PennsylvaniaCare home job applicants would have an exam option instead of diplomas
People seeking direct care jobs in Pennsylvania care homes would have an exam option covering care skills and communication instead of a high school diploma or GED.
What it does
Direct care job applicants would have a skills exam option instead of a high school diploma or GED. This option would not authorize them to give residents medication.
The Department of Human Services would issue temporary rules for the exam option. It could skip listed state review procedures, but that authority would last only two years.
Argument forA skills exam could help capable applicants without a diploma qualify for care work while checking skills residents need.
Argument againstSkipping usual rule reviews could reduce opportunities to catch problems in the exam rules before care homes use them.
More detail
The Department of Human Services would provide a skills exam as an alternative to a high school diploma or GED. The option would cover people seeking direct care jobs in personal care homes or assisted living residences. The exam would check communication, reading and writing, understanding of diverse communities, and awareness of mental and behavioral health needs, along with other care skills. This option would not authorize workers to give out or administer medication. Parts of the state rules at 55 Pa. Code sections 2600.54 and 2800.54 that conflict with this option would not apply. The bill would take effect 60 days after enactment.
The Department of Human Services would issue temporary rules to put the exam option into practice. These rules would carry out the exam option for direct care job applicants. The department could issue these rules without following the listed state procedures for issuing and reviewing rules. Rules adopted after the temporary authority expires would have to follow the usual legal process. The bill would take effect 60 days after enactment. Temporary rulemaking authority would expire two years after that effective date. Each temporary rule would expire no later than two years after publication.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Oct 19Referred to Rules & Executive NominationsLatest
- Oct 7Third consideration and final passagePassed House
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Appropriations): Re-report Bill As Committed. Result: pass.Lower
- Oct 7Re-reported as committedMinor
- Oct 6Re-referred to AppropriationsMinor
- Vote recorded A4510. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded GERMANENESS OF AMENDMENT. Result: pass.Lower
- Oct 6Second consideration, with amendmentsMinor
- Oct 5Removed from table
- Sep 28Laid on the table
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Human Services): Report Bill As Committed. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Human Services): Report Bill As Committed. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 28First considerationMinor
- Sep 28Reported as committedMinor
- 2025
- Jun 17Re-referred to Human ServicesMinor
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Professional Licensure): Re-refer Bill To Another Committee. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 17Reported with request to re-refer to Human ServicesMinor
- May 8Referred to Professional LicensureMinor
- May 7Third consideration and final passagePassed Senate
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE. Result: pass.Upper
- May 6Amended on third considerationMajor
- Vote recorded PICOZZI AMENDMENT NO. A-0492. Result: pass.Upper
- May 5Re-reported as committedMinor
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Appropriations): Re-Reported as Committed. Result: pass.Upper
- May 5Re-referred to AppropriationsMinor
- Apr 2Second considerationMinor
- Apr 1First considerationMinor
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Health & Human Services): Reported as Committed. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 1Reported as committedMinor
- Jan 22Referred to Health & Human ServicesIntroduced
- Jun 17Re-referred to Human ServicesMinor
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