Alabama hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Federal baseline only. Alabama's hospice rules (Ala. Admin. Code ch. 420-5-17) require volunteer orientation and training but add no state background check, TB, immunization, or CPR rule for volunteers.
Sources: Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-5-17-.10 (Volunteer Services); Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-5-17-.06 (Personnel); Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-5-17-.23 (Infection Control)
Last reviewed October 2026
Alaska hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: Some roles or settings. Training: Federal + state minimum (4 hours). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Adds its own background-check program covering unsupervised volunteers, and sets a 4-hour minimum hospice orientation before service (7 AAC 12.338). State TB rules mainly reach inpatient-facility staff.
Sources: 7 AAC 12.338; 7 AAC 10.900; 7 AAC 12.650; Alaska DHSS state regulations list (hospice agencies)
Last reviewed October 2026
Arizona hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Arizona requires TB screening for anyone (including volunteers) with direct patient interaction (A.A.C. R9-10-606). The fingerprint-clearance-card law (A.R.S. §36-411) covers residential-care, nursing, and home-health agencies, not hospice, so volunteers ride the federal floor for background checks.
Sources: A.A.C. R9-10-606; A.A.C. R9-10-113; A.R.S. 36-411
Last reviewed October 2026
Arkansas hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
The hospice rule defines 'employee' to include a volunteer under the hospice's jurisdiction (§4.H) and lists criminal history checks for employees and volunteers 'as required by' Ark. Code Ann. §20-38-101 et seq. (§8.A.6), although that statute and the Health Department's home health and hospice check rule (007.05.98) themselves leave volunteers out of their definition of employee. For TB, the hospice must have employee health policies and a TB prevention plan that follows CDC guidelines (§8.I); the rule sets no state annual TB test.
Sources: Rules for Hospice in Arkansas, 239.00.22 Ark. Code R. 003 (eff. 9/29/2022); 007.35.24 Ark. Code R. 005 (earlier hospice rule version); 007.05.98 Ark. Code R. 001 (criminal record checks for home health and hospice)
Last reviewed October 2026
California hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
California adds no separate background check. Its licensing standards (the CHAPCA Standards of Quality Hospice Care, made binding by H&SC §1749(e)) and its inpatient-facility law (H&SC §1339.42) point back to the federal check. The standards also require TB screening on file for every volunteer and quarterly in-service education for those with patient contact. The 2026 emergency hospice regulations (22 CCR §§74800-74908) limit exclusion-list and reference checks to paid personnel.
Sources: H&SC §1749; H&SC §1339.42
Last reviewed June 2026
Colorado hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Defines 'employee' to include volunteers providing hospice services (6 CCR 1011-1 ch. 21 §2.5), so the criminal history record check required of each prospective employee, done within 90 days before employment, reaches them (§7.4). The hospice must offer an education program of at least 20 hours a year for all employees who provide direct patient care (§7.9); the rule does not say each person must complete 20 hours.
Sources: 6 CCR 1011-1 ch. 21 §2 (Definitions); 6 CCR 1011-1 ch. 21 §7 (Personnel); 6 CCR 1011-1 ch. 21 §5 (Patient rights; volunteer training); 6 CCR 1011-1 ch. 21 §12 (Infection control)
Last reviewed October 2026
Connecticut hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: State rule.
Direct-access volunteers go through the state criminal-history-and-abuse-registry background search (§19a-491c), and a Director of Volunteers plus structured training are required. The state's TB-policy law is written for employees, not volunteers.
Sources: C.G.S. §19a-491c; Conn. Agencies Regs. §19a-495-5b; C.G.S. §19a-490y; CT DPH TB screening for health care personnel (P.A. 21-121 §36)
Last reviewed October 2026
Delaware hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Requires volunteers to complete a structured orientation and training program before serving (16 Del. Admin. Code §3380), but adds no state background, TB, immunization, or CPR rule for them.
Sources: 16 Del. Admin. Code 3380 (archived official copy); 16 Del. C. §1145 (Subchapter V, home-care agency background checks); 16 Del. Admin. Code 3110
Last reviewed October 2026
District of Columbia hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
D.C.'s own screening law does not apply to a volunteer who works under the direct supervision of a licensed health professional, though a facility may still choose to check volunteers (D.C. Code §44-552(a), (i)). The federal check still applies to patient-facing volunteers.
Sources: D.C. Code §44-552; D.C. Code §44-551; D.C. Code §44-501; D.C. Code §44-504
Last reviewed June 2026
Florida hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Conditional. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Level 2 (fingerprint) screening applies to hospice personnel with direct client contact or access to client funds, property, or living areas (Fla. Stat. 400.6065 and 408.809(1)(e)). Florida's hospice rule defines 'employ' to include service on a volunteer basis, and AHCA treats volunteers as employees for screening, so volunteers in those roles are screened (FAC 59A-38.001(6); AHCA Hospice FAQ, question 5). Hospices must also give ongoing training to staff and volunteers, with no hour minimum (Fla. Stat. 400.6105(6)).
Sources: Fla. Stat. 400.6065; Fla. Stat. 408.809(1); Fla. Stat. 400.6105; AHCA Hospice FAQ (Q5); FAC 59A-38.001(6); FAC 59A-38.004(3); FAC 59A-38.019; Fla. Stat. 400.6045
Last reviewed October 2026
Georgia hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: Some roles or settings. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: State rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Rule 111-8-37-.13 requires current BCLS or CPR certification for everyone giving hands-on care to a patient who has no do-not-resuscitate order, and an annual training program for staff and volunteers who give hands-on care. The administrator and each staff member and volunteer with direct contact with patients or families need an initial and annual health screening by a licensed health care professional, showing they are free of communicable diseases that pose a risk to others. The rule text does not name TB for volunteers (TB surveillance is named for staff in rule .12). Volunteers with duties equivalent to an employee's and direct access to patients fall under the state fingerprint background check (r. 111-8-37-.13(8); r. 111-8-12-.03).
Sources: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-37-.13; Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 111-8-37 (.03, .12, .13, .20); Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 111-8-12 (.03)
Last reviewed October 2026
Hawaii hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: State rule.
Adult volunteers of health care facilities licensed or certified by the state Department of Health, a group that includes hospices, must have a background check covering criminal history, the adult abuse registry, the sex offender registry, and the certified nurse aide registry (HAR ch. 11-106; HRS 321-15.2). Hawaii has no hospice licensing chapter, so hospices are regulated through Medicare certification. TB clearance is required for volunteers working more than 10 hours a week in health care facilities licensed or otherwise regulated by the department, renewed annually (HAR 11-164.2-24).
Sources: OHCA background check page (HAR ch. 11-106); HAR 11-106-2; HAR 11-106-3; HRS 321-15.2; HAR 11-164.2-24; HAR 11-164.2-2; OHCA facility types table (hospice: no HAR chapter)
Last reviewed October 2026
Idaho hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Medicare-certified hospices are exempt from Idaho licensure (Idaho Code §39-1309), so there is no state rule chapter. Everything rides on the federal baseline and the hospice's accreditor.
Sources: Idaho Code 39-1309; Idaho Code 39-1303(8); IDAPA 16.05.06.100; IDAPA 16.05.06.010
Last reviewed October 2026
Illinois hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: State rule.
Illinois' Health Care Worker Background Check Act sweeps in unpaid volunteers in direct-care roles at hospice programs, screening them against criminal history and the Health Care Worker and Adult Protective Services registries just like paid staff (225 ILCS 46). Supervised volunteers also count as 'employees' for the required TB skin test (77 Ill. Adm. Code 280.2045).
Sources: 225 ILCS 46/25 (IDES copy); 77 Ill. Adm. Code 955.110; 77 Ill. Adm. Code 280.2035; 77 Ill. Adm. Code 280.1000; 77 Ill. Adm. Code 280.2045; 77 Ill. Adm. Code 280.2040
Last reviewed October 2026
Indiana hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Indiana requires a limited criminal history check for each hospice volunteer within days of starting service, with the hospice covering the fee; specified convictions bar service (IC 16-25-6-2, -3; the fee rule is IC 16-25-6-4).
Sources: IC 16-25-6 (2013 text); IC 16-25-6-2 (FindLaw, current as of 1/1/2026)
Last reviewed October 2026
Iowa hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Iowa's background-check law reaches hospice employees who provide direct services (Iowa Code 135C.33(5)) and does not mention volunteers, so volunteers ride the federal floor. The hospice rule requires the hospice to maintain, document, and provide volunteer orientation and training consistent with hospice industry standards, with no hour minimum (481 IAC 53.14).
Sources: 481 IAC 53.14 (eff. 5/10/23); 481 IAC ch. 53; Iowa Code ch. 135J; Iowa Code 135C.33
Last reviewed October 2026
Kansas hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Kansas ties hospice licensure to Medicare certification and has no separate substantive rule chapter, so all six dimensions default to the federal Conditions of Participation.
Sources: K.S.A. 65-6202; Kansas Home Care & Hospice Association, opening an agency; K.S.A. 65-5117 (home health only)
Last reviewed October 2026
Kentucky hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Conditional. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: Some roles or settings.
Kentucky's national background check program (906 KAR 1:190) lists hospice providers as covered employers and treats a volunteer as an employee only if the volunteer's duties equal a direct-service employee's, with one-on-one patient contact and access to belongings or funds. Participation is voluntary for private employers (only state-owned or operated facilities must take part), and enrolled employers must check the listed registries before hiring. TB rules apply to hospice programs and cover all paid and unpaid health care workers, expressly including volunteers: each new worker gets a baseline risk assessment and TB test in the first week, every worker gets an annual risk assessment, and annual testing applies to workers in the facility's screening program (902 KAR 20:205).
Sources: 906 KAR 1:190; 906 KAR 1:190 (Cornell); 902 KAR 20:205; 902 KAR 20:205 (Cornell); 902 KAR 20:140
Last reviewed October 2026
Louisiana hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Conditional. TB or health screening: Some roles or settings. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: Some roles or settings.
The hospice rule defines 'employee' to include volunteers (LAC 48:I.8201) and requires documented volunteer training on a 16-item minimum curriculum plus quarterly in-service offered by the hospice, with no minimum hours (LAC 48:I.8217(Q)). Louisiana State Police criminal history checks are required for non-licensed persons providing nursing, health-related or supportive services, and the direct service worker and nurse aide registry checks use the same 'employee' term, so they plausibly reach patient-facing volunteers (LAC 48:I.8235(C)(4)-(5)). TB rules are limited to inpatient hospices, which need TB-prevention measures and employee health policies, not a volunteer screening test (LAC 48:I.8247(L)).
Sources: LAC 48:I.8201; LAC 48:I.8217; LAC 48:I.8235; LAC 48:I.8247
Last reviewed October 2026
Maine hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Conditional. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal + state minimum (18 hours). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Volunteers who work unsupervised in roles like those of direct access workers go through the state Background Check Center, but supervised volunteers are excluded (22 M.R.S. §§9053-9054). Direct service providers, which the hospice rule defines to include volunteers, need at least 18 hours of hospice education including a 4-hour orientation within the first year, then 8 hours of continuing education each year; those who deliver 20 hours or less of care a year need only the 4-hour orientation (10-144 CMR ch. 120, §5.G and §5.H). The 20-hour direct-service volunteer course applies only to all-volunteer hospices that provide care at no charge (22 M.R.S. §8631; 10-144 CMR ch. 120, §6.A.1).
Sources: 10-144 CMR ch. 120; 22 M.R.S. §8631; 22 M.R.S. §9053; 22 M.R.S. §9054
Last reviewed October 2026
Maryland hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal + state minimum (16 hours). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Maryland's own check excludes unpaid volunteers, but direct-patient-care volunteers must get at least 16 hours of training (COMAR 10.07.21.08). The federal check still applies to patient-facing volunteers.
Sources: COMAR 10.07.21.08; Md. Code, Health-Gen. §19-1901
Last reviewed October 2026
Massachusetts hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Conditional. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: Some roles or settings. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Flu and COVID-19 vaccination is required for 'personnel,' defined to include volunteers, only at a hospice inpatient facility (anyone who works at or comes to it) and for people giving direct patient care in a residential hospice program, with exemptions allowed; the rule does not clearly reach volunteers in home-only programs (105 CMR 141.201(D)). The hospice rule requires documented volunteer training on a minimum topic list but sets no hours (105 CMR 141.204(F)). The state's own licensing review of criminal history covers only the licensee and its officers (105 CMR 141.108(A)(3)), but M.G.L. c. 6 §172C requires a criminal record (CORI) check before an organization that receives public funds accepts a volunteer who provides care or transportation to people 60 or older, or to people with disabilities, at home or in the community.
Sources: 105 CMR 141.201; 105 CMR 141.204; 105 CMR 141.108; 105 CMR 141.206; M.G.L. c. 6 §172C
Last reviewed October 2026
Michigan hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Conditional. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Michigan's healthcare-worker criminal history check covers hospices and applies to individuals the hospice employs, contracts with or grants clinical privileges to who regularly have direct access to patients or provide direct services; the statute does not mention volunteers, so whether it reaches a given volunteer is unclear (MCL 333.20173a). Volunteers are expressly included in required infection-control education and training (R 325.45141). TB screening at hire is required for 'employees' (an undefined term) and the hospice must have a policy to evaluate personnel immunization status, but no vaccine is required (R 325.45139).
Sources: MCL 333.20173a; Mich. Admin. Code R 325.45141; Mich. Admin. Code R 325.45139; R 325.45101 to R 325.45385 (LARA)
Last reviewed October 2026
Minnesota hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Minnesota puts volunteers through the same state background study as employees, by name (Minn. Stat. §144A.754), and its TB infection-control program must cover all unpaid volunteers (§144A.753).
Sources: Minn. Stat. §144A.754; Minn. Stat. §144A.753
Last reviewed October 2026
Mississippi hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: Some roles or settings. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Mississippi's hospice rules say all volunteers must follow the same rules as employees regarding background checks and health screenings (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-1.3.1 and 16-1-1.18.14). That means a criminal history check with fingerprints for people giving direct patient care (16-1-1.15.3) and a health screening that includes TB screening before starting and yearly for those who come in contact with patients (16-1-1.15.4). Volunteers also need documented training on a minimum topic list and the hospice must offer quarterly in-service, but no minimum hours are set (16-1-1.18.14).
Sources: 15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-1.18.14; 15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-1.3.1; 15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-1.15.3; 15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-1.15.4
Last reviewed October 2026
Missouri hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Conditional. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
The hospice rule folds volunteers into 'employee' and requires task-appropriate orientation for all volunteers, extra orientation for patient-care volunteers, and documented in-services, with no minimum hours (19 CSR 30-35.010(1)(A)12 and (2)(J)). It also says the hospice must conduct criminal background checks in accordance with state law but names no registry (19 CSR 30-35.010(1)(E)3). Joining the Family Care Safety Registry is voluntary for anyone not otherwise required to register (RSMo 210.906.5).
Sources: 19 CSR 30-35.010; RSMo 210.906; RSMo 192.2495
Last reviewed October 2026
Montana hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: Some roles or settings. References or registry: No state rule.
General hospice volunteers ride the federal floor with a basic training mandate; first-aid and emergency training is required only for personal-care providers in a residential hospice facility (ARM 37.106.2311).
Sources: ARM 37.106.2301; ARM 37.106.2311
Last reviewed October 2026
Nebraska hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Conditional. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: Some roles or settings.
Neb. Rev. Stat. 71-6615 exempts hospice volunteers from the home health aide statutes, but the hospice licensing rule defines hospice staff to include volunteers, so direct care volunteers fall under its pre-employment criminal background check, registry checks (Nurse Aide, Adult Protective Services, child protection and sex offender) and pre-contact health screening, and the hospice must give volunteers orientation and training with no state hour minimum (175 NAC 16-002.40, 16-010.05, 16-010.07).
Sources: Neb. Rev. Stat. 71-6615; 175 NAC 16-002 (definitions); 175 NAC 16-010 (standards of operation, rev. eff. 6/2/2024)
Last reviewed October 2026
Nevada hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Nevada's facility background-check and TB-surveillance laws are scoped to employees and independent contractors, not volunteers; the hospice statute just requires 'trained volunteers.'
Sources: NRS 449.0115, 449.0151, 449.123; NAC 441A.375; NAC 449.017-449.0188 (hospice)
Last reviewed October 2026
New Hampshire hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: State rule.
One of the most volunteer-protective states: direct-care volunteers get a criminal-records check, an elder-abuse registry check, a physical exam or health screening by a licensed nurse or practitioner, and 2-step TB testing (He-P 823.18).
Sources: He-P 823.18; He-P 823.03 (definitions)
Last reviewed October 2026
New Jersey hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: State rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
New Jersey deleted its own hospice criminal-background rule in 2018, so only the federal check applies (N.J.A.C. 8:42C-3.4(d); 42 CFR 418.114(d)), but the hospice rule requires volunteers to have an initial health evaluation, TB testing, and rubella and measles screening with vaccination offered if they lack immunity (N.J.A.C. 8:42C-3.4(e), (h), (i), (j)).
Source: N.J.A.C. 8:42C-3.4
Last reviewed October 2026
New Mexico hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Conditional. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Volunteers working with patients need a physician or public health nurse certificate that they are free of tuberculosis (8.370.19.27), and the hospice must provide at least 12 clock hours of hospice training a year to its staff, which the rule defines to include volunteers (8.370.19.7, 8.370.19.26). Criminal history screening reaches caregivers employed by or contracted with a hospice (8.370.5), but that rule and the Employee Abuse Registry rule (8.370.8) are written for employees and contractors, and the registry rule does not list hospice, so neither clearly reaches unpaid volunteers.
Sources: 8.370.19 NMAC (hospice); 8.370.8 NMAC (Employee Abuse Registry); 8.370.5 NMAC (Caregiver Criminal History Screening)
Last reviewed October 2026
New York hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: State rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: State rule.
New York excludes volunteers from its criminal history record check by name (10 NYCRR 402.3), but its hospice rule applies TB testing, rubella and measles immunity, orientation and reference or prior-employment verification to volunteers with direct patient or family contact, and unvaccinated personnel must wear a mask in flu season (10 NYCRR 794.3).
Sources: 10 NYCRR 794.3; 10 NYCRR 402.3; 10 NYCRR 402.2
Last reviewed October 2026
North Carolina hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal + state minimum (12 hours). Immunizations: State rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: State rule.
No state background check reaches hospice volunteers, but 'hands-on care team members' (including direct patient and family volunteers) need TB screening, Hep B documentation, reference checks, and 12 hours of training (10A NCAC 13K).
Sources: 10A NCAC 13K .0401; 10A NCAC 13K .0402; N.C.G.S. 131E-265
Last reviewed October 2026
North Dakota hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
North Dakota's hospice rule requires volunteer orientation and training on five set topics (NDAC 33-03-15-08) but is silent on background checks, TB, immunizations, CPR, and reference checks. Those ride the federal baseline or the hospice's own policy.
Sources: NDAC 33-03-15-08 (Volunteer services); NDAC 33-03-15-02 (Governing body and management); NDCC 23-17.4-07 (Basic requirements for hospice program)
Last reviewed October 2026
Ohio hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Ohio's hospice background-check statute excludes uncompensated volunteers by name, but its licensing rule requires communicable-disease screening (including TB) for personnel 'including volunteers' with direct patient contact (OAC 3701-19).
Sources: OAC 3701-19-09 (Hospice care program personnel); OAC 3701-19-13 (Volunteer services); ORC 3712.09 (Criminal records check)
Last reviewed October 2026
Oklahoma hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Oklahoma's Long-Term Care Security Act reaches hospice volunteers whose duties involve one-on-one patient contact without line-of-sight supervision (63 O.S. §1-1945).
Sources: 63 O.S. 1-1945 (Long-Term Care Security Act definitions); OSDH Oklahoma National Background Check Program; OAC 310:661-1-2 (Hospice definitions); OAC 310:661-5-6 (Hospice infection control)
Last reviewed October 2026
Oregon hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: Some roles or settings. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Oregon requires a criminal background check for employees, contractors, and volunteers with direct patient contact or record access, repeated every 3 years (OAR ch. 333-035); other requirements follow the adopted federal CoPs.
Sources: OAR 333-035-0210 (Criminal Records Check); OAR 333-035-0190 (Infection Control); OAR 333-035-0115 (Compliance with CMS CoPs); OAR 333-019-0041 (TB screening and risk assessment); OAR Division 35 rule list (Secretary of State)
Last reviewed October 2026
Pennsylvania hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Pennsylvania never finalized its own hospice personnel rules (the federal CoPs serve as interim standards), and its elder-protection background-check law (OAPSA) is employment-based and doesn't clearly cover hospice, so volunteers ride the federal floor.
Sources: PA DOH Hospice Regulations page; 35 P.S. 448.806(g); Older Adults Protective Services Act (35 P.S. 10225.101 et seq.)
Last reviewed October 2026
Rhode Island hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Conditional. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: State rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: Some roles or settings.
Rhode Island's hospice licensing rule requires a pre-service health screening for everyone who has or may have direct patient contact, and sends that screening to the Health Department's health care worker rule, which counts volunteers with direct patient contact and requires a two-step TB test and immunizations (216-RICR-40-10-11.5.9(K); 216-RICR-20-15-7). The hospice criminal-records statute covers persons seeking employment and does not mention volunteers (R.I. Gen. Laws 23-17-34).
Sources: 216-RICR-40-10-11 (Licensing Hospice Care); 216-RICR-20-15-7 (Immunization, Testing, and Health Screening for Health Care Workers)
Last reviewed October 2026
South Carolina hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: Some roles or settings.
South Carolina's hospice licensing regulation requires a criminal record check under S.C. Code 44-7-2910 before anyone starts as staff or a direct care volunteer, and bars direct care volunteers with abuse, neglect or exploitation convictions. Volunteers with patient contact need a health assessment, and direct care volunteers need TB screening (a two-step skin test or a blood test) before patient contact. The regulation also requires inservice training for direct care volunteers at least annually, with no set hours (S.C. Reg. 61-78, sections 601, 605, 606 and 1303; now listed as Reg. 60-78).
Sources: S.C. Reg. 61-78.600.601 (General: criminal background check); S.C. Reg. 61-78.600.605 (Inservice training); S.C. Reg. 61-78.600.606 (Health status); S.C. Reg. 61-78.1300.1303 (Staff and volunteer TB screening); S.C. Code 44-7-2910; SC DPH Background Checks for Direct Caregivers
Last reviewed October 2026
South Dakota hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
South Dakota licenses inpatient and residential hospice facilities (ARSD ch. 44:79 and 44:80) but does not appear to have a separate state license for home hospice programs, which rely on Medicare certification. The facility rules require orientation and annual education for all personnel, bar knowingly employing anyone convicted of abusing another person, and set TB screening only for paid health care workers; none of them names volunteers (ARSD 44:79:04:03 to 44:79:04:06 and 44:80:04:03 to 44:80:04:06).
Sources: SD DOH Hospice licensure page; ARSD 44:79:04:03 (Personnel); ARSD 44:79:04:04 (Personnel training); ARSD 44:79:04:05 (Employee health program); ARSD 44:79:04:06 (Tuberculin screening); ARSD 44:79:01:01 (Definitions); ARSD 44:80:04:06 (Residential hospice TB screening)
Last reviewed October 2026
Tennessee hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Conditional. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: Some roles or settings.
Tennessee's mandatory criminal background check for hospice covers only paid employees who give direct care (T.C.A. 68-11-233), but the state Abuse Registry check applies to volunteers of licensed entities and may reach hospice volunteers, though the statute does not name hospices (T.C.A. 68-11-1004). The hospice rule requires an annual influenza vaccination program that offers vaccine to staff and independent practitioners, not volunteers by name, and requires volunteer orientation and training with no set hours (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0720-28-.06).
Sources: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0720-28-.06 (Basic agency functions); Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0720-28-.01 (Definitions); Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0720-28-.04 (Personnel); Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0720-23-.06 (Residential hospices); T.C.A. 68-11-233; T.C.A. 68-11-1004; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0720-39-.02 (Abuse registry definitions)
Last reviewed October 2026
Texas hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: State rule.
Volunteers with direct, face-to-face client contact need a criminal history check plus Nurse Aide Registry and Employee Misconduct Registry checks before contact, and meet the same standards as employees (26 TAC ch. 558).
Sources: 26 TAC 558.247; 26 TAC 558.246; 26 TAC 558.248; 26 TAC 558.855; 26 TAC 558.285; 26 TAC 558.853
Last reviewed October 2026
Utah hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: Some roles or settings. Training: Federal + state minimum (12 hours). Immunizations: Some roles or settings. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: State rule.
Volunteers who may have unsupervised direct patient access need state background-screening certification, with fingerprints, through the Direct Access Clearance System (R432-35), and every volunteer gets at least 12 hours of documented orientation and training (R432-750-17). The health screening policy covers 'hospice agency personnel,' but the TB skin-test and immunization language is written around 'employees,' so its reach to volunteers is unsettled (R432-750-5).
Sources: R432-750-17; R432-35-2; R432-35-3; R432-750-5; R432-750-23
Last reviewed October 2026
Vermont hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: Some roles or settings.
Vermont's home health agency designation rule, which lists Medicare/Medicaid-type hospice as a designated service, requires background checks on volunteers who provide direct care to patients, under the Department's background check policy (§7.6); no state TB, immunization, or CPR rule was found.
Source: Code of Vermont Rules 13-110-010 (Home Health Agency designation rules, as amended 10/1/2019)
Last reviewed October 2026
Virginia hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Federal baseline only. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: No state rule.
Virginia's background-check statute does not apply to volunteers who work with the permission or under the supervision of a cleared person, and the hospice rule's check covers only compensated employment (Va. Code §32.1-162.9:1; 12VAC5-391-110). Hospices must use trained volunteers under a written plan for their training, responsibilities, and supervision (12VAC5-391-400). A volunteer who serves as a home attendant must hold a nurse aide-type qualification or complete a 40-hour hospice training program, and home attendants need 12 hours of in-service a year (12VAC5-391-350). There is no state TB, immunization, or CPR rule.
Sources: Va. Code §32.1-162.9:1; 12VAC5-391-110; 12VAC5-391-400; 12VAC5-391-350; 12VAC5-391-210; 12VAC5-391 (full chapter)
Last reviewed October 2026
Washington hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: Some roles or settings. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: State rule.
Washington requires reference checks and Washington State Patrol criminal history background checks, renewed within two years, that expressly reach volunteers (WAC 246-335-625(3), (6)). If the agency's exposure risk assessment, which covers volunteers, finds a reasonably anticipated risk of blood exposure, it must offer 'workers' the Hepatitis B vaccine at agency expense, and they may decline (WAC 246-335-625(14)(e)). The TB risk assessment is written for employees and the CPR requirement for direct care personnel and contractors.
Sources: WAC 246-335-625; WAC 246-335-605
Last reviewed October 2026
West Virginia hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: Some roles or settings.
West Virginia's WV CARES law covers hospice providers and requires a registry check plus a state and federal fingerprint background check for 'direct access personnel,' a term that leaves out volunteers performing irregular or supervised functions (W. Va. Code §16B-15-1 and §16B-15-3, formerly §16-49). The hospice licensure rule (64 CSR 54) sets no volunteer screening, training-hour, TB, immunization, or CPR requirement.
Sources: W. Va. Code §16B-15-1; W. Va. Code §16B-15-3; WV CARES (Office of Inspector General); 64 CSR 54-5; 64 CSR 54-7
Last reviewed October 2026
Wisconsin hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: Conditional. TB or health screening: State rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: Some roles or settings.
Wisconsin defines a hospice 'volunteer' as an uncompensated staff person, so TB screening reaches patient-facing volunteers (DHS 131.24); the state caregiver background check applies to volunteers who stand in for paid staff.
Sources: DHS 131.24; DHS 131.13; DHS 131.27; DHS 131.31; DHS 131.23; Wis. Stat. 50.065
Last reviewed June 2026
Wyoming hospice volunteer requirements
Background checks: State rule. TB or health screening: No state rule. Training: Federal (no state minimum). Immunizations: No state rule. CPR or first aid: No state rule. References or registry: State rule.
Wyoming defines 'employees' to include volunteers and requires both a central-registry check and a fingerprint-based national criminal background check before unsupervised patient contact (WY DOH ch. 10).
Last reviewed June 2026
