Public Act 103-0285
 
HB1615 EnrolledLRB103 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.
        (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    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)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.)


 
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.