Budget Package Tightens Worker Restrictions for In-Home Care Program
On Friday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed a budget package that included two bills (AB 1612 and SB 856) designed to restrict people with certain violent felony convictions from working as caregivers in California's In-Home Support Services program, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Background
Previous state law prohibited people from working as IHSS caregivers if they had received specific types of convictions for:
- Child abuse;
- Elder abuse; or
- Defrauding public assistance programs.
The regulations also prevented state investigators from alerting IHSS beneficiaries if their caregiver had a history of felony convictions.
New Regulations
The new legislation expands the list of felony convictions that bar an individual from working as an IHSS caregiver. The new rules also call for IHSS beneficiaries to receive notification if their caregiver has been disqualified.
However, IHSS beneficiaries can sign a waiver to continue receiving care from an IHSS worker with a felony conviction if the conviction is not related to child abuse, elder abuse or welfare fraud.
The new rules are slated to take effect in about 90 days (Halper, Los Angeles Times, 10/9).
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