This bill amends the licensing requirements for residential care and health facilities, introducing several key changes aimed at enhancing the quality of care and transparency. Notably, it mandates that licensed residential care facilities must maintain a quality assurance program, replacing the previous voluntary requirement. Additionally, the results of investigations and inspections conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services will now be posted on their website, providing greater public access to information regarding facility compliance. The bill also removes redundant references to administrative fines and updates terminology, changing "hospital" to "facility" throughout the text. Furthermore, it modifies training requirements by replacing "ongoing training" with "continuing education" for annual training.

The bill also includes provisions for civil fines, stating that all civil monetary penalties collected will be kept in a separate, non-lapsing account for the protection of residents' health and property. It emphasizes the importance of transparency by requiring that the results of inspections and investigations be publicly available, while also ensuring that these results are not subject to confidentiality restrictions under RSA 151:13. The effective dates for the various sections of the bill are staggered, with some provisions taking effect 60 days after passage and others on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 151:5-c, 151:6, 151:6-a, 151:16-b, 151:21, 151:50
As Amended by the Senate: 151:5-c, 151:6, 151:6-a, 151:16-b, 151:21, 151:50