HB1630 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 24889 RJT 51222 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB1630

Introduced 2/1/2023, by Rep. Bradley Fritts

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

110 ILCS 805/3-80 new

Amends the Public Community College Act. Allows the Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 506 to establish and offer at Sauk Valley Community College a baccalaureate-level nursing education pilot program that confers a bachelor of science degree in nursing upon the meeting of specified conditions. Requires the Illinois Community College Board to conduct a statewide evaluation of the nursing program and report on the results of the evaluation by July 1, 2028; specifies evaluation requirements. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Public Community College Act is amended by adding Section 3-80 as follows:

(110 ILCS 805/3-80 new)

Sec. 3-80. Baccalaureate degree in nursing pilot program.

(a) The Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 506 may establish and offer at Sauk Valley Community College a baccalaureate-level nursing education pilot program, commonly referred to as a baccalaureate completion program (RN to BSN), that confers a bachelor of science degree in nursing if all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The Board of Trustees meets all of the requirements as set forth in subsection (b) of this Section, and the program has been approved by the State Board to offer a bachelor of science degree in nursing.

(2) After the program has been approved by the State Board, the Board of Higher Education shall consider the program for approval in a manner consistent with new bachelor's degree programs at public and private universities in this State.

(3) The Board of Trustees has identified and documented, in writing, unmet workforce needs in the subject area of the baccalaureate degree to be offered. The Board of Trustees shall publish on the community college district's website and make publicly available the documentation and shall present the documentation to the State Board.

(4) The community college shall hold a national professional nursing accreditation or have applied for the accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, or the Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation.

(5) The community college shall offer and maintain an associate degree in nursing.

(6) The Board of Trustees must demonstrate, in writing, how the community college will enhance future opportunities for minority and bilingual populations by focusing outreach efforts and giving preference to those students in order to meet workforce needs.

(b) The Board of Trustees shall demonstrate that the community college has the expertise, resources, and student interest to offer a quality bachelor of science degree in nursing. An application for approval from the State Board shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) The Board of Trustees shall describe the labor market need as specified in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of this Section.

(2) The Board of Trustees shall describe the program's purpose, its target population, related occupations, and career paths.

(3) The Board of Trustees shall demonstrate that the community college has developed quality curricula that aligns with federal, State, and local requirements and will prepare graduates with the appropriate level of skill to meet their educational goals.

(4) The Board of Trustees shall verify the community college district has the fiscal resources in place or has budgeted for financial support for the program in a cost-effective manner.

(5) The Board of Trustees shall identify and document the faculty available for teaching the program, including the number of full-time faculty anticipated to teach in the program, a description of their qualifications (including highest degree earned), teaching experience, professional experience, and licenses held. The Board of Trustees must also indicate how faculty are to be evaluated.

(c) The community college district is prohibited from using semester credit hours generated in baccalaureate degree programs for grants received pursuant to Section 2-16.02 of this Act.

(d) The State Board shall conduct a statewide evaluation of a pilot program established under this Section. The results of the evaluation shall be reported on or before July 1, 2028 to all of the following:

(1) The Board of Higher Education.

(2) The Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(3) The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

(4) The President of the Senate.

(5) The Minority Leader of the Senate.

(6) The Governor's Office of Management and Budget.

The reports to the General Assembly shall be filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate in electronic form only, in the manner that the Clerk and the Secretary shall direct.

The evaluation shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(i) Information identifying applicants, admissions, enrollment, the demographic characteristics of students, and degree recipients.

(ii) The extent to which the program fulfills identified workforce needs.

(iii) Information on the pace of employment of students and the subsequent job placement of graduates.

(iv) The cost of the program and the funding sources that were used to finance the program.

(v) Time-to-degree rates and completion rates for the program.

(vi) The extent to which the program is in compliance with the requirements of this Section.

The Board of Trustees shall submit the information necessary to conduct the evaluation required under this subsection (d), as determined by the evaluator, to the State Board.

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