Illinois Statutes Chapter 225. Professions,Occupations and Business Operations § 46/70. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS) grant; Voluntary FBI Fingerprint Demonstration Project

(a) The General Assembly authorizes the establishment of the Voluntary FBI Fingerprint Demonstration Project (Demonstration Project), which shall be consistent with the provisions of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services grant awarded to and distributed by the Department of Public Health pursuant to Title VI, Subtitle B, Part III, Subtitle C, Section 6201 of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. The Demonstration Project is authorized to operate for the period of January 1, 2014 through December 31, 2014 and shall operate until the conclusion of this grant period or until the long-term care facility terminates its participation in the Demonstration Project, whichever occurs sooner.

(b) The Long-Term Care Facility Advisory Board established under the Nursing Home Care Act shall act in an advisory capacity to the Demonstration Project.

(c) Long-term care facilities voluntarily participating in the Demonstration Project shall, in addition to the provisions of this Section, comply with all requirements set forth in this Act. When conflict between the Act and the provisions of this Section occurs, the provisions of this Section shall supersede until the conclusion of the grant period or until the long-term care facility terminates its participation in the Demonstration Project, whichever occurs sooner.

(d) The Department of Public Health shall select at least one facility in the State to participate in the Demonstration Project.

(e) For the purposes of determining who shall be required to undergo a State and an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history records check under the Demonstration Project, “direct access employee” means any individual who has access to a patient or resident of a long-term care facility or provider through employment or through a contract with a long-term care facility or provider and has duties that involve or may involve one-on-one contact with a resident of the facility or provider, as determined by the State for purposes of the Demonstration Project.

(f) All long-term care facilities licensed under the Nursing Home Care Act are qualified to volunteer for the Demonstration Project.

(g) The Department of Public Health shall notify qualified long-term care facilities within 30 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly of the opportunity to volunteer for the Demonstration Project. The notice shall include information concerning application procedures and deadlines, termination rights, requirements for participation, the selection process, and a question-and-answer document addressing potential conflicts between this Act and the provisions of this Section.

(h) Qualified long-term care facilities shall be given a minimum of 30 days after the date of receiving the notice to inform the Department of Public Health, in the form and manner prescribed by the Department of Public Health, of their interest in volunteering for the Demonstration Project. Facilities selected for the Demonstration Project shall be notified, within 30 days after the date of application, of the effective date that their participation in the Demonstration Project will begin, which may vary.

(i) The individual applicant shall be responsible for the cost of each individual fingerprint inquiry, which may be offset with grant funds, if available.

(j) Each applicant seeking employment in a position described in subsection (e) of this Section with a selected health care employer shall, as a condition of employment, have his or her fingerprints submitted to the Illinois State Police in an electronic format that complies with the form and manner for requesting and furnishing criminal history record information by the Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history record databases now and hereafter filed. The Illinois State Police shall forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history records check. The Illinois State Police shall charge a fee for conducting the criminal history records check, which shall not exceed the actual cost of the records check and shall be deposited into the State Police Services Fund. The Illinois State Police shall furnish, pursuant to positive identification, records of Illinois convictions to the Department of Public Health.

(k) A fingerprint-based criminal history records check submitted in accordance with subsection (j) of this Section shall be submitted as a fee applicant inquiry in the form and manner prescribed by the Illinois State Police.

(l) A long-term care facility may terminate its participation in the Demonstration Project without prejudice by providing the Department of Public Health with notice of its intent to terminate at least 30 days prior to its voluntary termination.

(m) This Section shall be inapplicable upon the conclusion of the CMMS grant period.