California law requires that school staff working with children and community college students be free of infectious tuberculosis (TB). These laws reflect current recommendations for targeted TB testing from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the California Conference of Local Health Officers and the California Tuberculosis Controllers Association (CTCA).
Per California Senate Bill 1038, which modified California Education Code §87408.6, initial employment TB clearances, and ongoing current employee TB clearances, will no longer require a Tuberculosis Skin Test (TST) or a Tuberculosis Blood Test (TBT) test. Instead, new hires/current employees will be required to submit to a licensed medical provider a TB Risk Assessment form developed by the State Department of Public Health.
The risk assessment form can be accessed here. Here are instructions regarding the form:
- STEP 1: Employee completes the first page of the form (Risk Assessment Questionnaire).
- STEP 2: Employee shall take the Risk Assessment Questionnaire (page one) and the Certificate of Completion Tuberculosis Risk Assessment and/or Examination (page three) to their health care provider for consultation and signature. Note: Based on the employee’s responses to the risk assessment portion of the form and their health care provider’s assessment of the employee’s medical history, the health care provider may require that the employee take a TB skin test or chest x-ray before he/she completes the certification.
- STEP3: Employee shall submit the completed Certificate of Completion Tuberculosis Risk Assessment Questionnaire and if applicable, any test results, to the Office of Human Resources. Please retain a copy of all documentation for your records.
** New employees: this form will be provided to you as part of your new hire packet.
*** Current employees: you are required to complete this process every four (4) years.