Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and his administration have plans to push for mandatory, multi-state background checks for all long-term care workers, according to a local report.
The rule would apply to Kentucky workers only, but would prevent workers from potentially running from criminal records held in other states due to the multi-state component of the background check. The additional check, which costs around $63, would be conducted through the FBI.
The administration plans to ask state lawmakers to approve the rule next year in addition to the new Kentucky Applicant Registry and Employment Screening Program, or KARES, program.
The proposal has been met with mixed response, with some long term care administrators saying care will suffer under the new plan, with rising costs being passed on to consumers.
“This added FBI step, which will take 48 hours to seven days to complete, will make some of our potential applicants look for other jobs,” James Aneszko, senior vice president of the eldercare program Home Instead Senior Care, told the Kentucky.com reporter.
Written by Elizabeth Ecker
