Section 19a-NEW - [Newly enacted section not yet numbered] [Effective 10/1/2024] Health and safety training curriculum; home health care agencies(a) Each home health care agency and home health aide agency, as such terms are defined in section 19a-490 of the general statutes, except any such agency that is licensed as a hospice organization by the Department of Public Health pursuant to section 19a-122b of the general statutes, shall (1) (A) adopt and implement a health and safety training curriculum for home care workers that is consistent with the health and safety training curriculum for such workers that is endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, including, but not limited to, training to recognize hazards commonly encountered in home care workplaces and applying practical solutions to manage risks and improve safety, and (B) provide annual staff training consistent with such health and safety curriculum; and (2) conduct monthly safety assessments with direct care staff at the agency's monthly staff meeting.(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall require any home health care agency and home health aide agency, except any such agency that is licensed as a hospice organization by the Department of Public Health pursuant to section 19a-122b of the general statutes, that receives reimbursement for services rendered under the Connecticut medical assistance program, as defined in section 17b-245g of the general statutes, to provide evidence of adoption and implementation of such health and safety training curriculum pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section, or, at the commissioner's discretion, an alternative workplace safety training program applicable to such agency to obtain reimbursement for services provided under the medical assistance program.(c) The commissioner may provide a rate enhancement under the Connecticut medical assistance program for any home health care agency or home health aide agency, except any such agency that is licensed as a hospice organization by the Department of Public Health pursuant to section 19a-122b of the general statutes, for timely reporting of any workplace violence incident. For purposes of this section, "timely reporting" means reporting such incident not later than seven calendar days after its occurrence to the Department of Social Services and the Department of Public Health.Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-NEW
Added by P.A. 24-0019,S. 2 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 10/1/2024.