FILED ON: 11/23/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2070

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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An Act regulating central service technicians.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 111 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 234 the following section:-

Section 235. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

“Health care practitioner,” any person licensed or registered under section 2, 16, 45, 51 51 1/2, 74, or 74A of this chapter, including any intern, resident, fellow or medical who conducts or assists with the performance of surgery.

“Health care facility,” shall mean “health care facility” as defined in section 9C of this chapter.

“Central Service Technician,” any person who decontaminates, inspects, assembles, packages, and sterilizes reusable medical instruments or devices in a surgical facility.

(b) A health care facility shall not employ or otherwise retain the services of a central service technician unless such person:

(1) Has successfully passed a nationally accredited central service exam for central service technicians, and holds and maintains one of the following credentials administered by a nationally accredited central service technician credentialing organization: the certified registered central service technician credential, the certified sterile processing and distribution technician credential or a substantially equivalent credential; or

(2) Provides evidence that the person was employed as a central service technician in a health care facility on or before December 31, 2015.

(c) A central service technician who does not meet the requirements of paragraph (b)(2) of this section shall have 18 months from the date of hire to obtain the certified registered central service technician credential or the certified sterile processing and distribution technician.

(d) A person who qualifies to function as a central service technician in a health care facility under paragraphs (b)(1) and (2) of this section must annually complete 10 hours of continuing education credits to remain qualified to function as a central service technician.

(e) Nothing in this section shall prohibit any health care practitioners from performing central service technicians’ tasks or functions if the practitioners are acting within the scope of their practice.

SECTION 2. The commissioner of the department of public health shall adopt regulations necessary to carry out this act. Such regulations shall be adopted not later than 90 days after the effective date of this act.

SECTION 3. Section 1 shall take effect 180 days after the effective date of this act.