Public Act 103-0285
HB1615 EnrolledLRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b HB1615 Enrolled LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b
HB1615 Enrolled LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b
AN ACT concerning regulation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
finds:
(1) There is a growing shortage of nurses working in
Illinois health care facilities, which is most profound in
Southern Illinois.
(2) Nurse employers, including hospitals and long-term
care facilities, cannot hire the number of nurses they
need to provide quality nursing care.
(3) The purpose of the Illinois Nursing Workforce
Center is to address issues of supply and demand in the
nursing profession, including issues of recruitment,
retention, and utilization of nurse manpower resources.
(4) The Center reports that the Department of
Financial and Professional Regulation provides nursing
licenses, as of June 2022, in the following amounts:
17,931 advanced practice registered nurse licenses;
200,600 registered nurse licenses; and 25,978 licensed
practical nurse licenses.
(5) The number of licenses does not equate to the
number of nurses currently in the workforce in Illinois as
many nurses renew their licenses even after retirement.
HB1615 Enrolled LRB103 25827 AMQ 52178 b
(6) There have been nursing surveys, but they have
been voluntary. For instance, in 2020, only 22% of nurses
responded to surveys.
(7) Strategies and changes are necessary to solving
the nursing shortage. There needs to be accurate and
complete data.
(8) Illinois must know whether there are regional
shortages of nurses, shortages of nurses in specialty
areas, or impediments to entering the nursing profession.
A required survey will address these and other nurse
shortage issues.
Section 5. The Nurse Practice Act is amended by changing
Sections 75-10 and 75-15 as follows:
(225 ILCS 65/75-10) (was 225 ILCS 65/17-10)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
Sec. 75-10. Illinois Nursing Workforce Center. The purpose
of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center to address issues of
supply and demand in the nursing profession, including issues
of recruitment, retention, and utilization of nurse manpower
resources. The General Assembly finds that the Center will
enhance the access to and delivery of quality health care
services by providing an ongoing strategy for the allocation
of the State's resources directed towards nursing. Each of the
following objectives shall serve as the primary goals for the
Center:
(1) To develop a strategic plan for nursing workforce
in the State by selecting priorities to be addressed,
including: manpower in Illinois by selecting priorities
that must be addressed.
(A) For license renewals beginning in 2024 and
each renewal thereafter, to develop and require all
licensed nurses, including licensed practical nurses,
registered nurses, and advanced practice registered
nurses, respond to the Center's nursing workforce
supply survey. Applicants shall respond to the
Center's nursing workforce supply survey in
conjunction with license renewal. However, license
renewal shall not be contingent upon responding to the
Center's nursing workforce supply survey and failure
to respond to the Center's nursing workforce supply
survey shall not result in encumbrance of the
applicant's license. The survey shall use the National
Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers Minimum Nurse
Supply Dataset. The Center shall compile, process, and
evaluate the survey findings and report to the
Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker
of the House of Representatives with recommendations.
As used in this subsection, "nursing workforce
supply survey" means the nursing workforce supply
survey conducted biennially by the Center that asks
nurses to provide information about their
demographics, specialty, setting of work, and other
information necessary to inform the State on the
status and characteristics of the State's nursing
workforce.
(B) No later than 2027, to develop a nurse demand
and employer survey to be collected biennially. The
survey shall use the National Forum of State Nursing
Workforce Centers Minimum Nurse Demand Dataset. The
Center shall compile, process, and evaluate the survey
findings and report to the Governor, the President of
the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives with recommendations.
(2) To convene various groups of representatives of
nurses, other health care providers, businesses and
industries, consumers, legislators, and educators to:
(A) review and comment on data analysis prepared
by for the Center; and
(B) recommend systemic changes, including
strategies for implementation of recommended changes.
(3) To enhance and promote recognition, reward, and
renewal activities for nurses in the State Illinois by:
(A) proposing and creating reward, recognition,
and renewal activities for nursing; and
(B) promoting positive media and positive
image-building efforts for nursing.
(Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)
(225 ILCS 65/75-15) (was 225 ILCS 65/17-15)
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
Sec. 75-15. Illinois Nursing Workforce Center Advisory
Board.
(a) There is created the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center
Advisory Board, which shall consist of 11 members appointed by
the Secretary, with 6 members of the Advisory Board being
nurses representative of various nursing specialty areas and 2
members representing a labor organization recognized under the
National Labor Relations Act that represents active registered
professional nurses licensed by the Department of Financial
and Professional Regulation. The other 3 5 members may include
representatives of associations, health care providers,
nursing educators, and consumers.
(b) The membership of the Advisory Board shall reasonably
reflect representation from the geographic areas in this
State.
(c) Members of the Advisory Board appointed by the
Secretary shall serve for terms of 4 years, with no member
serving more than 10 successive years. A member shall serve
until his or her successor is appointed and has qualified.
Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as original
appointments, and any member so appointed shall serve during
the remainder of the term for which the vacancy occurred.
(d) A quorum of the Advisory Board shall consist of a
majority of Advisory Board members currently serving. A
majority vote of the quorum is required for Advisory Board
decisions. A vacancy in the membership of the Advisory Board
shall not impair the right of a quorum to exercise all of the
rights and perform all of the duties of the Advisory Board.
(e) The Secretary may remove any appointed member of the
Advisory Board for misconduct, incapacity, or neglect of duty
and shall be the sole judge of the sufficiency of the cause for
removal.
(f) Members of the Advisory Board are immune from suit in
any action based upon any activities performed in good faith
as members of the Advisory Board.
(g) Members of the Advisory Board shall not receive
compensation, but shall be reimbursed for actual traveling,
incidentals, and expenses necessarily incurred in carrying out
their duties as members of the Advisory Board, as approved by
the Department.
(h) The Advisory Board shall meet annually to elect a
chairperson and vice chairperson.
(Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)