[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1855 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1855

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require home health 
  agencies participating in the Medicare Program to conduct criminal 
  background checks for all applicants for employment as patient care 
                               providers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 29, 2003

 Mr. Andrews introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy 
    and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require home health 
  agencies participating in the Medicare Program to conduct criminal 
  background checks for all applicants for employment as patient care 
                               providers.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. REQUIRING MEDICARE HOME HEALTH AGENCIES TO CONDUCT CRIMINAL 
              BACKGROUND CHECKS ON ALL APPLICANTS FOR EMPLOYMENT AS 
              PATIENT CARE PROVIDERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1891(a) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395bbb(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
            ``(7) The agency submits to the Attorney General a criminal 
        background request described in section 124(a) of the 
        Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary and 
        Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (as contained in 
        section 101(b) of division A of Public Law 105-277) for each 
        applicant for employment in a position involved in direct 
        patient care.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) applies 
to applications for employment made on or after 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.
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