Home health aides: training and certification.

Assembly Member Valencia's home health aide training legislation establishes new instructor qualifications and online education standards while revising certification renewal requirements. The measure requires home health aide instructors to be registered nurses with two years of experience, including one year in home health care, or licensed vocational nurses supervised by qualified registered nurses.

For online and distance learning programs, the bill mandates real-time interactive instruction between trainees and approved instructors using collaborative software platforms. Programs must implement identity verification protocols, including signed affidavits from trainees, provide technical support procedures, and grant the Department of Public Health access to monitor training sessions. Programs must also report trainee performance data, including examination pass rates and module completion statistics.

The legislation modifies certification renewal procedures by requiring home health aides to complete 12 hours of in-service training annually. The Department must notify certificate holders 90 days before renewal deadlines and expiration dates. Certificates expired for more than 30 days but less than four years may be renewed with a written explanation. After four years, individuals must complete a new certification training program and examination unless exempted by the Department.