No. The hiring decision is the responsibility of the employer. The DHSS panel is authorized to make Good Cause Waiver decisions only regarding applicants who are disqualified based on the background screening findings listed in statute. If a Good Cause Waiver application is received for an individual who is not disqualified based on what is listed in statute, the application will be rejected (e.g., will not be considered) and the applicant and/or employer will be notified. The hiring decision always remains with the employer/provider, even if a finding is not a disqualifier, there are no findings, or the applicant has a Good Cause Waiver. For example, an applicant may not have a felony theft on their record but has a string of misdemeanor and/or local ordinance thefts. Even though the applicant would not be disqualified per statute, the provider might still make the decision not to hire due to the pattern of “lesser” thefts.