Section 172E Dissemination of criminal offender record information to long term care facilities - Massachusetts Statutes

Section 172E. Notwithstanding any provision of section 172, criminal offender record information shall be available to any long term care facility, as defined in section 72W of chapter 111, for the purpose of obtaining criminal offender record information on an applicant under final consideration for, or an individual currently employed in, a position that involves the provision of direct personal care or treatment to residents of such facility. Any such long term care facility shall obtain all available criminal offender record information from the criminal history systems board on an applicant under final consideration for a position that involves the provision of direct personal care or treatment to residents. A long term care facility which obtains information under this section shall prohibit the dissemination of such information for any purpose other than to further the protection of the elderly or the disabled, including, but not limited to, dissemination among and between long term care facilities.

A long term care facility may employ an individual for a position that involves the provision of direct personal care or treatment to residents of such facility on a conditional basis prior to receiving the results of such individual’s criminal offender record check from the criminal history systems board. No long term care facility shall be liable for civil damages to any individual so conditionally employed and subsequently discharged by reason of information received as a result of a criminal offender record information check completed pursuant to this section.

The criminal history systems board may waive or reduce the fee assessable pursuant to section 172A for criminal offender record information made available pursuant to this section.

Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the division of medical assistance shall, subject to appropriation, reimburse long term care facilities for the portion of the costs associated with obtaining criminal offender record information on employees pursuant to this section.