Delaware’s legislature has passed new legislation modifying background check procedures for workers at long-term care facilities and home-care agencies across the state.
The measure, which serves as a replacement for Senate Bill No. 67, establishes that criminal history reports obtained through the Background Check Center will remain valid for one year rather than the previously proposed three-year timeframe. This shortened validity period will apply to both long-term care facility applicants and those seeking positions with home-care agencies.
Under the new law, existing employees at long-term care facilities or home-care agencies will no longer be required to undergo additional criminal background screenings when pursuing promotional opportunities within their current workplace.
The legislation also standardizes the timeframe for criminal background check requirements, eliminating the previous authority given to the Department of Health and Social Services to make discretionary decisions about how often fingerprinting must be completed.
