103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1615 Introduced , by Rep. Maura Hirschauer SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 225 ILCS 65/75-10 was 225 ILCS 65/17-10 Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides legislative findings. Provides that a primary goal of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center is to develop a strategic plan for nursing workforce in the State by selecting priorities to be addressed, including: (1) for license renewals beginning in 2024 and each renewal thereafter, to develop and require the completion of a supply survey of all licensed nurses at initial licensure and each license renewal thereafter; and (2) no later than 2026, to develop a nurse demand and employer survey to be collected biennially. LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1615 Introduced , by Rep. Maura Hirschauer SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 225 ILCS 65/75-10 was 225 ILCS 65/17-10 225 ILCS 65/75-10 was 225 ILCS 65/17-10 Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides legislative findings. Provides that a primary goal of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center is to develop a strategic plan for nursing workforce in the State by selecting priorities to be addressed, including: (1) for license renewals beginning in 2024 and each renewal thereafter, to develop and require the completion of a supply survey of all licensed nurses at initial licensure and each license renewal thereafter; and (2) no later than 2026, to develop a nurse demand and employer survey to be collected biennially. LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1615 Introduced , by Rep. Maura Hirschauer SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 225 ILCS 65/75-10 was 225 ILCS 65/17-10 225 ILCS 65/75-10 was 225 ILCS 65/17-10 225 ILCS 65/75-10 was 225 ILCS 65/17-10 Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides legislative findings. Provides that a primary goal of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center is to develop a strategic plan for nursing workforce in the State by selecting priorities to be addressed, including: (1) for license renewals beginning in 2024 and each renewal thereafter, to develop and require the completion of a supply survey of all licensed nurses at initial licensure and each license renewal thereafter; and (2) no later than 2026, to develop a nurse demand and employer survey to be collected biennially. LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b A BILL FOR HB1615LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615 LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615 LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b 1 AN ACT concerning regulation. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Legislative findings. The General Assembly 5 recognizes: 6 (1) There is a growing shortage of nurses working in 7 Illinois health care facilities, which is most profound in 8 Southern Illinois. 9 (2) Nurse employers, including hospitals and long-term 10 care facilities, cannot hire the number of nurses they need to 11 provide quality nursing care. 12 (3) The purpose of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center 13 is to address issues of supply and demand in the nursing 14 profession, including issues of recruitment, retention, and 15 utilization of nurse manpower resources. 16 (4) The Center reports that the Department of Financial 17 and Professional Regulation provides nursing licenses, as of 18 June 2022, in the following amounts: 17,931 advanced practice 19 registered nurse licenses; 200,600 registered nurse licenses; 20 and 25,978 licensed practical nurse licenses. 21 (5) The number of licenses does not equate to the number of 22 nurses currently in the workforce in Illinois as many nurses 23 renew their licenses even after retirement. 24 (6) There have been nursing surveys, but they have been 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB1615 Introduced , by Rep. Maura Hirschauer SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 225 ILCS 65/75-10 was 225 ILCS 65/17-10 225 ILCS 65/75-10 was 225 ILCS 65/17-10 225 ILCS 65/75-10 was 225 ILCS 65/17-10 Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides legislative findings. Provides that a primary goal of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center is to develop a strategic plan for nursing workforce in the State by selecting priorities to be addressed, including: (1) for license renewals beginning in 2024 and each renewal thereafter, to develop and require the completion of a supply survey of all licensed nurses at initial licensure and each license renewal thereafter; and (2) no later than 2026, to develop a nurse demand and employer survey to be collected biennially. LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b A BILL FOR 225 ILCS 65/75-10 was 225 ILCS 65/17-10 LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615 LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615- 2 -LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615 - 2 - LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615 - 2 - LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b 1 voluntary. For instance, in 2020, only 22% of nurses responded 2 to surveys. 3 (7) Strategies and changes are necessary to solving the 4 nursing shortage. There needs to be accurate and complete 5 data. 6 (8) Illinois must know whether there are regional 7 shortages of nurses, shortages of nurses in specialty areas, 8 or impediments to entering the nursing profession. A required 9 survey will address these and other nurse shortage issues. 10 Section 5. The Nurse Practice Act is amended by changing 11 Section 75-10 as follows: 12 (225 ILCS 65/75-10) (was 225 ILCS 65/17-10) 13 (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028) 14 Sec. 75-10. Illinois Nursing Workforce Center. The purpose 15 of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center to address issues of 16 supply and demand in the nursing profession, including issues 17 of recruitment, retention, and utilization of nurse manpower 18 resources. The General Assembly finds that the Center will 19 enhance the access to and delivery of quality health care 20 services by providing an ongoing strategy for the allocation 21 of the State's resources directed towards nursing. Each of the 22 following objectives shall serve as the primary goals for the 23 Center: 24 (1) To develop a strategic plan for nursing workforce HB1615 - 2 - LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615- 3 -LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615 - 3 - LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615 - 3 - LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b 1 in the State by selecting priorities to be addressed, 2 including: manpower in Illinois by selecting priorities 3 that must be addressed. 4 (A) For license renewals beginning in 2024 and 5 each renewal thereafter, to develop and require the 6 completion of a supply survey of all licensed nurses, 7 including licensed practical nurses, registered 8 nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses, at 9 initial licensure and each license renewal thereafter. 10 The survey shall use the National Forum of State 11 Nursing Workforce Centers Minimum Nurse Supply 12 Dataset. The Center shall compile, process, and 13 evaluate the survey findings and report to the 14 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker 15 of the House of Representatives with recommendations. 16 (B) No later than 2026, to develop a nurse demand 17 and employer survey to be collected biennially. The 18 survey shall use the National Forum of State Nursing 19 Workforce Centers Minimum Nurse Demand Dataset. The 20 Center shall compile, process, and evaluate the survey 21 findings and report to the Governor, the President of 22 the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of 23 Representatives with recommendations. 24 (2) To convene various groups of representatives of 25 nurses, other health care providers, businesses and 26 industries, consumers, legislators, and educators to: HB1615 - 3 - LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615- 4 -LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615 - 4 - LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615 - 4 - LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b 1 (A) review and comment on data analysis prepared 2 by for the Center; and 3 (B) recommend systemic changes, including 4 strategies for implementation of recommended changes. 5 (3) To enhance and promote recognition, reward, and 6 renewal activities for nurses in the State Illinois by: 7 (A) proposing and creating reward, recognition, 8 and renewal activities for nursing; and 9 (B) promoting positive media and positive 10 image-building efforts for nursing. 11 (Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.) HB1615 - 4 - LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b