Senior Safety and Dignity Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-1476
Sponsor: Rep. Brown-Waite, Ginny [R-FL-5]
Introduced: 2007-03-12 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Commerce
Consumer education
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal justice information
Department of Health and Human Services
Disasters
Elder abuse
Emergency Management
Employee selection
Evacuation of civilians
Fines (Penalties)
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Home care services
Hospitals
Identification of criminals
Labor and Employment
Law
Long-term care
Medicaid
Medicare
Mental care facilities
Nursing homes
Patients' rights
Planning
Social Welfare
Terminal care facilities

Summary:
action_date: 2007-03-12
text: 
Senior Safety and Dignity Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) and title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to include in the nursing home patient's bill of rights the right to receive care from a creditable caregiver.
 
Requires a skilled nursing facility (SNF), before hiring a worker, to conduct a background check on the applicant. Prohibits the hiring of abusive workers or workers convicted of a relevant crime. Establishes civil penalties for violations of this Act, including knowing retention of SNF workers who fail background checks.
 
Applies such requirements and prohibitions to a long-term care facility or provider.

Directs the Secretary to establish a national criminal background check program, after evaluation of the pilot program under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, in order to prevent abuse of nursing facility and SNF residents and individuals receiving home health care services and other long-term care services under the Medicare or Medicaid programs. Requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conduct such criminal background checks.

Requires the national criminal background check program to be made available to a long-term care facility or provider.

Adds to the nursing home patient's bill of rights the right to a safe environment during an emergency or natural disaster. 

Requires a SNF under Medicare and Medicaid to: (1) have a clear and preestablished disaster plan; and (2) inform residents and next-of-kin about it and the location of possible evacuation in case of an emergency disaster.
 
Applies the same requirement to other long-term care facilities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-03-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-03-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2007-03-12
text: 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.
action_date: 2007-03-12
text: 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.
action_date: 2007-03-12
text: 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.
action_date: 2007-03-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-03-12
text: Introduced in House