2nd Engrossment - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 05/23/2019 09:57am
A bill for an act
relating to health; modifying temporary license suspensions and background checks
for certain health-related professions; amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, sections
214.075, subdivisions 1, 4, 5, 6; 214.077; 214.10, subdivision 8; repealing
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 214.075, subdivision 8.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 214.075, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
(a) deleted text begin By January 1, 2018,deleted text end Each health-related licensing
board, as defined in section 214.01, subdivision 2, shall require deleted text begin applicants for initial licensure,
licensure by endorsement, or reinstatement or other relicensure after a lapse in licensure,
as defined by the individual health-related licensing boards,deleted text end new text begin the following individualsnew text end to
submit to a criminal history records check of state data completed by the Bureau of Criminal
Apprehension (BCA) and a national criminal history records check, including a search of
the records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)deleted text begin .deleted text end new text begin :
new text end
new text begin
(1) applicants for initial licensure or licensure by endorsement. An applicant is exempt
from this paragraph if the applicant submitted to a state and national criminal history records
check as described in this paragraph for a license issued by the same board;
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(2) applicants seeking reinstatement or relicensure, as defined by the individual
health-related licensing board, if more than one year has elapsed since the applicant's license
or registration expiration date; or
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(3) licensees applying for eligibility to participate in an interstate licensure compact.
new text end
(b) deleted text begin An applicant must complete a criminal background check if more than one year has
elapsed since the applicant last submitted a background check to the board.deleted text end new text begin An applicant's
criminal background check results are valid for one year from the date the background check
results were received by the board. If more than one year has elapsed since the results were
received by the board, then an applicant who has not completed the licensure, reinstatement,
or relicensure process must complete a new background check.
new text end
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 214.075, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
(a) The health-related licensing boards shall not issue a
license to any applicant who refuses to consent to a criminal background check or fails to
submit fingerprints deleted text begin within 90 daysdeleted text end after submission of an application for licensure. Any
fees paid by the applicant to the board shall be forfeited if the applicant refuses to consent
to the criminal background check or fails to submit the required fingerprints.
(b) The failure of a licensee to submit to a criminal background check as provided in
subdivision 3 is grounds for disciplinary action by the respective health-related licensing
board.
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 214.075, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
The
health-related licensing board or designee shall submit applicant or licensee fingerprints to
the BCA. The BCA shall perform a check for state criminal justice information and shall
forward the applicant's or licensee's fingerprints to the FBI to perform a check for national
criminal justice information regarding the applicant or licensee. The BCA shall report to
the board the results of the state and national criminal deleted text begin justice informationdeleted text end new text begin history recordsnew text end
checks.
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 214.075, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
The
health-related licensing board may require an alternative method of criminal history checks
for an applicant or licensee who has submitted at least deleted text begin threedeleted text end new text begin twonew text end sets of fingerprints in
accordance with this section that have been unreadable by the BCA or the FBI.
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 214.077, is amended to read:
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of a health-related professional practice act, when a
health-related licensing board receives a complaint regarding a regulated person and has
probable cause to believe that the regulated person has violated a statute or rule that the
health-related licensing board is empowered to enforce, and continued practice by the
regulated person presents an imminent risk of serious harm, the health-related licensing
board shall issue an order temporarily suspending the regulated person's authority to practice.
The temporary suspension order shall specify the reason for the suspension, including the
statute or rule alleged to have been violated. The temporary suspension order shall take
effect upon personal service on the regulated person or the regulated person's attorney, or
upon the third calendar day after the order is served by first class mail to the most recent
address provided to the health-related licensing board for the regulated person or the regulated
person's attorney.
(b) The temporary suspension shall remain in effect until the health-related licensing
board or the commissioner completes an investigation, holds a contested case hearing
pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, and issues a final order in the matter as
provided for in this section.
(c) At the time it issues the temporary suspension order, the health-related licensing
board shall schedule a contested case hearing, on the merits of whether discipline is
warranted, to be held pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act. The regulated person
shall be provided with at least ten days' notice of any contested case hearing held pursuant
to this section. The contested case hearing shall be scheduled to begin no later than 30 days
after the effective service of the temporary suspension order.
(d) The administrative law judge presiding over the contested case hearing shall issue
a report and recommendation to the health-related licensing board no later than 30 days
after the final day of the contested case hearing.new text begin If the administrative law judge's report and
recommendations are for no action,new text end the health-related licensing board shall issue a final
order pursuant to sections 14.61 and 14.62 within 30 days of receipt of the administrative
law judge's report and recommendations.new text begin If the administrative law judge's report and
recommendations are for action, the health-related licensing board shall issue a final order
pursuant to sections 14.61 and 14.62 within 60 days of receipt of the administrative law
judge's report and recommendations.new text end Except as provided in paragraph (e), if the health-related
licensing board has not issued a final order pursuant to sections 14.61 and 14.62 within 30
days of receipt of the administrative law judge's report and recommendationsnew text begin for no action
or within 60 days of receipt of the administrative law judge's report and recommendations
for actionnew text end , the temporary suspension shall be lifted.
(e) If the regulated person requests a delay in the contested case proceedings provided
for in paragraphs (c) and (d) for any reason, the temporary suspension shall remain in effect
until the health-related licensing board issues a final order pursuant to sections 14.61 and
14.62.
(f) This section shall not apply to the Office of Unlicensed Complementary and
Alternative Health Practice established under section 146A.02. The commissioner of health
shall conduct temporary suspensions for complementary and alternative health care
practitioners in accordance with section 146A.09.
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 214.10, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
In addition to the
provisions of this section that apply to all examining and licensing boards, the requirements
in this subdivision apply to all health-related licensing boards, except the Board of Veterinary
Medicine.
(a) If the executive director or consulted board member determines that a communication
received alleges a violation of statute or rule that involves sexual contact with a patient or
client, the communication shall be forwarded to the designee of the attorney general for an
investigation of the facts alleged in the communication. If, after an investigation it is the
opinion of the executive director or consulted board member that there is sufficient evidence
to justify disciplinary action, the board shall conduct a disciplinary conference or hearing.
If, after a hearing or disciplinary conference the board determines that misconduct involving
sexual contact with a patient or client occurred, the board shall take disciplinary action.
Notwithstanding subdivision 2, a board may not attempt to correct improper activities or
redress grievances through education, conciliation, and persuasion, unless in the opinion of
the executive director or consulted board member there is insufficient evidence to justify
disciplinary action. The board may settle a case by stipulation prior to, or during, a hearing
if the stipulation provides for disciplinary action.
(b) A board member who has a direct current or former financial connection or
professional relationship to a person who is the subject of board disciplinary activities must
not participate in board activities relating to that case.
(c) Each health-related licensing board shall establish procedures for exchanging
information with other Minnesota state boards, agencies, and departments responsible for
regulating health-related occupations, facilities, and programs, and for coordinating
investigations involving matters within the jurisdiction of more than one regulatory body.
The procedures must provide for the forwarding to other regulatory bodies of all information
and evidence, including the results of investigations, that are relevant to matters within that
licensing body's regulatory jurisdiction. Each health-related licensing board shall have access
to any data of the Department of Human Services relating to a person subject to the
jurisdiction of the licensing board. The data shall have the same classification under chapter
13, the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, in the hands of the agency receiving the
data as it had in the hands of the Department of Human Services.
(d) Each health-related licensing board shall establish procedures for exchanging
information with other states regarding disciplinary actions against licensees. The procedures
must provide for the collection of information from other states about disciplinary actions
taken against persons who are licensed to practice in Minnesota or who have applied to be
licensed in this state and the dissemination of information to other states regarding
disciplinary actions taken in Minnesota. In addition to any authority in chapter 13 permitting
the dissemination of data, the board may, in its discretion, disseminate data to other states
regardless of its classification under chapter 13. new text begin Criminal history record information shall
not be exchanged. new text end Before transferring any data that is not public, the board shall obtain
reasonable assurances from the receiving state that the data will not be made public.
new text begin
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 214.075, subdivision 8,
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is repealed.
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Sections 1 to 7 are effective the day following final enactment.
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Repealed Minnesota Statutes: H0637-2
The health-related licensing boards, in collaboration with the commissioner of human services and the BCA, shall establish a plan for completing criminal background checks of all licensees who were licensed before the effective date requirement under subdivision 1. The plan must seek to minimize duplication of requirements for background checks of licensed health professionals. The plan for background checks of current licensees shall be developed no later than January 1, 2017, and may be contingent upon the implementation of a system by the BCA or FBI in which any new crimes that an applicant or licensee commits after an initial background check are flagged in the BCA's or FBI's database and reported back to the board. The plan shall include recommendations for any necessary statutory changes.