Delaware § 9405 - Attendant screening.

§ 9405. Attendant screening.

(a) The Department shall safeguard participants through establishment of an attendant screening system which includes, but is not limited to, the following features:

(1) Standardized application comprehensively addressing each prospective attendant’s background.

(2) Criminal background check at state expense.

(3) Check of sex offender registry and abuse, neglect, mistreatment and financial exploitation registries, including those authorized by Chapters 9 and 11 of this title and Chapters 41 and 85 of Title 11.

(b) To effectively implement the attendant screening system, the Department is vested with the following powers, duties and authority:

(1) The Department shall require any person seeking to provide attendant services under this chapter to share any and all information, including fingerprints, necessary to obtain a report of the person’s Delaware criminal history record from the State Bureau of Identification and a report of the person’s entire federal criminal history record pursuant to the Federal Bureau of Investigation appropriation of Title II of Public Law 92-544 [28 U.S.C. § 534]. The State Bureau of Identification shall be the intermediary for acquisition of the federal criminal history record.

(2) Notwithstanding any requirements of Chapter 85 of Title 11 to the contrary, the State Bureau of Identification shall furnish information pertaining to the entire Delaware and federal criminal history record of any person seeking to provide attendant services under this chapter. Such information shall be provided to the Department of Health and Social Services pursuant to the procedures established by the Superintendent of the State Police.

(3) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of Chapter 9 of this title, the Department is authorized to obtain child abuse and neglect registry information from the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families pertaining to any person seeking to provide attendant services under this chapter.

(4) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of Chapter 11 of this title or Chapter 85 of Title 11, the Department is authorized to obtain adult abuse registry information from the Division of Health Care Quality pertaining to any person seeking to provide attendant services under this chapter.

(5) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of Chapter 11 of this title, the Department is authorized to obtain nurse aide registry information from the Division of Health Care Quality pertaining to any person seeking to provide attendant services under this chapter.

(6) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of Chapter 41 of Title 11, the Department is authorized to obtain sex offender registry information from the Superintendent of the Delaware State Police or DELJIS pertaining to any person seeking to provide attendant services under this chapter.

(7) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Department shall adopt the sole criteria through its regulations which shall disqualify a person from providing attendant services under this chapter. To the extent not otherwise prohibited by law, the Department shall provide a program participant with a summary report of a prospective attendant’s screening results prior to employment.

(8) The Department may adopt criteria through regulations authorizing exemption from this section for persons for whom a qualifying screening was conducted within the previous 5 years.

(c) Any person who either fails to make a full and complete disclosure on an application or a full and complete disclosure of any information required to obtain a registry or criminal background check as required in this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000 for each violation.

73 Del. Laws, c. 193, §  1;  80 Del. Laws, c. 63, §  1;  81 Del. Laws, c. 209, § 8;