Senior Safety Protection Act of 2003

Senior Safety Protection Act of 2003 - Amends title XI of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require long term care providers under the Medicare and Medicaid programs to perform criminal background checks on skilled nursing facility and nursing facility employee applicants. Prohibits a provider from hiring workers who have any conviction for a relevant crime or with respect to whom a finding of patient or resident abuse has been made. Details Federal and State requirements to conduct the background checks needed for the provider screening.

Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) to provide for expansion of the State nurse aid registry under the Medicare and Medicaid programs to collect information about long-term care provider employees other than nurse aides.

Amends SSA title XI to provide for inclusion of abusive workers in the database established as part of the national health care fraud and abuse data collection program.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a demonstration program to provide grants to develop information on best practices in patient abuse prevention training for managers and staff of long-term care facilities. Directs the Secretary and the Attorney General to establish a more efficient background check system that provides for a more immediate determination of criminal status.

Authorizes the Secretary to provide an annual grant to any applicant State to carry out this Act.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov