Relating to certified medication aides

This bill relates to certified medication aides (medication aides). The bill requires the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing (DIAL) to establish a medication aide certification registry (registry) on DIAL’s internet site. The registry shall allow a person offering a DIAL-approved medication aide certification examination (examination) to submit proof that an individual successfully completed the examination. The bill prohibits DIAL from charging a fee for a person to submit or access proof that an individual successfully completed an examination. Under current law, a medication aide includes certain persons responsible for administering medications or a class of medications at residential care facilities, nursing facilities, residential care facilities with three-bed to five-bed specialized licenses, intermediate care facilities for the intellectually disabled, and intermediate care facilities for persons with mental illness. The bill requires DIAL to adopt rules that include specified provisions relating to qualifications of medication aides. The specified provisions relate to procedures for DIAL-approved medication aide courses, DIAL-approved medication aide challenge examinations, and medication aides certified in other states. The bill also requires DIAL to adopt any rules necessary to ensure consistency in all provisions relating to medication aide training and qualifications at such facilities. The bill rescinds specified DIAL rules relating to DIAL-approved medication aide courses and DIAL-approved medication aide challenge examinations for medication aides at such care facilities. The bill requires DIAL to engage in rulemaking to make any conforming changes to rules necessary to implement the bill.