The Florida Senate

400.4174  Background screening; exemptions.--

(1)(a)  Level 2 background screening must be conducted on each of the following persons, who shall be considered employees for the purposes of conducting screening under chapter 435:

1.  The facility owner if an individual, the administrator, and the financial officer.

2.  An officer or board member if the facility owner is a firm, corporation, partnership, or association, or any person owning 5 percent or more of the facility if the agency has probable cause to believe that such person has been convicted of any offense prohibited by s. 435.04. For each officer, board member, or person owning 5 percent or more who has been convicted of any such offense, the facility shall submit to the agency a description and explanation of the conviction at the time of license application. This subparagraph does not apply to a board member of a not-for-profit corporation or organization if the board member serves solely in a voluntary capacity, does not regularly take part in the day-to-day operational decisions of the corporation or organization, receives no remuneration for his or her services, and has no financial interest and has no family members with a financial interest in the corporation or organization, provided that the board member and facility submit a statement affirming that the board member's relationship to the facility satisfies the requirements of this subparagraph.

(b)  Proof of compliance with level 2 screening standards which has been submitted within the previous 5 years to meet any facility or professional licensure requirements of the agency or the Department of Health satisfies the requirements of this subsection, provided that such proof is accompanied, under penalty of perjury, by an affidavit of compliance with the provisions of chapter 435. Proof of compliance with the background screening requirements of the Department of Insurance for applicants for a certificate of authority to operate a continuing care retirement community under chapter 651, submitted within the last 5 years, satisfies the Department of Law Enforcement and Federal Bureau of Investigation portions of a level 2 background check.

(c)  The agency may grant a provisional license to a facility applying for an initial license when each individual required by this subsection to undergo screening has completed the Department of Law Enforcement background checks, but has not yet received results from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or when a request for an exemption from disqualification has been submitted to the agency pursuant to s. 435.07, but a response has not been issued.

(2)  The owner or administrator of an assisted living facility must conduct level 1 background screening, as set forth in chapter 435, on all employees hired on or after October 1, 1998, who perform personal services as defined in s. 400.402(17). The agency may exempt an individual from employment disqualification as set forth in chapter 435. Such persons shall be considered as having met this requirement if:

(a)  Proof of compliance with level 1 screening requirements obtained to meet any professional license requirements in this state is provided and accompanied, under penalty of perjury, by a copy of the person's current professional license and an affidavit of current compliance with the background screening requirements.

(b)  The person required to be screened has been continuously employed in the same type of occupation for which the person is seeking employment without a breach in service which exceeds 180 days, and proof of compliance with the level 1 screening requirement which is no more than 2 years old is provided. Proof of compliance shall be provided directly from one employer or contractor to another, and not from the person screened. Upon request, a copy of screening results shall be provided by the employer retaining documentation of the screening to the person screened.

(c)  The person required to be screened is employed by a corporation or business entity or related corporation or business entity that owns, operates, or manages more than one facility or agency licensed under this chapter, and for whom a level 1 screening was conducted by the corporation or business entity as a condition of initial or continued employment.

History.--ss. 15, 25, ch. 89-294; ss. 11, 38, 39, ch. 93-216; s. 10, ch. 98-80; ss. 45, 71, ch. 98-171; s. 142, ch. 98-403; s. 213, ch. 99-13; s. 74, ch. 2000-349; s. 25, ch. 2001-53; s. 2, ch. 2001-67; s. 148, ch. 2001-277.