SB 1400 Summary

• Creates an Office of the Inspector General within the Department of Human Services to investigate allegations of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation in mental health and developmental disabilities facilities and community agencies.

• Establishes the Health Care Worker Registry under the Department of Public Health to track individuals with substantiated findings of abuse, neglect, misappropriation of property, or disqualifying criminal convictions, preventing their employment in direct care positions.

• Requires health care employers to conduct background checks on employees and prospective employees, including fingerprint-based criminal history record checks, and prohibits hiring individuals with certain disqualifying offenses unless they obtain a waiver.

• Mandates reporting of allegations to the Inspector General within 4 hours of discovery and reporting of certain deaths within 24 hours, with penalties of Class A misdemeanor for non-compliance by required reporters.

• Authorizes the Inspector General to issue findings on investigations (substantiated, unsubstantiated, or unfounded) and requires facilities and agencies to submit written responses addressing corrective actions within 30 days of substantiated findings.