The bill seeks to improve the background check process for home care workers in Washington State by amending existing laws governing the screening of long-term care workers. It stipulates that the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) cannot automatically disqualify individuals from working with vulnerable populations based solely on certain criminal convictions if a specified period has passed since the last conviction. The bill outlines specific timeframes for various offenses, such as three years for selling cannabis to a minor and ten years for first-degree theft, while clarifying that these provisions do not apply to background checks for the Department of Children, Youth, and Families or certain department employees.

Additionally, the bill introduces new requirements for character, competence, and suitability reviews, allowing employers to forgo additional checks for individuals already reviewed for nonautomatically disqualifying convictions. It mandates that clients receiving services from individual providers be informed of background check results and their rights regarding these results. A state registry for long-term care workers with substantiated abuse or neglect findings is established to ensure transparency and safety for vulnerable adults. The bill also updates key definitions and includes contractors with unsupervised access to vulnerable adults in the background check requirements, while introducing the term "Review required result" for background checks needing further evaluation. The department is tasked with adopting rules to implement these changes effectively, enhancing the safety and protection of vulnerable adults.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 43.20A.715, 74.39A.056
Substitute Bill: 43.20A.715, 74.39A.056
Engrossed Substitute: 43.20A.715, 74.39A.056
Bill as Passed Legislature: 43.20A.715, 74.39A.056
Session Law: 43.20A.715, 74.39A.056