By AP
Frankfort,KY – The Kentucky House has approved legislation
which would make it a felony to tip off a nursing
home about a pending state inspection.
Representative Kathy Stein of Lexington is the
sponsor of the bill, which passed the House
by a 94 to 0 margin.
Stein says the inspection process is vital to
ensuring the safety of people who live in
nursing homes in Kentucky. Under her bill,
those convicted of informing a long-term care
facility of an inspection could be sentenced to
prison for one to five years.
The issue drew the attention of lawmakers after
the former mistress of former Governor Paul Patton
claimed that someone in the Governor's office
alerted her to an inspection. Patton denied her
claim.