SB3179 Summary

• Creates an Office of 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.

• Requires employees to report suspected abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation to the Inspector General hotline within 4 hours of discovery, with failure to report constituting a Class A misdemeanor.

• Establishes mandatory reporting of all deaths occurring at facilities or within 14 days of discharge, and within 24 hours of deflection from residential programs.

• Requires substantiated findings of physical abuse, sexual abuse, financial exploitation, or egregious neglect to be reported to the Health Care Worker Registry, with employees having the right to request an administrative hearing before registry reporting.

• Creates a Quality Care Board composed of 7 members to oversee the Inspector General's operations and ensures annual reporting to the General Assembly on investigations, sanctions imposed, and facility staffing ratios.