Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB1598

Rep. Barbara Hernandez

Filed: 3/25/2025

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AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1598

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1598 on page 2, by replacing lines 1 through 6 with the following:

""Health care facility" does not include: (i) a health care facility that is a critical access hospital as designated by the Department of Public Health in accordance with 42 CFR 485, Subpart F; (ii) a rural emergency hospital as defined under subsection (kkk)(2) of Section 1861 of the federal Social Security Act; or (iii) a health care facility that is located more than 60 miles from a nationally accredited surgical technology program located in Illinois."; and

by replacing line 6 on page 3 through line 12 on page 4 with the following:

"Section 10. Requirements for surgical technologists.

(a) Each surgical technologist hired or contracted by a health care facility on or after January 1, 2028 shall meet one or more of the following requirements:

(1) The surgical technologist has successfully completed a nationally accredited program for surgical technologists and is certified through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting or the National Center for Competency Testing.

(2) If the surgical technologist has successfully completed the educational requirements under paragraph (1) but has not, on the date the surgical technologist is hired or enters into the contract with the health care facility, obtained the national certification under paragraph (1), the surgical technologist must obtain that certification within 18 months after being hired or entering into the contract.

(3) The surgical technologist is registered as a registered surgical technologist under the Registered Surgical Assistant and Registered Surgical Technologist Title Protection Act.

(4) The surgical technologist has successfully completed a training program for surgical technology in the armed forces of the United States or the United States Public Health Service.

(5) The surgical technologist has engaged in the practice of surgical technology at a hospital licensed under the Hospital Licensing Act or an ambulatory surgical treatment center licensed under the Ambulatory Surgical Treatment Center Act before January 1, 2028.

(b) This Section does not apply to a person assigned, on a temporary basis, to act as a surgical technologist on behalf of an out-of-state staffing agency for a health care facility."; and

on page 4, by replacing lines 13 through 17 with the following:

"Section 15. Exemptions.

(a) Health care facilities located in a Health Professional Shortage Area or Medically Underserved Area, as determined by the federal government, shall be exempt from Section 10 of this Act but shall have a hiring preference for surgical technologists who graduated from nationally accredited surgical technology programs and are certified through the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting or the National Center for Competency Testing.

(b) Nothing in this Act prohibits:

(1) a person licensed in this State under any other Act from engaging in the practice for which the person is licensed, including, but not limited to, a physician licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, a physician assistant, an advanced practice registered nurse, or a nurse performing surgery-related tasks within the scope of the nurse's license or registration; or

(2) a student or intern from performing surgical technology services under direct supervision, as defined in the Registered Surgical Assistant and Registered Surgical Technologist Title Protection Act.".