Health care.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health facilities, including skilled nursing facilities, by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law requires a skilled nursing facility to have a full-time, dedicated Infection Preventionist (IP) , who is a registered nurse or licensed vocational nurse. A violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor. This bill would revise the required qualifications for the IP to require an IP to have primary professional training as a licensed nurse, medical technologist, microbiologist, epidemiologist, public health professional, or other health care related field. The bill would also require the IP to be qualified by education, training, clinical or healthcare experience, or certification, and to have completed specialized training in infection prevention and control. By expanding existing requirements, the bill would expand an existing crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires the Department of Health Care Services to promulgate regulations relating to specified health care and managed care programs by July 1, 2020. This bill would extend the date by which the Department of Health Care Services is required to adopt those regulations to January 1, 2023. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.