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        PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 3078                      PRINTER'S NO. 3593

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 2161 Session of 2008


        INTRODUCED BY BOBACK, MUNDY, HENNESSEY, CAUSER, GINGRICH,
           WATSON, QUINN, SWANGER, VULAKOVICH, PASHINSKI, SHIMKUS,
           CARROLL, FREEMAN, GABIG, GOODMAN, HALUSKA, HELM, KORTZ, KULA,
           LEACH, MAJOR, MILLARD, MOYER, MURT, M. O'BRIEN, O'NEILL,
           PEIFER, PICKETT, RUBLEY, SAYLOR, SCHRODER, SIPTROTH, STERN,
           WANSACZ, YOUNGBLOOD, YUDICHAK, SCAVELLO AND K. SMITH,
           JANUARY 14, 2008

        AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON AGING AND OLDER ADULT SERVICES,
           HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, APRIL 9, 2008

                                     AN ACT

     1  Requiring certain long-term care facilities to coordinate with
     2     licensing agencies and local area agencies on aging to
     3     provide assistance to consumers in circumstances involving
     4     relocation of consumers; and providing for powers and duties
     5     of the Department of Aging.

     6     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     7  hereby enacts as follows:
     8  Section 1.  Short title.
     9     This act shall be known and may be cited as the Long-Term
    10  Consumer Care CARE CONSUMER Relocation Coordination Act.          <--
    11  Section 2.  Definitions.
    12     The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
    13  have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
    14  context clearly indicates otherwise:
    15     "Area agency on aging" or "AAA."  The single local agency
    16  designated by the department within each planning and service


     1  area to administer the delivery of a comprehensive and
     2  coordinated plan of social and other services and activities in
     3  the planning and service area.
     4     "Consumer."  A person who receives services in a facility.
     5     "Department."  The Department of Aging of the Commonwealth.
     6     "Designated person."  An individual who may be chosen by a
     7  consumer and documented in the consumer's record, to be notified
     8  in case of an emergency, termination of service, facility
     9  closure or other situations as indicated by the consumer or as
    10  required by law or regulation. The term includes a consumer's
    11  legal representative or an advocate.
    12     "Facility."  Any of the following:
    13         (1)  A home that provides domiciliary care as defined in
    14     section 2202-A of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175),
    15     known as The Administrative Code of 1929.
    16         (2)  A personal care home or an assisted living residence
    17     as defined in section 1001 of the act of June 13, 1967
    18     (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code.
    19         (3)  A long-term care nursing facility as defined in
    20     section 802.1 of the act of July 19, 1979 (P.L.130, No.48),
    21     known as the Health Care Facilities Act.
    22     "Licensing agency."  In the case of:
    23         (1)  A domiciliary care home, the Department of Aging.
    24         (2)  A long-term care nursing facility, the Department of
    25     Health.
    26         (3)  A personal care home or an assisted living
    27     residence, the Department of Public Welfare.
    28     "Long-term care ombudsman" or "ombudsman."  An agent of the
    29  Department of Aging, who pursuant to section 2203-A of the act
    30  of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative
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     1  Code of 1929, investigates and seeks to resolve complaints made
     2  by or on behalf of older individuals who are consumers of
     3  facilities, which complaints may relate to action, inaction or
     4  decisions of facilities, public agencies or of social agencies
     5  or their representatives, and which may adversely affect the
     6  health, safety, welfare, interests, preferences or rights of
     7  consumers.
     8     "Relocation."  The transfer of a consumer from one facility
     9  to another OR DISCHARGE OF A CONSUMER FROM A FACILITY TO ANOTHER  <--
    10  SETTING.
    11  Section 3.  Coordination efforts in relocation situations.
    12     (a)  General rule.--Other than situations described in
    13  subsection (b), at least 30 days prior to relocation of a
    14  consumer, a facility shall provide a written notice to the
    15  consumer and the consumer's designated person and shall notify
    16  the appropriate licensing agency and both the area agency on
    17  aging within their designated area and the area agency on aging
    18  within the designated area of the facility to which the consumer
    19  is being relocated.
    20     (b)  Exception.--Prior to a relocation situation involving     <--
    21     (B)  EXCEPTIONS.--                                             <--
    22         (1)  PRIOR TO A RELOCATION SITUATION INVOLVING the
    23     imminent removal of a consumer in order to ensure the
    24     consumer's health and safety, a facility shall notify the
    25     consumer and the consumer's designated person and shall
    26     contact the appropriate licensing agency and both the area
    27     agency on aging within their designated area and the area
    28     agency on aging within the designated area of the facility to
    29     which the consumer is being relocated.
    30         (2)  WHEN A RELOCATION IS AT THE REQUEST OF A CONSUMER OR  <--
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     1     THE CONSUMER'S DESIGNATED PERSON AND EITHER OF THEM HAS
     2     PROVIDED NOTICE TO THE FACILITY, THE 30-DAY NOTICE SHALL BE
     3     WAIVED.
     4     (c)  Administrative cooperation.--When a relocation occurs,
     5  the affected facilities, licensing agencies and local area
     6  agencies on aging shall:
     7         (1)  Coordinate efforts to ensure the protection of the
     8     health and safety of the consumer and ensure smooth
     9     relocation for each consumer at the facility.
    10         (2)  Share relevant information concerning the consumer
    11     and the relocation plans and process, including, but not
    12     limited to, conducting site visits for alternative placement.
    13         (3)  Cooperate in order to ensure that any other agencies
    14     that may serve certain specific populations, including, but
    15     not limited to, mental health, mental retardation and
    16     Department of Veterans' Affairs VETERANS' AFFAIRS, shall be    <--
    17     included in the relocation process, as appropriate.
    18         (4)  (i)  Coordinate the relocation process so that
    19         consumer relocation occurs only between the hours of 7:00
    20         a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
    21             (ii)  Subparagraph (i) shall not apply in emergency
    22         situations where consumers must be relocated in order to
    23         ensure their health and safety.
    24     (d)  Long-term care ombudsman duty DUTIES.--                   <--
    25         (1)  The local ombudsman shall ensure that a consumer
    26     and, if appropriate, the consumer's designated person, acting
    27     within the scope of that person's authority, is involved in
    28     planning such transfers and is afforded the right to choose
    29     among the available alternative placements.
    30         (2)  THE OMBUDSMAN SHALL ALSO ASSIST CONSUMERS WHO ARE 60  <--
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     1     YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER AND SHALL REFER CONSUMERS, REGARDLESS
     2     OF AGE, TO APPROPRIATE SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES.
     3         (2) (3)  Nothing in this act shall be construed to         <--
     4     preclude the right of a licensing agency to make temporary
     5     placement until final placement can be arranged.
     6     (e)  Record of relocation incident.--
     7         (1)  An AAA shall maintain a record of each relocation
     8     incident in which the local ombudsman is involved and shall,
     9     upon request, share that information with the licensing
    10     agency, the department and, to the extent that release of
    11     that information is relevant to an investigation of criminal
    12     activity, law enforcement officials.
    13         (2)  The department shall provide technical assistance
    14     and guidance to the local ombudsman to ensure that laws and
    15     regulations regarding confidentiality of information are
    16     strictly adhered to.
    17  Section 4.  Enforcement.
    18     (a)  Appropriate licensing agencies.--In a relocation, the
    19  appropriate licensing agency shall take a lead role and shall TO  <--
    20  ensure that facilities involved in the relocation comply with
    21  the provisions of this act as a condition of licensure.
    22     (b)  Department.--The department shall ensure that the local
    23  ombudsman in AND each area agency on aging complies with the      <--
    24  provisions of this act.
    25     (c)  Promulgation of regulations.--The department shall work
    26  in consultation with the Department of Health and the Department
    27  of Public Welfare to develop rules and regulations to implement
    28  this act, including sanctions to be imposed for noncompliance.
    29  Section 5.  Effective date.
    30     This act shall take effect in 180 days.
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