HB2453 Summary

• Allows health care employers and long-term care facilities to hire individuals with certain criminal convictions if they obtain a waiver, with time limits of 5, 10, or 25 years depending on the offense severity.

• Expands the Health Care Worker Task Force to include 2 individuals with criminal records working with community organizations, a legal services representative for criminal records cases, an advocacy organization representative, and an employment connection provider.

• Requires the Task Force to issue recommendations to the Department of Public Health by January 1, 2025, and beginning January 1, 2024, to make recommendations on connecting people with criminal records to health care employment.

• Mandates the Department of Public Health to report annually to the Task Force, Governor, and General Assembly on waiver petition numbers, grants, denials, and employment outcomes of waiver recipients.

• Creates new Code of Civil Procedure provisions protecting employers from negligence liability in lawsuits if they hired a waiver-approved employee, except for impeachment purposes.