‘Resolve, Directing the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation To Convene a Working Group To Consider Reforms of the Practices of the Nursing Home Administrators Licensing Board’

‘Sec. 1. Nursing Home Administrators Licensing Board working group. Resolved: That the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation shall convene a working group to consider reforms of the practices of the Nursing Home Administrators Licensing Board, as established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 12004-A, subsection 23 and referred to in this resolve as "the board," regarding the licensure of nursing home administrators and report on any recommended legislation or proposed rules to the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development. The working group must include at least 2 licensed nursing home administrators and must include representatives of the board, the Maine Health Care Association, the Maine chapter of the American College of Health Care Administrators, the State's long-term care ombudsman program under Title 22, section 5106, subsection 11-C, the division of licensing and regulatory services within the Department of Health and Human Services and any other affected parties or interest groups identified by the commissioner; and be it further

Sec. 2. Reform objectives. Resolved: That the working group convened pursuant to section 1 shall consider how to accomplish the following reform objectives, including consideration of amendments to the board's rules if necessary to achieve these objectives, and the recommendation of enabling legislation if any is required.

1. The working group shall consider the reforms necessary to allow a person with substantial experience at a licensed nursing facility, including but not limited to experience as a director of nursing or a director of clinical services, the opportunity to obtain a license as a nursing home administrator, if that person is pursuing a course of action to fulfill the educational requirements established by the board and has fulfilled all other applicable requirements for licensure established by the board, including without limitation a satisfactory score on the licensing examination and satisfactory completion of the administrator-in-training program; and

2. With regard to the board's administration of continuing education requirements, the working group shall consider the reforms necessary:

A.  To allow licensed nursing home administrators to obtain as many continuing education credits as are offered at a conference or program of education with no limit on the total number of hours of course work actually completed as long as each hour has been approved for credit in accordance with the board's process for administering continuing education credits;

B.  To ensure that the board provides determinations regarding the approval and allowability of continuing education credits within a reasonable time after the submission of a request by a licensed nursing home administrator;

C.  To allow an opportunity for board approval of online seminars for continuing education credits; and

D.  To allow a licensed nursing home administrator who is denied approval of continuing education credits by board staff to seek review of the denial by the board; and be it further

Sec. 3. Report of working group. Resolved: That the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation shall convene the working group as soon as possible in order to provide a final report by November 30, 2013 to the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development that summarizes the findings and recommendations of the working group. The Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development is authorized to introduce a bill in the Second Regular Session of the 126th Legislature concerning the objectives, findings and recommendations of the working group.’