SB0261 Summary

• Amends the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act to establish a Home Care Consumer Bill of Rights protecting individuals aged 60+ and persons with disabilities aged 18-59 receiving home and community-based services.

• Guarantees consumers the right to protection from abuse, neglect, and exploitation; requires providers to be properly trained and maintain confidentiality of personal, financial, and medical information.

• Requires providers to inform consumers within 2 weeks of service start about their rights, cost of services, coverage information, and entities to contact if rights are violated.

• Grants consumers the right to participate in care planning, choose providers, refuse services, and determine weekly hours worked by providers subject to monthly service plan limits; prohibits the State from limiting weekly hours worked by home care providers.

• Requires the Department of Human Services and Department on Aging to develop an enforcement plan for the Bill of Rights with coordination among licensing agencies, adult protective services, law enforcement, and the State Long Term Care Ombudsman; effective June 1, 2017.