AN ACT Relating to requiring long-term care workers to be trained to recognize hearing loss; and amending RCW 74.39A.074.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1.  RCW 74.39A.074 and 2012 c 164 s 401 are each amended to read as follows:

(1)(a) ((Beginning January 7, 2012,)) Except for long-term care workers exempt from certification under RCW 18.88B.041(1)(a) ((and, until January 1, 2016, those exempt under RCW 18.88B.041(1)(b))), all persons hired as long-term care workers must meet the minimum training requirements in this section within one hundred twenty calendar days after the date of being hired ((or within one hundred twenty calendar days after March 29, 2012, whichever is later. In computing the time periods in this subsection, the first day is the date of hire or March 29, 2012, whichever is applicable)).

(b) Except as provided in RCW 74.39A.076, the minimum training requirement is seventy-five hours of entry-level training approved by the department. A long-term care worker must successfully complete five of these seventy-five hours before being eligible to provide care.

(c) Training required by (d) of this subsection applies toward the training required under RCW 18.20.270 or 70.128.230 or any statutory or regulatory training requirements for long-term care workers employed by community residential service businesses.

(d) The seventy-five hours of entry-level training required shall be as follows:

(i) Before a long-term care worker is eligible to provide care, he or she must complete:

(A) Two hours of orientation training regarding his or her role as caregiver and the applicable terms of employment; and

(B) Three hours of safety training, including basic safety precautions, emergency procedures, and infection control; and

(ii) Seventy hours of long-term care basic training, including training related to:

(A) Core competencies; and

(B) Population specific competencies, including identification of individuals with potential hearing loss and how to seek assistance if hearing loss is suspected.

(2) Only training curriculum approved by the department may be used to fulfill the training requirements specified in this section. The department shall only approve training curriculum that:

(a) Has been developed with input from consumer and worker representatives; and

(b) Requires comprehensive instruction by qualified instructors on the competencies and training topics in this section.

(3) Individual providers under RCW 74.39A.270 shall be compensated for training time required by this section.

(4) The department shall adopt rules to implement this section.

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