Title: Public Education of Background Screening Requirements

Summary: Requires AHCA, in conjunction with specified agencies, to develop & maintain care provider background screening education & awareness webpage; provides requirements for resources provided on webpage; requires that specified agencies provide link to webpage on their respective websites & promote inclusion of link in certain media; requires that webpage be active by specified date & reviewed & updated annually.

Full Text:
An act relating to public education of background screening requirements; amending s. 435.12, F.S.; requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration, in conjunction with specified agencies, to develop and maintain a care provider background screening education and awareness webpage; providing requirements for resources provided on the webpage; requiring that specified agencies provide a link to the webp age on their respective websites and promote the inclusion of the link in certain media; requiring that the webpage be active by a specified date and reviewed and updated annually; providing an effective date. Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: Section 1. Subsection (4) is added to section 435.12, Florida Statutes, to read: 435.12 Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse.-(4)(a) As part of the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse, the Agency for Heal th Care Administration, in consultation with all specified agencies as defined in s. 435.02(7), that are required by law to use the clearinghouse for employment screening, must develop and maintain a publicly ENROLLED CS/CS/HB 2025 Legislature hb531-02-er FL OR I DA HO US EO FR EP RE SE NT A TI VE Savailable webpage which provides a central sour ce for care provider background screening education and awareness. The webpage may be part of the current web-based clearinghouse system. The resources available on the webpage must be written in nontechnical and accessible language, tailored to qualified entities as defined in s. 943.0542(1), and include, but need not be limited to: 1. Information and education related to employment screening requirements of qualified entities, to include: a. The Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse. b. Level screening standards under s. 435.04. c. Live-scan fingerprinting or other third-party systems, including information on process, vendors, locations, and potential costs. 2. A searchable catalog, by specified agency, of qualified entity employmen tclasses and positions required by law to undergo employment screening through the clearinghouse, to include: a. Disqualifying offenses. b. Exemption requirements and process. 3. A downloadable checklist detailing the process, timelines, and contact information for employment screening process support, tailored to qualified entities. (b) Each specified agency must include a clear and conspicuous link to the webpage on its website and provide the ENROLLED CS/CS/HB 2025 Legislature hb531-02-er FL OR I DA HO US EO FR EP RE SE NT A TI VE Slink in all job vacancy advertisements and posts by the qualified entity. (c) The webpage must be active by January 1, 2026, and reviewed and updated by October 1, 2026, and by October each year thereafter, to incorporate any changes to law, the clearinghouse, or the employment screening process. Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.