93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
SB2288

 

Introduced 1/22/2004, by Miguel del Valle

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
225 ILCS 65/10-30

    Amends the Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act. Provides that an applicant for licensure by endorsement who is a registered professional nurse or a licensed practical nurse under the laws of another state or territory of the United States may, in lieu of taking and passing the examination required by the Department, have passed a state, regional, or national examination that is substantially equivalent to or more stringent than the examination given by the Department, if the applicant has actively practiced nursing in another state or territory of the United States for 2 of the preceding 3 years without having his or her license acted against by the licensing authority of any jurisdiction. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning nurses.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act is
5 amended by changing Section 10-30 as follows:
 
6     (225 ILCS 65/10-30)
7     (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2008)
8     Sec. 10-30. Qualifications for licensure.
9     (a) Each applicant who successfully meets the requirements
10 of this Section shall be entitled to licensure as a Registered
11 Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse, whichever is applicable.
12     (b) An applicant for licensure by examination to practice
13 as a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse shall:
14         (1) submit a completed written application, on forms
15     provided by the Department and fees as established by the
16     Department;
17         (2) for registered nurse licensure, have graduated
18     from a professional nursing education program approved by
19     the Department;
20         (2.5) for licensed practical nurse licensure, have
21     graduated graduate from a practical nursing education
22     program approved by the Department;
23         (3) have not violated the provisions of Section 10-45
24     of this Act. The Department may take into consideration any
25     felony conviction of the applicant, but such a conviction
26     shall not operate as an absolute bar to licensure;
27         (4) meet all other requirements as established by rule;
28         (5) pay, either to the Department or its designated
29     testing service, a fee covering the cost of providing the
30     examination. Failure to appear for the examination on the
31     scheduled date at the time and place specified after the
32     applicant's application for examination has been received

 

 

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1     and acknowledged by the Department or the designated
2     testing service shall result in the forfeiture of the
3     examination fee.
4     If an applicant neglects, fails, or refuses to take an
5 examination or fails to pass an examination for a license under
6 this Act within 3 years after filing the application, the
7 application shall be denied. However, the applicant may make a
8 new application accompanied by the required fee and provide
9 evidence of meeting the requirements in force at the time of
10 the new application.
11     An applicant may take and successfully complete a
12 Department-approved examination in another jurisdiction.
13 However, an applicant who has never been licensed previously in
14 any jurisdiction that utilizes a Department-approved
15 examination and who has taken and failed to pass the
16 examination within 3 years after filing the application must
17 submit proof of successful completion of a
18 Department-authorized nursing education program or
19 recompletion of an approved registered nursing program or
20 licensed practical nursing program, as appropriate, prior to
21 re-application.
22     An applicant shall have one year from the date of
23 notification of successful completion of the examination to
24 apply to the Department for a license. If an applicant fails to
25 apply within one year, the applicant shall be required to again
26 take and pass the examination unless licensed in another
27 jurisdiction of the United States within one year of passing
28 the examination.
29     (c) An applicant for licensure by endorsement who is a
30 registered professional nurse or a licensed practical nurse
31 licensed by examination under the laws of another state or
32 territory of the United States or a foreign country,
33 jurisdiction, territory, or province shall:
34         (1) submit a completed written application, on forms
35     supplied by the Department, and fees as established by the
36     Department;

 

 

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1         (2) for registered nurse licensure, have graduated
2     from a professional nursing education program approved by
3     the Department;
4         (2.5) for licensed practical nurse licensure, have
5     graduated from a practical nursing education program
6     approved by the Department;
7         (3) submit verification of licensure status directly
8     from the United States jurisdiction of licensure, if
9     applicable, as defined by rule;
10         (4) have passed the examination authorized by the
11     Department;
12         (5) meet all other requirements as established by rule.
13     (c-5) An applicant for licensure by endorsement who is a
14 registered professional nurse or a licensed practical nurse
15 under the laws of another state or territory of the United
16 States, in lieu of taking and passing the examination provided
17 for in item (4) of subsection (c) of this Section, may have
18 passed a state, regional, or national examination that is
19 substantially equivalent to or more stringent than the
20 examination given by the Department, if the applicant has
21 actively practiced nursing in another state or territory of the
22 United States for 2 of the preceding 3 years without having his
23 or her license acted against by the licensing authority of any
24 jurisdiction.
25     (d) All applicants for registered nurse licensure pursuant
26 to item (2) of subsection (b) and item (2) of subsection (c) of
27 this Section who are graduates of nursing educational programs
28 in a country other than the United States or its territories
29 must submit to the Department certification of successful
30 completion of the Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing
31 Schools (CGFNS) examination. An applicant who is unable to
32 provide appropriate documentation to satisfy CGFNS of her or
33 his educational qualifications for the CGFNS examination shall
34 be required to pass an examination to test competency in the
35 English language, which shall be prescribed by the Department,
36 if the applicant is determined by the Board to be educationally

 

 

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1 prepared in nursing. The Board shall make appropriate inquiry
2 into the reasons for any adverse determination by CGFNS before
3 making its own decision.
4     An applicant licensed in another state or territory who is
5 applying for licensure and has received her or his education in
6 a country other than the United States or its territories shall
7 be exempt from the completion of the Commission of Graduates of
8 Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) examination if the applicant
9 meets all of the following requirements:
10         (1) successful passage of the licensure examination
11     authorized by the Department;
12         (2) holds an active, unencumbered license in another
13     state; and
14         (3) has been actively practicing for a minimum of 2
15     years in another state.
16     (e) (Blank).
17     (f) Pending the issuance of a license under subsection (c)
18 of this Section, the Department may grant an applicant a
19 temporary license to practice nursing as a registered nurse or
20 as a licensed practical nurse if the Department is satisfied
21 that the applicant holds an active, unencumbered license in
22 good standing in another jurisdiction. If the applicant holds
23 more than one current active license, or one or more active
24 temporary licenses from other jurisdictions, the Department
25 shall not issue a temporary license until it is satisfied that
26 each current active license held by the applicant is
27 unencumbered. The temporary license, which shall be issued no
28 later than 14 working days following receipt by the Department
29 of an application for the temporary license, shall be granted
30 upon the submission of the following to the Department:
31         (1) a signed and completed application for licensure
32     under subsection (a) of this Section as a registered nurse
33     or a licensed practical nurse;
34         (2) proof of a current, active license in at least one
35     other jurisdiction and proof that each current active
36     license or temporary license held by the applicant within

 

 

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1     the last 5 years is unencumbered;
2         (3) a signed and completed application for a temporary
3     license; and
4         (4) the required temporary license fee.
5     (g) The Department may refuse to issue an applicant a
6 temporary license authorized pursuant to this Section if,
7 within 14 working days following its receipt of an application
8 for a temporary license, the Department determines that:
9         (1) the applicant has been convicted of a crime under
10     the laws of a jurisdiction of the United States: (i) which
11     is a felony; or (ii) which is a misdemeanor directly
12     related to the practice of the profession, within the last
13     5 years;
14         (2) within the last 5 years the applicant has had a
15     license or permit related to the practice of nursing
16     revoked, suspended, or placed on probation by another
17     jurisdiction, if at least one of the grounds for revoking,
18     suspending, or placing on probation is the same or
19     substantially equivalent to grounds in Illinois; or
20         (3) it intends to deny licensure by endorsement.
21     For purposes of this Section, an "unencumbered license"
22 means a license against which no disciplinary action has been
23 taken or is pending and for which all fees and charges are paid
24 and current.
25     (h) The Department may revoke a temporary license issued
26 pursuant to this Section if:
27         (1) it determines that the applicant has been convicted
28     of a crime under the law of any jurisdiction of the United
29     States that is (i) a felony or (ii) a misdemeanor directly
30     related to the practice of the profession, within the last
31     5 years;
32         (2) it determines that within the last 5 years the
33     applicant has had a license or permit related to the
34     practice of nursing revoked, suspended, or placed on
35     probation by another jurisdiction, if at least one of the
36     grounds for revoking, suspending, or placing on probation

 

 

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1     is the same or substantially equivalent to grounds in
2     Illinois; or
3         (3) it determines that it intends to deny licensure by
4     endorsement.
5     A temporary license shall expire 6 months from the date of
6 issuance. Further renewal may be granted by the Department in
7 hardship cases, as defined by rule and upon approval of the
8 Director. However, a temporary license shall automatically
9 expire upon issuance of the Illinois license or upon
10 notification that the Department intends to deny licensure,
11 whichever occurs first.
12     (i) Applicants have 3 years from the date of application to
13 complete the application process. If the process has not been
14 completed within 3 years from the date of application, the
15 application shall be denied, the fee forfeited, and the
16 applicant must reapply and meet the requirements in effect at
17 the time of reapplication.
18 (Source: P.A. 92-39, eff. 6-29-01; 92-744, eff. 7-25-02;
19 revised 2-17-03.)
 
20     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21 becoming law.