Public Act 0424 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1945 Enrolled LRB097 09184 RPM 49319 b

Public Act 097-0424

AN ACT concerning health.

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

Section 1. Short title. This Article may be cited as the Comprehensive Healthcare Workforce Planning Act.

Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Council" means the State Healthcare Workforce Council created by this Act.

"Department" means the Department of Public Health.

Section 10. Purpose. Implementation of this Act is entirely subject to the availability and appropriation of funds from federal grant money applied for by the Department of Public Health. The State Healthcare Workforce Council is hereby established to provide an ongoing assessment of healthcare workforce trends, training issues, and financing policies, and to recommend appropriate State government and private sector efforts to address identified needs. The work of the Council shall focus on: healthcare workforce supply and distribution; cultural competence and minority participation in health professions education; primary care training and practice; and data evaluation and analysis. The Council shall work in coordination with the State Health Improvement Plan Implementation Coordination Council to ensure alignment with the State Health Improvement Plan.

Section 15. Members.

(a) The following 10 persons or their designees shall be members of the Council: the Director of the Department; a representative of the Governor's Office; the Secretary of Human Services; the Directors of the Departments of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Employment Security, Financial and Professional Regulation, and Healthcare and Family Services; and the executive director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the President of the Illinois Community College Board, and the State Superintendent of Education.

(b) The Governor shall appoint 8 additional members, who shall be healthcare workforce experts, including representatives of practicing physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists, State and local health professions organizations, schools of medicine and osteopathy, nursing, dental, allied health, and public health; public and private teaching hospitals; health insurers, business; and labor. The Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, the President of the Illinois Senate, the Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives, and the Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate may each appoint 2 representatives to the Council. Members appointed under this subsection (b) shall serve 4-year terms and may be reappointed.

(c) The Director of the Department shall serve as Chair of the Council. The Governor shall appoint a healthcare workforce expert from the non-governmental sector to serve as Vice-Chair.

Section 20. Five-year comprehensive healthcare workforce plan.

(a) Every 5 years, the Department, in cooperation with the Council, shall prepare a comprehensive healthcare workforce plan.

(b) The comprehensive healthcare workforce plan shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:

(1) 25-year projections of the demand and supply of health professionals to meet the needs of healthcare within the State.

(2) The identification of all funding sources for which the State has administrative control that are available for health professions training.

(3) Recommendations on how to rationalize and coordinate the State-supported programs for health professions training.

(4) Recommendations on actions needed to meet the projected demand for health professionals over the 25 years of the plan.

(c) Each year in which a comprehensive healthcare workforce plan is not due, the Department, on behalf of the Council, shall prepare a report by July 1 of that year to the Governor and the General Assembly on the progress made toward achieving the projected goals of the current comprehensive healthcare workforce plan during the previous calendar year.

(d) The Department shall provide staffing to the Council.

Section 25. Reimbursement. The members of the Council shall receive no compensation but shall be entitled to reimbursement for any necessary expenses incurred in connection with the performance of their duties.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect on July 1, 2012.