1Providing for certification of central service technicians who
2perform sterilization procedures in health care facilities;
3imposing continuing education requirements; and providing for
4the duties of health care facilities and the Department of
5Health.

6The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7hereby enacts as follows:

8Section 1. Short title.

9This act shall be known and may be cited as the Central
10Service Technician Certification Act.

11Section 2. Definitions.

12The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
13have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
14context clearly indicates otherwise:

15"Central service technician." A person who provides the
16services of inspecting, assembling, decontamination,
17preparation, packaging and sterilization of reusable medical
18instrumentation or devices in a health care facility.

19"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.

1"Health care facility." As defined in section 103 of the act
2of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the Health Care
3Facilities Act.

4"Health care practitioner." As defined in section 103 of the
5act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48), known as the Health Care
6Facilities Act.

7Section 3. Certification required.

8Except as provided for in section 4(a), no person shall
9function as a central service technician and no health care
10facility shall employ or otherwise contract for the services of
11a central service technician, unless the person meets one of the
12following:

13(1) Has successfully passed a nationally accredited
14central service examination for central service technicians
15and holds and maintains any of the following credentials:

16(i) The Certified Registered Central Service
17Technician credential.

18(ii) The Certified Sterile Processing and
19Distribution Technician credential.

20(iii) A substantially similar credential to the
21credentials listed under subparagraph (i) or (ii).

22(2) Provides evidence that the person was employed or
23otherwise contracted for the services as a central service
24technician in a health care facility for a consecutive period
25of two years, occurring within the five years immediately
26prior to the effective date of this section.

27Section 4. Continuing employment and education.

28(a) New employees.--A central service technician who does
29not meet the requirements under section 3 shall have 18 months
30from the date of hire to comply with section 3(1).

1(b) Continuing education.--A person who qualifies to
2function as a central service technician in a health care
3facility shall annually complete ten hours of continuing
4education to maintain the person's certification as a central
5service technician.

6(c) Health care facility responsibility.--A health care
7facility shall, upon the request of a central service
8technician, verify in writing the central service technician's
9dates of employment or the contract period when the central
10service technician provided services to the health care
11facility.

12Section 5. Other licensed practitioners.

13Nothing in this act shall be construed to prohibit a licensed
14health care practitioner from performing the tasks or functions
15of a central service technician if the person is acting within
16the scope of the person's license as a health care practitioner.

17Section 6. Departmental duties.

18The department shall administer the provisions of this act
19and promulgate and adopt such regulations as may be necessary to
20implement this act.

21Section 7. Effective date.

22This act shall take effect January 1, 2015.