prior to hiring