Bill
S 162
Creates a state registry of direct care workers who administer medications, tracking training, certification status, and basic identifiers to improve oversight and transparency.
Status: Committed to Rules
Introduced: January 16–21, 2025 (presented by Senator Liz Miranda)
Committee referrals: Finance; Labor; Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
Current action highlights: Read twice and referred to Finance (1/21/2025); advanced to third reading (5/19/2025); committed to rules (6/13/2025). Hearing scheduled 10/21/2025 (B‑1).
Purpose
- Establish a state‑maintained registry of direct care workers who provide direct care and/or medication administration in programs whose rates are set under chapter 257 of the 2008 laws. The registry is intended to improve oversight of medication administration training/certification and increase transparency.
Key provisions
- Definitions: creates defined terms including “direct care worker” and “direct care worker agency” (employees of agencies with rates set by chapter 257 of 2008) and “employee organization.”
- Registry requirement: the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) must establish and maintain a Direct Care Worker Medication Administration Program registry.
- Required reporting: each direct care worker agency must report, and update quarterly, specified information for each direct care worker it employs or contracts with (paid, unpaid, temporary, or permanent), except individuals exempted under EOHHS regulations.
- Data elements to be reported: (i) full name, (ii) assigned unique identification number, (iii) gender, (iv) home address, (v) mailing address, (vi) full legal name of employing agency, (vii) job title, (viii) list of direct care trainings/certifications completed, and (ix) status of Medication Administration Program certification (pass/fail/pending).
- Public disclosure limits: EOHHS may make public only a direct care worker’s full name, identification number, employing agency name, and list of trainings/certifications—other reported fields are not publicly disclosed unless exempted by the department.
- Access for employers and unions: upon request, EOHHS must provide full reported information to employee organizations or direct care worker agencies.
- Privacy exemptions: regulations must include exemptions (explicitly including victims of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault or stalking).
- Implementation details: EOHHS to promulgate rules, minimize duplicate reporting, provide forms/notifications; direct care workers bear no registry costs.
- Effective date clause: the bill contains an emergency preamble but specifies it “shall take effect within 90 days of its passage.”
Who would be affected
- Direct care workers who administer medications and their employing/contracting agencies (including temporary and contract staff).
- Direct care worker agencies required to collect and transmit data quarterly.
- EOHHS — responsible for creating and maintaining the registry, rulemaking, and data disclosure decisions.
- Employee organizations and agencies that may request full registry data.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Transparency: improves public and employer visibility into training and medication administration certification status.
- Administrative burden: agencies will incur recurring reporting and data‑management responsibilities; EOHHS must build and operate the registry.
- Privacy and safety: the bill restricts public disclosure of sensitive personal information and requires exemptions for survivors of certain crimes, but agencies will hold home/mailing addresses and other personal data accessible to EOHHS and (on request) unions/agencies.
- Operational details to be clarified in EOHHS regulations (scope of exemptions, timelines for “timely” submissions, security of registry data, and mechanisms to avoid duplicate reporting).
For reference
- Presented by: Liz Miranda (Second Suffolk).
- Effective timing: declared emergency in text but specifies effect within 90 days of passage.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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