SB2137 EngrossedLRB102 16414 CPF 21804 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Nursing Home Care Act is amended by adding
5Section 3-102.3 as follows:
 
6    (210 ILCS 45/3-102.3 new)
7    Sec. 3-102.3. Religious and recreational activities;
8social isolation.
9    (a) In this Section:
10    "Religious and recreational activities" includes any
11religious, social, or recreational activity that is consistent
12with a resident's preferences and choosing, regardless of
13whether the activity is coordinated, offered, provided, or
14sponsored by facility staff or by an outside activities
15provider.
16    "Social isolation" means a state of isolation wherein a
17resident of a long-term care facility is unable to engage in
18social interactions and religious and recreational activities
19with other facility residents or with family members, friends,
20loved ones, caregivers and external support systems.
21    (b) The Department shall require each long-term care
22facility in the State to adopt and implement written policies,
23provide for the availability of technology to facility

 

 

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1residents, and ensure that appropriate staff and other
2capabilities are in place to prevent the social isolation of
3facility residents. The policies shall not be interpreted as a
4substitute for in-person visitation, but shall be wholly in
5addition to existing in-person visitation policies.
6    (c) The social isolation prevention policies adopted by
7each long-term care facility pursuant to subsection (b) shall
8be consistent with the rights and privileges guaranteed to
9residents and constraints provided under Sections 2-108,
102-109, and 2-110 and shall:
11        (1) authorize, and include specific protocols and
12    procedures to encourage and enable, residents of the
13    facility to engage in in-person contact, communication,
14    religious activity, and recreational activity with other
15    facility residents and with family members, friends, loved
16    ones, caregivers, and other external support systems,
17    except when the in-person contact, communication,
18    religious activity, or recreational activity is
19    prohibited, restricted, or limited by federal or State
20    statute, rule, regulation, or guidance;
21        (2) authorize, and include specific protocols and
22    procedures to encourage and enable, residents to engage in
23    face-to-face, verbal-based, or auditory-based contact,
24    communication, religious activity, and recreational
25    activity with other facility residents and with family
26    members, friends, loved ones, caregivers, and other

 

 

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1    external support systems, through the use of electronic or
2    virtual means and methods, including, but not limited to,
3    computer technology, the Internet, social media,
4    videoconferencing, videophone, and other innovative
5    technological means or methods, whenever the resident is
6    subject to restrictions that limit his or her ability to
7    engage in in-person contact, communication, religious
8    activity, or recreational activity as authorized by
9    paragraph (1);
10        (3) provide for residents of the facility to be given
11    access to assistive and supportive technology as may be
12    necessary to facilitate the residents' engagement in
13    face-to-face, verbal-based, or auditory-based contact,
14    communication, religious activity, and recreational
15    activity with other residents, family members, friends,
16    and other external support systems, through electronic
17    means, as provided by paragraph (2);
18        (4) include specific administrative policies,
19    procedures, and protocols governing:
20            (A) the acquisition, maintenance, and replacement
21        of computers, videoconferencing equipment,
22        distance-based communications technology, assistive
23        and supportive technology and devices, and other
24        technological equipment, accessories, and electronic
25        licenses as may be necessary to ensure that residents
26        are able to engage in face-to-face, verbal-based, or

 

 

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1        auditory-based contact, communication, religious
2        activity, and recreational activity with other
3        facility residents and with family members, friends,
4        loved ones, caregivers, and other external support
5        systems, through electronic means, in accordance with
6        the provisions of paragraphs (2) and (3) of this
7        subsection;
8            (B) the use of environmental barriers and other
9        controls when the equipment and devices acquired
10        pursuant to subparagraph (A) are in use, especially in
11        cases where the equipment or devices are likely to
12        become contaminated with bodily substances, are
13        touched frequently with gloved or ungloved hands, or
14        are difficult to clean; and
15            (C) the regular cleaning and sanitizing of the
16        equipment and devices acquired pursuant to
17        subparagraph (A) and any environmental barriers or
18        other physical controls used in association therewith;
19        (5) require appropriate staff to assess and regularly
20    reassess the individual needs and preferences of facility
21    residents with respect to the residents' participation in
22    social interactions and religious and recreational
23    activities, including specific protocols and procedures to
24    ensure that the quantity of devices and equipment
25    maintained on-site at the facility remains sufficient, at
26    all times, to meet the assessed social and activity needs

 

 

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1    and preferences of each facility resident; family members
2    or caregivers should be considered, as appropriate, in the
3    assessment and reassessment;
4        (6) require appropriate staff, upon the request of a
5    resident or the resident's family members, guardian, or
6    representative to develop an individualized visitation
7    plan for the resident, which shall:
8            (A) identify the assessed needs and preferences of
9        the resident and any preferences specified by the
10        resident's representative, unless a preference
11        specified by the resident conflicts with a preference
12        specified by the resident's representative, in which
13        case the resident's preference shall take priority;
14            (B) address the need for a visitation schedule and
15        establish a visitation schedule if deemed to be
16        appropriate;
17            (C) document the long-term care facility's defined
18        virtual hours of visitation and inform the resident
19        and the resident's representative that visitation
20        pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection (c) will
21        adhere to the defined visitation hours;
22            (D) describe the location and modalities to be
23        used in visitation; and
24            (E) describe the respective responsibilities of
25        staff, visitors, and the resident when engaging in
26        visitation pursuant to the individualized visitation

 

 

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1        plan;
2        (7) notify the resident and the resident's
3    representative that they have the right to request of
4    facility staff the creation and review of a resident's
5    individualized visitation plan;
6        (8) include specific policies, protocols, and
7    procedures governing a resident's requisition, use, and
8    return of devices and equipment maintained pursuant to
9    subparagraph (A) of paragraph (4), and require appropriate
10    staff to communicate those policies, protocols, and
11    procedures to residents; and
12        (9) designate at least one member of the therapeutic
13    recreation or activities department, or, if the facility
14    does not have such a department, designate at least one
15    senior staff member, as determined by facility management,
16    to train other appropriate facility employees, including,
17    but not limited to, activities professionals and
18    volunteers, social workers, occupational therapists, and
19    therapy assistants, to provide direct assistance to
20    residents upon request and on an as-needed basis, as
21    necessary to ensure that each resident is able to
22    successfully access and use, for the purposes specified in
23    paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, the technology,
24    devices, and equipment acquired pursuant to subparagraph
25    (A) of paragraph (4).
26    (d) A long-term care facility may apply for civil monetary

 

 

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1penalty fund grants and may request other available federal
2and State funds to obtain assistive and supportive
3technologies and related accessories that would facilitate
4communication between residents and other family members,
5friends, and external support systems.
6    (e) The Department shall determine whether a long-term
7care facility is in compliance with the provisions of this
8Section and the policies, protocols, and procedures adopted
9pursuant to this Section when conducting an annual licensure
10and certification survey, when a complaint is received, or as
11frequently as may be necessary to ensure compliance with the
12provisions of this Section.
13    In addition to any other applicable penalties provided by
14law, a long-term care facility that fails to comply with the
15provisions of this Section or properly implement the policies,
16protocols, and procedures adopted pursuant to subsection (b)
17shall be liable to pay an administrative penalty as a Type "C"
18violation, the amount of which shall be determined in
19accordance with a schedule established by the Department by
20rule. The schedule shall provide for an enhanced
21administrative penalty in the case of a repeat or ongoing
22violation. Implementation of an administrative penalty as a
23Type "C" violation under this subsection shall not be imposed
24prior to January 1, 2023.
25    (f) Whenever a complaint received by the Office of State
26Long Term Care Ombudsman discloses evidence that a long-term

 

 

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1care facility has failed to comply with the provisions of this
2Section or to properly implement the policies, protocols, and
3procedures adopted pursuant to subsection (b), the Office of
4State Long Term Care Ombudsman shall refer the matter to the
5Department.
6    (g) This Section does not impact, limit, or constrict a
7resident's right to or usage of his or her personal property or
8electronic monitoring under Section 2-115.
9    (h) Within 60 days after the effective date of this
10amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, the Department
11shall adopt any rules necessary to implement the provisions of
12this Section. The rules shall include, but need not be limited
13to, minimum standards for the social isolation prevention
14policies to be adopted pursuant to subsection (b), a penalty
15schedule to be used pursuant to subsection (e), and policies
16regarding a long-term care facility's Internet access and
17subsequent Internet barriers in relation to a resident's
18visitation plan pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection (c).
19The Department's rules shall take into account Internet
20bandwidth limitations outside of the control of a long-term
21care facility.
 
22    Section 10. The Illinois Administrative Procedure Act is
23amended by adding Section 5-45.8 as follows:
 
24    (5 ILCS 100/5-45.8 new)

 

 

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1    Sec. 5-45.8. Emergency rulemaking; Nursing Home Care Act.
2To provide for the expeditious and timely implementation of
3this amendatory Act of the 102nd General Assembly, emergency
4rules implementing Section 3-102.3 of the Nursing Home Care
5Act may be adopted in accordance with Section 5-45 by the
6Department of Public Health. The adoption of emergency rules
7authorized by Section 5-45 and this Section is deemed to be
8necessary for the public interest, safety, and welfare.
9    This Section is repealed on January 1, 2027.
 
10    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
11becoming law.