H. B. 2067
(By Delegate Farris)
[Introduced February 13, 1997; referred to the
Committee on Health and Human Resources then Government
Organization.]
A BILL to amend and reenact article two-c, chapter sixteen of the
code of West Virginia, one thousand, nine hundred thirty- one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated
section six, relating to requiring home health care aides to
be trained and licensed.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article two-c, chapter sixteen of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section six,
to read as follows.
ARTICLE 2C. HOME HEALTH SERVICES.
§16-2C-6. Requirement that aides be trained and tested.
(a) The division of health shall, in addition to its other functions and duties, develop and implement a training procedure
and program for home health care aide workers to insure an
acceptable minimum level of skill, competence and ability for
persons who perform such work. It shall, additionally, develop
and implement a testing procedure and program designed to grant
licensure to persons desiring to work as home health care aide
workers who demonstrate an acceptable level of skill, competence
and ability as a home health care aide worker.
(b) The division shall seek and receive the assistance from
the various boards and boards of examiners provided in chapter
thirty of this code, for the following professions and
occupations relative to the development and implementation of a
training and licensing program for home health care aide workers:
(1) Registered professional nurses; (2) practical nurses; (3)
medical doctors; (4) osteopathic physicians; (5) chiropractors;
(6) physical therapists; and (7) occupational therapists. It
shall be the responsibility of each respective board or board of
examiners to provide meaningful guidelines relative to each
board's professional discipline toward defining critical and important roles and functions for home health care aide workers
in a support function to the specific professional discipline.
Provided, That each board shall present a detailed written and
illustrative report to the division no later than the fifteenth
day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-eight, which
includes a detailed listing of critical and important support
services that home health care aide workers can provide; clear
and concise explanations regarding the importance and need for
support services; illustrations depicting home health care aid
workers performing listed functions and services; a list of
relevant reference materials that may be helpful to persons
desiring to work as a home health care aide worker toward
understanding how the interaction of their supporting role can be
helpful to the particular discipline; and suggested study aides
for persons desiring to work in the area of home health care aide
worker.
(c) Upon receiving the guidelines and assistance provided
in subsection (b) of this section, and in no event later than the
fifteenth day of November, one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine,
the division shall complete development of a training program and
testing procedure to be administered in accordance with the purpose of this section. The division shall make available
training and testing sites that are accessible to all areas of
the state: Provided, That no person residing within the
boundaries of this state may be required to travel further than
one hundred fifty miles to any such site.
(d) Beginning on the first day of January, two thousand,
persons who act as home health care aide workers are required to
be licensed as provided in this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide a mechanism
to require training and state administered testing of home health
aides.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.