House amends background checks for nursing home caregivers

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The House on Thursday approved a bill amending requirements for background checks on caregivers in nursing homes.

The bill amends a law passed in 2002 requiring criminal record checks for caregivers. It removes mandatory checks for high school and technical college students who work at nursing homes, said Rep. Brian White, R-Anderson. It also allows caregivers to work for multiple nursing homes without undergoing a separate check from each facility, he said.

Under the bill, officials at nursing homes have the option of using state background checks instead of federal background checks, which can take up to six months, White said.

"People just can't sit around for six months waiting on a check to come back. They have to go to work," he said. "You've got the option for doing both, so the flexibility is there."