RELATING TO HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS; EXEMPTING CERTAIN PROVIDERS FROM VICARIOUS LIABILITY FOR THE ACTIONS OF A PERSONAL CARE ATTENDANT HIRED AND TRAINED BY A CONSUMER OR HIS REPRESENTATIVE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. A new section of the Public Assistance Act is enacted to read:

"FISCAL INTERMEDIARY--EXEMPTIONS--WORKERS' COMPENSATION.--

A. A fiscal intermediary shall not be subject to vicarious liability as an employer or principal for a wrongful act committed by a personal care attendant if the attendant:

(1) is not a current or former employee of the fiscal intermediary;

(2) has not received training or instruction from the fiscal intermediary with respect to providing personal care services to a disabled person, not including administrative paper work;

(3) has been hired by and received training or instruction from the consumer or his authorized representative to provide personal care to the consumer; and

(4) provides basic assistance with daily living activities that do not require the education, certification or training of a licensed health care practitioner.

B. A fiscal intermediary may identify a personal care attendant as a covered employee with the fiscal intermediary's workers' compensation carrier solely to provide workers' compensation coverage in the event of a work-related injury. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to create an employer-employee relationship between the fiscal intermediary and the personal care attendant.

C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to provide the fiscal intermediary with immunity from a claim for a wrongful act committed by the fiscal intermediary or its employees.

D. As used in this section:

(1) "consumer" means a person who is eligible for and receives state-funded or -operated services based on the person's disabilities;

(2) "fiscal intermediary" means a provider that furnishes administrative assistance for a consumer who selects a consumer-directed, rather than consumer-delegated, personal care program;

(3) "personal care attendant" means a person who provides assistance to a consumer with activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, eating, transportation, shopping and similar activities; and

(4) "personal care program" means a state-funded or -operated support program, including medicaid, that provides the services of a personal care attendant for certain disabled individuals."