(a) Definitions. — (1) “Direct access” means the opportunity to have personal contact with persons receiving care during the course of one's assigned duties.
(2) “Health-care facility” means any custodial or residential facility where health, nutritional or personal care is provided for persons, including nursing homes, hospitals, home health-care facilities and adult day-care facilities.
(3) “Person seeking employment” means any person applying for employment in a health-care facility.
(b) No employer who operates a health-care facility may hire any person seeking employment without requesting and receiving a Child Protection Registry check for the person. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, no person seeking employment with such an employer may be hired if the person seeking employment is currently on the Child Protection Registry at Child Protection Level III or IV as provided in subchapter II of Chapter 9 of Title 16, or has been convicted of any offense contained in Child Protection Level IV, or for 7 years after the conviction date if the person has been convicted of any Level III offense in which a child was the victim. A person who is employed in a health-care facility has an affirmative duty to inform, and shall inform, that person's own employer of any criminal conviction or of any entry on the Child Protection Registry.
(c) Any employer who is required to request a Child Protection Registry check under this section shall obtain a statement signed by the person seeking employment wherein the person authorizes a full release for the employer to obtain the information provided pursuant to such a check.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, when exigent circumstances exist which require an employer to fill a position in order to maintain the required or desired level of service, the employer may hire a person seeking employment on a conditional basis after the employer has requested a Child Protection Registry check. The employment of the person pursuant to this subsection shall be conditional and contingent upon the receipt of the Child Protection Registry check by the employer. Any person hired pursuant to this subsection shall be informed in writing, and shall acknowledge in writing, that the person's own employment is conditional, and contingent upon receipt of the Child Protection Registry check.
(e) The Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families shall promulgate regulations giving guidance for a procedure to notify employers of any relevant matters indicated in the Child Protection Registry check.
(f) Costs associated with providing a Child Protection Registry check shall be borne by the State.
(g) Any employer who hires a person seeking employment without requesting and receiving a Child Protection Registry check for such person shall be subject to a civil penalty or not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000 for each violation.
(h) [Repealed.]