Legislation Mandates Background Checks for In-Home Care Providers

County-employed in-home caregivers for seniors and the disabled working for counties would be required to undergo background checks and fingerprinting under a bill (SB 1005) sponsored by state Sen. Maurice Johannessen (R-Redding), Scripps-McClatchy/Contra Costa Times reports. Employees of the counties' In-Home Support Services programs would be screened for felonies, sex offenses, and other crimes, such as theft or forgery. Currently, clients may request that their caregivers, who perform tasks such as bathing and administering medicines, undergo background checks. The legislation, however, would require county-appointed employers to provide "investigation of qualifications and background of potential personnel" and create a registry of personnel and training provided. The state would pay for "most" of the cost, but applicants could be charged a fingerprinting fee by their local law enforcement agency. Johannessen said, "At a time when people are in need the most, they should not have to worry about their personal safety. This bill ... will give that added sense of security to those who may be most vulnerable" (Hearden, Scripps-McClatchy/Contra Costa Times, 3/22).