HB 2028 -- Nurse Assistant Career Ladder Initiative

Co-Sponsors:  Berkowitz, Wilson (42), Copenhaver, Fares,
Luetkemeyer, Richardson

This bill establishes a career ladder initiative program for
nursing assistants within the Department of Health and Senior
Services.  The bill:

(1)  Requires nursing assistants hired by skilled nursing
facilities and intermediate care facilities after January 1,
1980, to successfully complete a nursing assistant training
program approved by the department within 120 days of the date of
hire.  Currently, nursing assistants must have completed the
training program before employment commences or enroll in the
program within 90 days of the date of hire;

(2)  Requires the department to approve the training program
before the program is offered to nursing assistants;

(3)  Allows a long-term care facility cited with a class I
violation to continue to offer an approved nursing assistant
training program if the violation occurred within the previous 24
months and the facility submits to the department a plan for the
department to provide technical assistance;

(4)  Requires nursing assistants to complete the mandatory 100
hours of supervised on-the-job training within 120 days of the
date of hire;

(5)  Requires the department to establish a Missouri Career
Ladder Initiative Program for certified nursing assistants.  The
goals of the program are contained in the bill;

(6)  Establishes an initial pilot program for the initiative
which is subject to appropriations.  The pilot program will be
available to 50 licensed long-term care facilities based on
competitive grants provided by the department;

(7)  Contains the requirements for the facilities to participate
in the initial pilot program.  The bill also specifies the
selection criteria for grant recipients;

(8)  Requires the department to develop partnerships with
workforce investment boards, community colleges, and other
organizations for the purpose of assisting long-term care
facilities in fulfilling their training needs;

(9)  Requires facilities participating in the initiative to
provide standard education in various academic subjects;

(10)  Transfers the unannounced inspection of long-term care
facilities from the Division of Aging to the Department of Health
and Senior Services;

(11)  Allows the department to reduce the frequency of
inspections for residential care facilities II, intermediate care
facilities, and skilled nursing facilities to once a year if the
facilities meet specified conditions; and

(12)  Allows the department to inspect any facility at any time.
The department can inspect a facility in connection with a
complaint filed against a facility.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated October 11, 2002 at 9:03 am