Committee weighs requiring certification for sterile‑processing (central service) technicians; bill laid over

The Minnesota Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard Senate File 2127 on April 3, a bill from Senator Wicklund that would establish certification requirements for central service (sterile‑processing) technicians who clean, inspect and sterilize surgical instruments.

Senator Wicklund described the role of central service technicians and cited incidents where improperly cleaned instruments led to patient notifications. ‘‘These professionals play a critical role in patient safety by ensuring that every instrument used in surgery is properly disassembled, cleaned, inspected, sterilized, and reassembled before it ever touches a patient,’’ Wicklund said.

Josephine Colacci with the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association and Matthew Thel, a program manager for high‑level disinfection and sterilization and president of the Minnesota Sterile Processing Association chapter, testified in support. They said nationally accredited certification programs exist and other states (New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and New Jersey) have adopted similar requirements. The bill would grandfather existing workers, allow new hires up to 24 months after hire to obtain certification, and delay the statutory effective date (a 980‑day delay described in committee remarks) to ease implementation.

Committee members questioned training access and workforce impacts; witnesses said manufacturers and professional associations provide free or low‑cost training and that other states have not reported workforce shortages after adopting similar rules. Several members who toured sterile‑processing facilities described the work as ‘‘eye‑opening’’ and supportive of professional standards. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.