Shortened Timeframe for Reporting to the Background Screening Clearinghouse

Florida’s health care providers that are required to conduct employee background screening, were sent a reminder from the Agency for Health Care Administration earlier this month regarding a shortened timeframe for reporting to the Background Screening Clearinghouse.

Employers have long since been required to log in to the Agency’s Background Screening Clearinghouse within 10 business days to report when they hire a new staff person and to report when a staff person no longer works for them.

As of January 1, 2024, employers must report these changes to the Background Screening Clearinghouse within 5 business days.  This regulatory change is a result of SB 676, filed last year in the Criminal Justice Committee. It’s interesting to note that the Senate’s initial bill did not propose changing the timeframe.  However, when the House Companion Bill (HB249) came over via a Committee Substitute filed in the Senate Appropriations Committee on April 25, the subsequent revised bill included shortening the employer reporting timeframe from 10 business days to 5 business days. The final bill, with the shortened timeframe, was enrolled 10 days later.

The Agency uses employee status to contact health care employers if one of the persons on their Clearinghouse employee roster is arrested for a disqualifying offense.

The bill also specified that employers must search the sexual predator and sexual offender registries of the state where the prospective employee lived during the immediately preceding 5 years and added to the list of disqualifying offenses.

The effective date of SB 676 was January 1, 2024, modifying s. 435.12, F.S.

Related Links

Background Screening | Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (myflorida.com)

Florida Disqualifying Offenses for Employment requiring Level 2 Screenings

Chapter 435 Section 04 – 2023 Florida Statutes – The Florida Senate (flsenate.gov)

Chapter 408 Section 809 – 2023 Florida Statutes – The Florida Senate (flsenate.gov)

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