HB 279 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 16 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO CERTIFICATION OF CENTRAL SERVICE TECHNICIANS.

Bush HOUSE& OFSen. REPRESENTATIVES 151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE AMENDMENT NO.

1Paradee TOReps. HOUSE BILL NO.

279Briggs AMENDKing, HouseCarson, BillCooke, No.Mitchell, Michael Smith;

279Sens. on line 11 by deleting the word “in” where it appears after the word “devices” and inserting the word “for” in lieu thereof.

FURTHEREnnis, AMENDLawson, HouseSokola, BillWalsh No.HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY HOUSE BILL NO.

279 byAN deletingACT linesTO 26AMEND throughTITLE 2916 inOF theirTHE entiretyDELAWARE andCODE insertingRELATING inTO lieuCERTIFICATION thereofOF theCENTRAL following:SERVICE TECHNICIANS.

"(b)BE ContinuingIT educationENACTED -BY IndividualsTHE whoGENERAL areASSEMBLY employedOF asTHE aSTATE centralOF serviceDELAWARE: technician in a health care facility shall annually complete 10 hours of continuing education.

TheSection continuing1. education required under this subsection shall be in subject areas related to the scope of work of a central service technician." FURTHER AMEND House Bill No.

279Amend onChapter lines30A, 31Title 16 of the Delaware Code by renaming and 34redesignating the existing chapter as “Subchapter I” and by deletingmaking “(a)”insertions whereas itshown appearsby therein.underline and deletions as shown by strike through as follows:

FURTHERChapter AMEND30A. House Bill No.

279Training byand deletingQualifications linesfor 39Nursing Assistants and 40Certified inNursing theirAssistants. entirety.

FURTHERCertification AMENDRequirements Housefor BillCertain No.Nurse Assistants and Central Service Technicians.

279Subchapter byI. deleting Section 2 in its entirety.

FURTHERTraining AMENDand HouseQualifications Billfor No.Nursing Assistants and Certified Nursing Assistants.

279§ by3008A-3009A. inserting 2 new Sections after line 38 as follows:

“Section[Reserved] 2.Subchapter II.

TheCertification Department of HealthCentral andService SocialTechnicians. Services may adopt regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.

Section§ 3.3010A.

ThisDefinitions. Act takes effect on January 1, 2023.” SYNOPSIS This Amendment deletes references to regulations and provides the Department of Health and Social Services with authority to determine if regulations should be adopted to implement and enforce the Act’s provisions.

TheAs Amendmentused alsoin clarifiesthis thatsubchapter: the Act takes effect on January 1, 2023.

(1) “Central Service Technician” means an individual who decontaminates, inspects, assembles, packages, and sterilizes reusable medical instruments or devices in a health care facility.

(2) “Health care facility” means a hospital or freestanding surgical center licensed pursuant to this title.

(3) “Health care practitioner” means an individual licensed to practice in the healing arts, pursuant to Chapter 24 of this title, acting within the scope of his or her license.

§ 3011A.

Certification requirements for central service technicians.

(a) An individual may not be engaged in work as a central service technician in a health care facility and a health care facility may not employ an individual as a central service technician unless the individual has passed a nationally accredited central service exam for central service technicians and holds and maintains one of the following credentials:

(1) Certified registered central service technician credential.

(2) Certified sterile processing and distribution technician credential (b) Exemption - The certification requirement provided in subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to an individual employed or otherwise working as a central service technician in a health care facility as of January 1, 2023.

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04/04/202201/06/2022 11:4109:03 AM 2141510590§ 3012A.

Employment and continuing education.

(a) New employees - An individual hired as a central service technician who does not meet the requirements of § 3011A(a) of this subchapter shall have 18 months, from the date of hire, to comply with the certification requirements.

(b) Continuing education - Individuals who are employed as a central service technician in a health care facility shall annually complete 10 hours of continuing education.

The continuing education required under this subsection shall be in subject areas related to the scope of work of a central service technician as set forth in regulations promulgated by the Department.

§ 3013A.

Requirements of health care facilities.

(a) A health care facility shall maintain documentation to verify that an individual meets the certification requirements of §3011A of this subchapter including the individual’s date of employment as a central service technician.

§ 3014A.

Exemptions.

(a) Nothing in this subchapter may be construed to prohibit any of the following individuals from performing the tasks of a central service technician: