Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. In accordance
with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, the department may:
1. deny an application for a
license;
2. deny a license renewal;
or
3. revoke a license.
B. Denial of an Initial License
1. The department shall deny an initial
license when the initial licensing survey finds that the PDHC facility is
noncompliant with any licensing laws or regulations or with any other required
statutes, laws, ordinances, rules or regulations and such noncompliance
presents a potential threat to the health, safety, or welfare of the children
who will be served by the facility.
2. The department may deny an initial license
for any of the reasons in this Chapter that a license may be revoked or
non-renewed.
C.
Voluntary Non-Renewal of a License
1. If a
provider fails to timely renew its license, the license expires on its face and
is considered voluntarily surrendered. There are no appeal rights for such
surrender or non-renewal of the license, as this is a voluntary action on the
part of the provider.
2. If a
provider fails to timely renew its license, the facility shall immediately
cease providing services, unless the provider is actively treating children, in
which case the provider shall:
a. immediately
provide written notice to the department of the number of children receiving
treatment at this PDHC facility;
b.
immediately provide written notice to the prescribing physician and to the
child, parent, legal guardian, or legal representative of the following:
i. voluntary non-renewal of
license;
ii. date of closure;
and
iii. plans for orderly
transition of the child;
c. discharge and transition of each child
within 15 days of voluntary non-renewal; and
d. notify the department of the location
where records will be stored and the contact person for the records.
3. If a PDHC facility fails to
follow these procedures, the owners, managers, officers, directors, and
administrators may be prohibited from opening, managing, directing, operating,
or owning a PDHC facility for a period of two years.
D. Revocation of License or Denial of License
Renewal. A PDHC facility license may be revoked or may be denied renewal for
any of the following reasons, including but not limited to:
1. failure to be in substantial compliance
with the PDHC facility licensing laws, rules and regulations, or with other
required statutes, laws, ordinances, rules, or regulations;
2. failure to comply with the terms and
provisions of a settlement agreement or education letter with or from the
department, the Attorney General's Office, any regulatory agency, or any law
enforcement agency;
3. failure to
uphold child rights whereby deficient practices result in harm, injury, or
death of a child;
4. negligence or
failure to protect a child from a harmful act of an employee or other child
including, but not limited to:
a. mental or
physical abuse, neglect, exploitation, or extortion;
b. any action posing a threat to a child's
health and safety;
c.
coercion;
d. threat or
intimidation;
e. harassment;
or
f. criminal activity;
5. failure to notify the proper
authorities, as required by federal or state law, rules, or regulations, of all
suspected cases of:
a. mental or physical
abuse, neglect, exploitation, or extortion;
b. any action posing a threat to a child's
health and safety;
c.
coercion;
d. threat or
intimidation;
e. harassment;
or
f. criminal activity;
6. knowingly making a false
statement, including but not limited to:
a.
application for initial license or renewal of license;
b. data forms;
c. records, including:
i. clinical;
ii. child; or
iii. facility;
d. matters under investigation by the
department or the Office of the Attorney General; or
e. information submitted for reimbursement
from any payment source;
7. knowingly making a false statement or
providing false, forged, or altered information or documentation to department
employees or to law enforcement agencies;
8. the use of false, fraudulent or misleading
advertising;
9. fraudulent
operation of a PDHC facility by the owner, administrator, manager, member,
officer, or director;
10. an owner,
officer, member, manager, administrator, director, or person designated to
manage or supervise child care has pled guilty or nolo contendere to a felony,
or has been convicted of a felony, as documented by a certified copy of the
record of the court.
a. For purposes of these
provisions, conviction of a felony means a felony relating to any of the
following;
i. violence, abuse, or negligence
of another person;
ii.
misappropriation of property belonging to another person;
iii. cruelty, exploitation, or sexual battery
of a person with disabilities;
iv.
a drug offense;
v. crimes of a
sexual nature;
vi. a firearm or
deadly weapon; or
vii. fraud or
misappropriation of federal or state funds, including Medicare or Medicaid
funds;
11.
failure to comply with all reporting requirements in a timely manner as
required by the department;
12.
failure to allow or refusal to allow the department to conduct an investigation
or survey or to interview provider staff or children;
13. failure to allow or refusal to allow
access to facility or child records by authorized departmental
personnel;
14. bribery, harassment,
or intimidation of any child or family member designed to cause that child or
family member to use or retain the services of any particular PDHC facility;
or
15. cessation of business or
non-operational status.
E. If a PDHC facility license is revoked or
renewal is denied, (other than for cessation of business or non-operational
status) any owner, officer, member, director, manager, or administrator of such
PDHC facility may be prohibited from opening, managing, directing, operating,
or owning another PDHC facility for a period of two years from the date of the
final disposition of the revocation or denial action.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
40:2193-40:2193.4.