Chapter 3. Tuberculosis Tests For Employees of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 105. >> Part 5. >> Chapter 3.
(a) Except as provided in Section 121555, a person shall
not be initially employed, or employed under contract, by a private
or parochial elementary or secondary school, or any nursery school,
unless that person produces or has on file with the school a
certificate showing that within the last 60 days the person has
submitted to a tuberculosis risk assessment and, if tuberculosis risk
factors are identified, has been examined and has been found to be
free of infectious tuberculosis. If no risk factors are identified,
an examination is not required. A person who is subject to the
requirements of this subdivision may submit to an examination that
complies with the requirements of Section 121530 instead of
submitting to a tuberculosis risk assessment.
(b) Thereafter, an employee who has no identified risk factors or
who tests negative for the tuberculosis infection by either the
tuberculin skin test or any other test for tuberculosis recommended
by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and
licensed by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), shall be
required to undergo the foregoing tuberculosis risk assessment and,
if risk factors are identified, the examination, at least once each
four years, or more often if directed by the governing authority of
the school upon recommendation of the local health officer. Once an
employee has a documented positive test for the tuberculosis
infection conducted pursuant to this subdivision, the tuberculosis
risk assessment is no longer required. A referral shall be made
within 30 days of completion of the examination to the local health
officer to determine the need for followup care.
(c) At the discretion of the governing authority of a private
school, this section shall not apply to employees who are employed
for any period of time less than a school year whose functions do not
require frequent or prolonged contact with pupils.
(d) The governing authority of a private school providing for the
transportation of pupils under authorized contract shall require as a
condition of the contract that every person transporting pupils
produce a certificate showing that within the last 60 days the person
has submitted to a tuberculosis risk assessment, and, if
tuberculosis risk factors are identified, has been examined and has
been found to be free of infectious tuberculosis. At the discretion
of the governing authority of the school, this section shall not
apply to a private contracted driver who transports pupils
infrequently and without prolonged contact with the pupils.
(e) The examination attested to in the certificate required
pursuant to subdivision (d) shall be made available without charge by
the local health officer.
(f) "Certificate," as used in this chapter, means a document
signed by the examining physician and surgeon who is licensed under
Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of the
Business and Professions Code, or a notice from a public health
agency that indicates freedom from infectious tuberculosis.
(g) Nothing in this section shall prevent the governing authority
of a private, parochial, or nursery school, upon recommendation of
the local health officer, from establishing a rule requiring a more
extensive or more frequent examination than required by this section.
(h) The State Department of Public Health, in consultation with
the California Tuberculosis Controllers Association, shall develop a
risk assessment questionnaire, to be used to conduct tuberculosis
risk assessments pursuant to this section. The risk assessment
questionnaire shall be administered by a health care provider, which
shall be specified on the questionnaire. This risk assessment
questionnaire shall be exempt from the rulemaking provisions of the
Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section
11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
The examination shall consist of either an approved
intradermal tuberculin test or any other test for tuberculosis
infection that has been recommended by the CDC and licensed by the
FDA, that, if positive, shall be followed by an X-ray of the lungs.
The X-ray may be taken by a competent and qualified X-ray
technician if the X-ray is subsequently interpreted by a licensed
physician and surgeon.
The school shall maintain a file containing an up-to-date
certificate for each person covered by this chapter. It shall be the
duty of the county health officer of each county to insure that the
provisions of this chapter are complied with.
(a) A volunteer in a school subject to this chapter shall
also be required to have on file with the school a certificate
showing that, upon initial volunteer assignment, the person submitted
to a tuberculosis risk assessment, and, if tuberculosis risk factors
were identified, the person was examined and found to be free of
infectious tuberculosis. If no risk factors are identified, an
examination is not required. A person who is subject to the
requirements of this subdivision may take an examination that
complies with the requirements of Section 121530 instead of
submitting to a tuberculosis risk assessment.
(b) At the discretion of the governing authority of a school
subject to this chapter this section shall not apply to a volunteer
whose functions do not require frequent or prolonged contact with
pupils.
Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the school from
requiring more extensive or more frequent examinations.
(a) A person who transfers his or her employment from one
of the schools specified in subdivision (a) of Section 121525 to
another shall be deemed to meet the requirements of subdivision (a)
of Section 121525 if the person can produce a certificate that shows
that he or she was found to be free of infectious tuberculosis within
60 days of initial hire, or the school previously employing the
person verifies that the school has a certificate on file showing
that the person is free from infectious tuberculosis.
(b) A person who transfers his or her employment from a public
elementary school or secondary school to any of the schools specified
in subdivision (a) of Section 121525 shall be deemed to meet the
requirements of subdivision (a) of Section 121525 if that person can
produce a certificate as provided for in subdivision (c) of Section
49406 of the Education Code that shows that he or she was found to be
free of infectious tuberculosis within 60 days of initial hire, or
if the school district previously employing the person verifies that
the school district has a certificate on file showing that the person
is free from infectious tuberculosis.