Rep. Maura Hirschauer
Filed: 3/6/2023
 
 

 

 

 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1615 




2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1615 by replacing 
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:



 
4    "Section 1. Legislative findings. The General Assembly 
5recognizes: 
6    (1) There is a growing shortage of nurses working in 
7Illinois health care facilities, which is most profound in 
8Southern Illinois.
9    (2) Nurse employers, including hospitals and long-term 
10care facilities, cannot hire the number of nurses they need to 
11provide quality nursing care.
12    (3) The purpose of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center 
13is to address issues of supply and demand in the nursing 
14profession, including issues of recruitment, retention, and 
15utilization of nurse manpower resources.
16    (4) The Center reports that the Department of Financial 
17and Professional Regulation provides nursing licenses, as of 
 
 
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1June 2022, in  the following amounts: 17,931 advanced practice 
2registered nurse licenses; 200,600 registered nurse licenses; 
3and 25,978 licensed practical nurse licenses.
4    (5) The number of licenses does not equate to the number of 
5nurses currently in the workforce in Illinois as many nurses 
6renew their licenses even after retirement.
7    (6) There have been nursing surveys, but they have been 
8voluntary. For instance, in 2020, only 22% of nurses responded 
9to surveys.
10    (7) Strategies and changes are necessary to solving the 
11nursing shortage. There needs to be accurate and complete 
12data.
13    (8) Illinois must know whether there are regional 
14shortages of nurses, shortages of nurses in specialty areas, 
15or impediments to entering the nursing profession. A required 
16survey will address these and other nurse shortage issues.
 
17    Section 5. The Nurse Practice Act is amended  by changing 
18Section 75-10 as follows:
 
19    (225 ILCS 65/75-10)  (was 225 ILCS 65/17-10)
20    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
21    Sec. 75-10. Illinois Nursing Workforce Center. The purpose 
22of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center to address issues of 
23supply and demand in the nursing profession, including issues 
24of recruitment, retention, and utilization of nurse manpower 
 
 
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1resources. The General Assembly finds that the Center will 
2enhance the access to and delivery of quality health care 
3services by providing an ongoing strategy for the allocation 
4of the State's resources directed towards nursing. Each of the 
5following objectives shall serve as the primary goals for the 
6Center:
7        (1) To develop a strategic plan for nursing workforce 
8    in the State by selecting priorities to be addressed, 
9    including: manpower in Illinois by selecting priorities 
10    that must be addressed.
11            (A) For license renewals beginning in 2024 and 
12        each renewal thereafter, to develop and require the 
13        completion of a supply survey of all licensed nurses, 
14        including licensed practical nurses, registered 
15        nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses, at 
16        initial licensure and each license renewal thereafter. 
17        The survey shall use the National Forum of State 
18        Nursing Workforce Centers Minimum Nurse Supply 
19        Dataset. The Center shall compile, process, and 
20        evaluate the survey findings and report to the 
21        Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker 
22        of the House of Representatives with recommendations.
23            (B) No later than 2027, to develop a nurse demand 
24        and employer survey to be collected biennially. The 
25        survey shall use the National Forum of State Nursing 
26        Workforce Centers Minimum Nurse Demand Dataset. The 
 
 
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1        Center shall compile, process, and evaluate the survey 
2        findings and report to the Governor, the President of 
3        the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of 
4        Representatives with recommendations by no later than 
5        December 31, 2029.
6        (2) To convene various groups of representatives of 
7    nurses, other health care providers, businesses and 
8    industries, consumers, legislators, and educators, 
9    including 2 representatives of a labor organization 
10    recognized under the National Labor Relations Act 
11    representing active registered professional nurses 
12    licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional 
13    Regulation, appointed by the Secretary of Financial and 
14    Professional Regulation, to :
15            (A) review and comment on data analysis prepared 
16        by for the Center; and
17            (B) recommend systemic changes, including 
18        strategies for implementation of recommended changes.
19        (3) To enhance and promote recognition, reward, and 
20    renewal activities for nurses in the State Illinois by:
21            (A) proposing and creating reward, recognition, 
22        and renewal activities for nursing; and
23            (B) promoting positive media and positive 
24        image-building efforts for nursing.

25(Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)


 
 
 
 
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1    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
2becoming law.".