ODP Bulletin 00-20-01 announces the release of the Chapter 6400 Regulatory Compliance Guide (RCG) (6400) for implementation starting February 3, 2020. This bulletin obsoletes and replaces the LII in its entirety with the 6400 RCG as the official Chapter 6400 interpretive guide.
The minimum requirements to operate a community home for individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are established in 55 Pa.Code Ch. 6400 (relating to community homes for individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism).
The 6400 RCG is a companion piece to the Chapter 6400 regulations; it should be used along with the regulations, not instead of them. The explanatory information in 6400 RCG are not “new regulations” and do not create compliance requirements beyond the regulations as promulgated.
The 6400 RCG has been developed to provide clear explanations of the regulatory requirements of Chapter 6400 to assist providers ensure safe environments and effective services to individuals through regulatory compliance, and to help regulators protect individuals by conducting consistent and comprehensive inspections. It provides a detailed explanation of each regulatory requirement, including expectations for compliance, guidelines for measuring compliance, and the primary purpose for the requirement.
The practice of licensing and regulatory administration regularly results in the identification of previously unknown circumstances and situations that require clarification. Beginning with the release of this bulletin, the Department will collect, and review questions and comments received from providers, licensing staff, and other stakeholders about regulatory compliance that may require revisions to the 6400 RCG. The Department will use this information to modify the RCG and release an updated version of it on a biannual basis. Updated versions of the 6400 RCG will include a crosswalk document to highlight sections that have been modified since the last version.
Providers, stakeholders, and all other interested parties may send questions, comments, and recommendations relating to the 6400 RCG to the Department’s Regulatory Administration Unit at [email protected].