Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB3688

Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel

Filed: 3/19/2026

10400SB3688sam002 LRB104 19957 BAB 35730 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 3688

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 3688 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The Medical School Curriculum Act is amended by adding Section 3 as follows:

(110 ILCS 55/3 new)

Sec. 3. Menopause education required. In addition to the requirements imposed by this Act, each and every medical school established, maintained, and operated by the State of Illinois shall include in the curriculum the study of perimenopause and menopause recognition and management. Such study may be by specific courses in perimenopause and menopause or may be incorporated in existing subjects taught in the school.

Section 10. The Nurse Practice Act is amended by changing Sections 55-5 and 60-5 as follows:

(225 ILCS 65/55-5)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 55-5. LPN education program requirements.

(a) All Illinois practical nurse education programs must be reviewed by the Board and approved by the Department before the successful completion of such a program may be applied toward meeting the requirements for practical nurse licensure under this Act. Any program changing the level of educational preparation or the relationship with or to the parent institution or establishing an extension of an existing program must request a review by the Board and approval by the Department. The Board shall review and make a recommendation for the approval or disapproval of a program by the Department based on the following criteria:

(1) a feasibility study that describes the need for the program and the facilities used, the potential of the program to recruit faculty and students, financial support for the program, and other criteria, as established by rule;

(2) program curriculum, including the study of perimenopause and menopause recognition and management, that meets all State requirements;

(3) the administration of the program by a Nurse Administrator and the involvement of a Nurse Administrator in the development of the program; and

(4) the occurrence of a site visit prior to approval.

(b) In order to obtain initial Department approval and to maintain Department approval, a practical nursing program must meet all of the following requirements:

(1) The program must continually be administered by a Nurse Administrator.

(2) The institution responsible for conducting the program and the Nurse Administrator must ensure that individual faculty members are academically and professionally competent.

(3) The program curriculum must contain all applicable requirements established by rule, including both theory and clinical components.

(4) The passage rates of the program's graduating classes on the State-approved licensure exam must be deemed satisfactory by the Department.

(c) Program site visits to an institution conducting or hosting a practical nursing program may be made at the discretion of the Nursing Coordinator or upon recommendation of the Board.

(d) Any institution conducting a practical nursing program that wishes to discontinue the program must do each of the following:

(1) Notify the Department, in writing, of its intent to discontinue the program.

(2) Continue to meet the requirements of this Act and the rules adopted thereunder until the official date of termination of the program.

(3) Notify the Department of the date on which the last student shall graduate from the program and the program shall terminate.

(4) Assist remaining students in the continuation of their education in the event of program termination prior to the graduation of the program's final student.

(5) Upon the closure of the program, notify the Department, in writing, of the location of student and graduate records storage.

(Source: P.A. 95-639, eff. 10-5-07.)

(225 ILCS 65/60-5)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 60-5. RN education program requirements; out-of-State programs.

(a) All registered professional nurse education programs must be reviewed by the Board and approved by the Department before the successful completion of such a program may be applied toward meeting the requirements for registered professional nurse licensure under this Act. Any program changing the level of educational preparation or the relationship with or to the parent institution or establishing an extension of an existing program must request a review by the Board and approval by the Department. The Board shall review and make a recommendation for the approval or disapproval of a program by the Department based on the following criteria:

(1) a feasibility study that describes the need for the program and the facilities used, the potential of the program to recruit faculty and students, financial support for the program, and other criteria, as established by rule;

(2) program curriculum, including the study of perimenopause and menopause recognition and management, that meets all State requirements;

(2.5) measurement of program effectiveness based on a passage rate of all graduates over the 3 most recent calendar years without reference to first-time test takers;

(3) the administration of the program by a Nurse Administrator and the involvement of a Nurse Administrator in the development of the program;

(4) the occurrence of a site visit prior to approval; and

(5) beginning December 31, 2022, obtaining and maintaining programmatic accreditation by a national accrediting body for nursing education recognized by the United States Department of Education and approved by the Department.

The Department and Board of Nursing shall be notified within 30 days if the program loses its accreditation. The Department may adopt rules regarding a warning process and reaccreditation.

(b) In order to obtain initial Department approval and to maintain Department approval, a registered professional nursing program must meet all of the following requirements:

(1) The institution responsible for conducting the program and the Nurse Administrator must ensure that individual faculty members are academically and professionally competent.

(2) The program curriculum must contain all applicable requirements established by rule, including both theory and clinical components.

(3) The passage rates of the program's graduating classes on the State-approved licensure exam must be deemed satisfactory by the Department.

(c) Program site visits to an institution conducting or hosting a professional nursing program may be made at the discretion of the Nursing Coordinator or upon recommendation of the Board. Full routine site visits may be conducted by the Department for periodic evaluation. Such visits shall be used to determine compliance with this Act. Full routine site visits must be announced and may be waived at the discretion of the Department if the program maintains accreditation with an accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education and approved by the Department.

(d) Any institution conducting a registered professional nursing program that wishes to discontinue the program must do each of the following:

(1) Notify the Department, in writing, of its intent to discontinue the program.

(2) Continue to meet the requirements of this Act and the rules adopted thereunder until the official date of termination of the program.

(3) Notify the Department of the date on which the last student shall graduate from the program and the program shall terminate.

(4) Assist remaining students in the continuation of their education in the event of program termination prior to the graduation of the program's final student.

(5) Upon the closure of the program, notify the Department, in writing, of the location of student and graduate records' storage.

(e) Out-of-State registered professional nursing education programs planning to offer clinical practice experiences in this State must meet the requirements set forth in this Section and must meet the clinical and faculty requirements for institutions outside of this State, as established by rule. The institution responsible for conducting an out-of-State registered professional nursing education program and the administrator of the program shall be responsible for ensuring that the individual faculty and preceptors overseeing the clinical experience are academically and professionally competent.

(Source: P.A. 103-533, eff. 1-1-24.)

Section 15. The Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987 is amended by changing Section 13 as follows:

(225 ILCS 95/13) (from Ch. 111, par. 4613)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 13. Department powers and duties.

(a) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Department shall:

(1) adopt rules setting forth standards to be met by a school or institution offering a course of training for physician assistants prior to approval of such school or institution, including the study of perimenopause and menopause recognition and management;

(2) adopt rules setting forth uniform and reasonable standards of instruction to be met prior to approval of such course of institution for physician assistants; and

(3) determine the reputability and good standing of such schools or institutions and their course of instruction for physician assistants by reference to compliance with such rules, provided that no school of physician assistants that refuses admittance to applicants solely on account of race, color, sex, or creed shall be considered reputable and in good standing.

(b) No rule shall be adopted under this Act which allows a physician assistant to perform any act, task, or function primarily performed in the lawful practice of optometry under the Illinois Optometric Practice Act of 1987.

(c) All rules shall be submitted to the Board for review and the Department shall consider any comments provided by the Board.

(Source: P.A. 100-453, eff. 8-25-17.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2027.".