Missouri Senate

Perfected

FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS

This act specifies that any section of a facility in which a major renovation has been completed on or after August 28, 2007, shall install and maintain an approved sprinkler system in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13. The act also specifies when the requirements for sprinklers shall be NFPA 13R (residential) or NFPA 13 (commercial). This act removes a fire sprinkler exemption for skilled nursing and intermediate care facilities that pertains to the Chapter 33 of existing residential board and care occupancies of NFPA life safety code.

A substantial step for obtaining a loan from the Fire Safety Standards Loan Fund shall be as specified for certain residential care and assisted living facilities and all skilled nursing and intermediate care facilities.

The Fire Safety Standards Loan Fund was modified to provide that the loans may be for implementing the sprinkler requirements for certain qualifying residential care and assisted living facilities and all types of qualifying skilled nursing and intermediate care facilities. The loan fund shall be administered by the Office of Administration rather than the Department of Health and Senior Services as in current law.

This act removes the requirement that the interconnected smoke detectors be in place throughout the facility and the requirement for inspections to be conducted annually by the state fire marshal or local fire protection districts. (SECTIONS 198.074 and 198.075)

BONDS FOR LONG-TERM CARE RESIDENT'S PROPERTY IN TRUST

This act modifies the current provision in law regarding a bond required for holding a resident's property in trust by specifying that the bond shall be obtained and filed with the department for the preceding twelve months rather than for the preceding calendar year. (SECTION 198.096)

INSPECTORS AND SURVEYORS

Under this act, the Department of Health and Senior Services shall not assign an individual to inspect or survey a long-term care facility in which the surveyor was an employee of such facility within the preceding two years.

The department shall require disclosure statements by newly hired and currently employed inspectors and surveyors of long-term care facilities regarding his or her past employment in long-term care facilities and the current or past employment of immediate family members in long-term care facilities.

Any person may notify the department if facts exist that would lead a reasonable person to conclude that any inspector or surveyor has any personal or business affiliation that would result in a conflict of interest in conducting an inspection or survey of a facility. Upon receiving that notice, the department, when assigning an inspector or surveyor to inspect or survey a facility, for any purpose, shall take steps to verify the information , and if the department has probable cause to believe that it is correct, shall not assign the inspector or surveyor to the facility in order to avoid an appearance of prejudice or favor to the facility or bias on the part of the inspector or surveyor.

ADRIANE CROUSE