HB1615 EngrossedLRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615 Engrossed LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b
HB1615 Engrossed 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 finds:
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
11 need to provide quality nursing care.
12 (3) The purpose of the Illinois Nursing Workforce
13 Center is to address issues of supply and demand in the
14 nursing profession, including issues of recruitment,
15 retention, and utilization of nurse manpower resources.
16 (4) The Center reports that the Department of
17 Financial and Professional Regulation provides nursing
18 licenses, as of June 2022, in the following amounts:
19 17,931 advanced practice registered nurse licenses;
20 200,600 registered nurse licenses; and 25,978 licensed
21 practical nurse licenses.
22 (5) The number of licenses does not equate to the
23 number of nurses currently in the workforce in Illinois as
24 many nurses renew their licenses even after retirement.
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1 (6) There have been nursing surveys, but they have
2 been voluntary. For instance, in 2020, only 22% of nurses
3 responded to surveys.
4 (7) Strategies and changes are necessary to solving
5 the nursing shortage. There needs to be accurate and
6 complete data.
7 (8) Illinois must know whether there are regional
8 shortages of nurses, shortages of nurses in specialty
9 areas, or impediments to entering the nursing profession.
10 A required survey will address these and other nurse
11 shortage issues.
12 Section 5. The Nurse Practice Act is amended by changing
13 Sections 75-10 and 75-15 as follows:
14 (225 ILCS 65/75-10) (was 225 ILCS 65/17-10)
15 (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
16 Sec. 75-10. Illinois Nursing Workforce Center. The purpose
17 of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center to address issues of
18 supply and demand in the nursing profession, including issues
19 of recruitment, retention, and utilization of nurse manpower
20 resources. The General Assembly finds that the Center will
21 enhance the access to and delivery of quality health care
22 services by providing an ongoing strategy for the allocation
23 of the State's resources directed towards nursing. Each of the
24 following objectives shall serve as the primary goals for the
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1 Center:
2 (1) To develop a strategic plan for nursing workforce
3 in the State by selecting priorities to be addressed,
4 including: manpower in Illinois by selecting priorities
5 that must be addressed.
6 (A) For license renewals beginning in 2024 and
7 each renewal thereafter, to develop and require all
8 licensed nurses, including licensed practical nurses,
9 registered nurses, and advanced practice registered
10 nurses, respond to the Center's nursing workforce
11 supply survey. Applicants shall respond to the
12 Center's nursing workforce supply survey in
13 conjunction with license renewal. However, license
14 renewal shall not be contingent upon responding to the
15 Center's nursing workforce supply survey and failure
16 to respond to the Center's nursing workforce supply
17 survey shall not result in encumbrance of the
18 applicant's license. The survey shall use the National
19 Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers Minimum Nurse
20 Supply Dataset. The Center shall compile, process, and
21 evaluate the survey findings and report to the
22 Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker
23 of the House of Representatives with recommendations.
24 As used in this subsection, "nursing workforce
25 supply survey" means the nursing workforce supply
26 survey conducted biennially by the Center that asks
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1 nurses to provide information about their
2 demographics, specialty, setting of work, and other
3 information necessary to inform the State on the
4 status and characteristics of the State's nursing
5 workforce.
6 (B) No later than 2027, to develop a nurse demand
7 and employer survey to be collected biennially. The
8 survey shall use the National Forum of State Nursing
9 Workforce Centers Minimum Nurse Demand Dataset. The
10 Center shall compile, process, and evaluate the survey
11 findings and report to the Governor, the President of
12 the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
13 Representatives with recommendations.
14 (2) To convene various groups of representatives of
15 nurses, other health care providers, businesses and
16 industries, consumers, legislators, and educators to:
17 (A) review and comment on data analysis prepared
18 by for the Center; and
19 (B) recommend systemic changes, including
20 strategies for implementation of recommended changes.
21 (3) To enhance and promote recognition, reward, and
22 renewal activities for nurses in the State Illinois by:
23 (A) proposing and creating reward, recognition,
24 and renewal activities for nursing; and
25 (B) promoting positive media and positive
26 image-building efforts for nursing.
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1 (Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)
2 (225 ILCS 65/75-15) (was 225 ILCS 65/17-15)
3 (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
4 Sec. 75-15. Illinois Nursing Workforce Center Advisory
5 Board.
6 (a) There is created the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center
7 Advisory Board, which shall consist of 11 members appointed by
8 the Secretary, with 6 members of the Advisory Board being
9 nurses representative of various nursing specialty areas and 2
10 members representing a labor organization recognized under the
11 National Labor Relations Act that represents active registered
12 professional nurses licensed by the Department of Financial
13 and Professional Regulation. The other 3 5 members may include
14 representatives of associations, health care providers,
15 nursing educators, and consumers.
16 (b) The membership of the Advisory Board shall reasonably
17 reflect representation from the geographic areas in this
18 State.
19 (c) Members of the Advisory Board appointed by the
20 Secretary shall serve for terms of 4 years, with no member
21 serving more than 10 successive years. A member shall serve
22 until his or her successor is appointed and has qualified.
23 Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as original
24 appointments, and any member so appointed shall serve during
25 the remainder of the term for which the vacancy occurred.
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1 (d) A quorum of the Advisory Board shall consist of a
2 majority of Advisory Board members currently serving. A
3 majority vote of the quorum is required for Advisory Board
4 decisions. A vacancy in the membership of the Advisory Board
5 shall not impair the right of a quorum to exercise all of the
6 rights and perform all of the duties of the Advisory Board.
7 (e) The Secretary may remove any appointed member of the
8 Advisory Board for misconduct, incapacity, or neglect of duty
9 and shall be the sole judge of the sufficiency of the cause for
10 removal.
11 (f) Members of the Advisory Board are immune from suit in
12 any action based upon any activities performed in good faith
13 as members of the Advisory Board.
14 (g) Members of the Advisory Board shall not receive
15 compensation, but shall be reimbursed for actual traveling,
16 incidentals, and expenses necessarily incurred in carrying out
17 their duties as members of the Advisory Board, as approved by
18 the Department.
19 (h) The Advisory Board shall meet annually to elect a
20 chairperson and vice chairperson.
21 (Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)
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