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1 | AN ACT concerning education.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Nursing Education Scholarship Law is amended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | by changing Sections 2 and 3 and by adding Sections 6.5 and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | 6.10 as follows:
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7 | (110 ILCS 975/2) (from Ch. 144, par. 2752)
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8 | Sec. 2. Legislative finding and declaration of policy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | (a) The General Assembly finds and hereby declares that the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | provision of a
higher education leading to an associate degree | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | in nursing, an
associate
degree in applied sciences in nursing, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | a hospital-based diploma
in nursing, a
baccalaureate degree in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | nursing, a graduate degree in nursing, or a certificate in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | practical nursing for
persons of this State
who desire such an | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | education is important to the health, welfare and
security of | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | this State and Nation, and consequently is an important public
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17 | purpose. Many qualified and potential nurses
are deterred by | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | financial considerations from pursuing their nursing
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19 | education, with consequent irreparable loss to the State and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | Nation of
talents vital to health, welfare and security. A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | system of scholarships,
repayment of which may be excused if | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | the individual is employed as a
registered professional
nurse | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | or a licensed practical nurse after
obtaining an associate |
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1 | degree in
nursing, associate degree in applied sciences in | ||||||
2 | nursing, hospital-based
diploma in nursing, baccalaureate | ||||||
3 | degree in nursing, graduate degree in nursing, or certificate
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4 | in practical nursing, will enable such individuals
to attend | ||||||
5 | approved institutions of their choice in the State,
public or
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6 | private.
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7 | (b) The General Assembly finds that there is a critical | ||||||
8 | shortage of nursing instructors in this State, and such a | ||||||
9 | shortage will only worsen the shortage of available nurses in | ||||||
10 | this State and jeopardize the quality of healthcare citizens of | ||||||
11 | this State have every right to enjoy. In order to provide for | ||||||
12 | the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of this State, | ||||||
13 | the General Assembly declares that there is a need for an | ||||||
14 | increase in skilled nurse educators in this State. | ||||||
15 | (Source: P.A. 92-43, eff. 1-1-02; 93-879, eff. 1-1-05.)
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16 | (110 ILCS 975/3) (from Ch. 144, par. 2753)
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17 | Sec. 3. Definitions.
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18 | The following terms, whenever used or referred to, have the | ||||||
19 | following
meanings except where the context clearly indicates | ||||||
20 | otherwise:
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21 | (1) "Board" means the Board of Higher Education created by | ||||||
22 | the Board
of Higher Education Act.
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23 | (2) "Department" means the Illinois Department of Public | ||||||
24 | Health.
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25 | (3) "Approved institution" means a public community |
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1 | college, private
junior college, hospital-based diploma in | ||||||
2 | nursing
program, or public or private
college or university | ||||||
3 | located in this State that has approval by the Department of | ||||||
4 | Professional
Regulation for an associate degree in nursing
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5 | program,
associate degree in applied
sciences in nursing | ||||||
6 | program, hospital-based diploma in nursing
program,
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7 | baccalaureate degree in nursing program, graduate degree in | ||||||
8 | nursing program, or
certificate in practical
nursing program.
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9 | (4) "Baccalaureate degree in nursing program" means a | ||||||
10 | program offered by
an
approved institution and leading to a | ||||||
11 | bachelor of science degree in nursing.
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12 | (5) "Enrollment" means the establishment and maintenance | ||||||
13 | of an
individual's status as a student in an approved | ||||||
14 | institution, regardless of
the terms used at the institution to | ||||||
15 | describe such status.
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16 | (6) "Academic year" means the period of time from September | ||||||
17 | 1 of one
year through August 31 of the next year or as | ||||||
18 | otherwise defined by the
academic institution.
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19 | (7) "Associate degree in nursing program or hospital-based | ||||||
20 | diploma in
nursing program" means a program
offered by an | ||||||
21 | approved institution and leading to an associate
degree in
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22 | nursing, associate degree in applied sciences in nursing, or
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23 | hospital-based diploma in nursing.
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24 | (8) "Graduate degree in nursing program" means a program | ||||||
25 | offered by an approved institution and leading to a master of | ||||||
26 | science degree in nursing or a doctorate of philosophy or |
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1 | doctorate of nursing degree in nursing.
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2 | (9) "Director" means the Director of the Illinois | ||||||
3 | Department of Public
Health.
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4 | (10) "Accepted for admission" means a student has completed | ||||||
5 | the
requirements for entry into an associate degree in nursing | ||||||
6 | program,
associate degree in applied sciences in nursing | ||||||
7 | program, hospital-based
diploma in nursing program,
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8 | baccalaureate degree in nursing program, graduate degree in | ||||||
9 | nursing program, or
certificate in practical nursing program at | ||||||
10 | an approved institution, as
documented by the
institution.
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11 | (11) "Fees" means those mandatory charges, in addition to | ||||||
12 | tuition, that
all enrolled students must pay, including | ||||||
13 | required course or lab fees.
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14 | (12) "Full-time student" means a student enrolled for at | ||||||
15 | least 12 hours
per
term or as otherwise determined by the | ||||||
16 | academic institution.
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17 | (13) "Law" means the Nursing Education Scholarship Law.
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18 | (14) "Nursing employment obligation" means employment in | ||||||
19 | this State as a
registered
professional
nurse , or licensed | ||||||
20 | practical nurse , or advanced practical nurse in direct patient | ||||||
21 | care
or as a nurse educator in the case of a graduate degree in | ||||||
22 | nursing program recipient for at least one year for each year | ||||||
23 | of scholarship assistance received through
the Nursing
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24 | Education Scholarship Program.
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25 | (15) "Part-time student" means a person who is enrolled for | ||||||
26 | at least
one-third of the number of hours required per term by |
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1 | a school for its
full-time students.
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2 | (16) "Practical nursing program" means a program offered by | ||||||
3 | an approved
institution leading to a certificate in practical | ||||||
4 | nursing.
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5 | (17) "Registered professional nurse" means a
person who is | ||||||
6 | currently licensed as a registered professional nurse
by the | ||||||
7 | Department of Professional
Regulation under the Nurse Practice | ||||||
8 | Act.
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9 | (18) "Licensed practical nurse" means a
person who is | ||||||
10 | currently licensed as a licensed practical nurse
by the | ||||||
11 | Department of Professional
Regulation under the Nurse Practice | ||||||
12 | Act.
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13 | (19) "School term" means an academic term, such as a | ||||||
14 | semester, quarter,
trimester, or number of clock hours, as | ||||||
15 | defined by an approved institution.
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16 | (20) "Student in good standing" means a student maintaining | ||||||
17 | a cumulative
grade point average equivalent to at least the | ||||||
18 | academic grade of a "C".
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19 | (21) "Total and permanent disability" means a physical or | ||||||
20 | mental impairment,
disease, or loss of a permanent nature that | ||||||
21 | prevents nursing employment with or
without reasonable | ||||||
22 | accommodation. Proof of disability shall be a declaration
from | ||||||
23 | the social security administration, Illinois Workers' | ||||||
24 | Compensation Commission,
Department of Defense, or an insurer | ||||||
25 | authorized to transact business in
Illinois who is providing | ||||||
26 | disability insurance coverage to a contractor.
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1 | (22) "Tuition" means the established charges of an | ||||||
2 | institution of higher
learning for instruction at that | ||||||
3 | institution.
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4 | (23) "Nurse educator" means a person who is currently | ||||||
5 | licensed as a registered nurse by the Department of | ||||||
6 | Professional Regulation under the Nurse Practice Act, who has a | ||||||
7 | graduate degree in nursing, and who is employed by an approved | ||||||
8 | academic institution to educate registered nursing students, | ||||||
9 | licensed practical nursing students, and registered nurses | ||||||
10 | pursuing graduate degrees.
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11 | (24) "Nurse educator employment obligation" means | ||||||
12 | employment in this State as a nurse educator for at least 2 | ||||||
13 | years for each year of scholarship assistance received under | ||||||
14 | Section 6.5 of this Law. | ||||||
15 | (Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 95-639, eff. 10-5-07.)
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16 | (110 ILCS 975/6.5 new) | ||||||
17 | Sec. 6.5. Nurse educator scholarships. | ||||||
18 | (a) Beginning with the fall term of the 2008-2009 academic | ||||||
19 | year, the Department, in accordance with rules adopted by the | ||||||
20 | Department to implement and administer this Section, shall | ||||||
21 | provide scholarships to individuals selected from among those | ||||||
22 | applicants who qualify for consideration by showing the | ||||||
23 | following: | ||||||
24 | (1) that he or she has been a resident of this State | ||||||
25 | for at least one year prior to application and is a citizen |
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1 | or a lawful permanent resident alien of the United States; | ||||||
2 | (2) that he or she is enrolled in or accepted for | ||||||
3 | admission to a graduate degree in nursing program at an | ||||||
4 | approved institution; | ||||||
5 | (3) that he or she has at least 7 years of experience | ||||||
6 | as a nurse; and | ||||||
7 | (4) that he or she agrees to meet the nurse educator | ||||||
8 | employment obligation. | ||||||
9 | (b) If in any year the number of qualified applicants | ||||||
10 | exceeds the number of scholarships to be awarded under this | ||||||
11 | Section, the Department shall, in consultation with the Center | ||||||
12 | for Nursing Advisory Board, consider the following factors in | ||||||
13 | granting priority in awarding scholarships: | ||||||
14 | (1) Financial need, as shown on a standardized | ||||||
15 | financial needs assessment form used by an approved | ||||||
16 | institution, of students who will pursue their education on | ||||||
17 | a full-time or close to full-time basis and who already | ||||||
18 | have a diploma in nursing and are pursuing a higher degree. | ||||||
19 | (2) A student's status as a registered nurse who is | ||||||
20 | pursuing a graduate degree in nursing to pursue employment | ||||||
21 | in an approved institution that educates licensed | ||||||
22 | practical nurses and that educates registered nurses in | ||||||
23 | undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. | ||||||
24 | (3) A student's merit, as shown through his or her | ||||||
25 | grade point average, class rank, experience as a nurse, | ||||||
26 | including supervisory experience, experience as a nurse in |
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1 | the United States military, and other academic and | ||||||
2 | extracurricular activities. | ||||||
3 | The Department may add to and further define these factors by | ||||||
4 | rule. | ||||||
5 | (c) Unless otherwise indicated, scholarships under this | ||||||
6 | Section shall be awarded to recipients at approved institutions | ||||||
7 | for a period of up to 3 years. | ||||||
8 | (d) Within 12 months after graduation from a graduate | ||||||
9 | degree in nursing program for nurse educators, any recipient | ||||||
10 | who accepted a scholarship under this Section shall begin | ||||||
11 | meeting the required nurse educator employment obligation. In | ||||||
12 | order to defer his or her continuous employment obligation, a | ||||||
13 | recipient must request the deferment in writing from the | ||||||
14 | Department. A recipient shall receive a deferment if he or she | ||||||
15 | notifies the Department, within 30 days after enlisting, that | ||||||
16 | he or she is spending up to 4 years in military service. A | ||||||
17 | recipient shall receive a deferment if he or she notifies the | ||||||
18 | Department, within 30 days after enrolling, that he or she is | ||||||
19 | enrolled in an academic program leading to a graduate degree in | ||||||
20 | nursing. The recipient must begin meeting the required nurse | ||||||
21 | educator employment obligation no later than 6 months after the | ||||||
22 | end of the deferment or deferments. | ||||||
23 | Any person who fails to fulfill the nurse educator | ||||||
24 | employment obligation shall pay to the Department an amount | ||||||
25 | equal to the amount of scholarship funds received per year for | ||||||
26 | each unfulfilled year of the nurse educator employment |
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1 | obligation, together with interest at 7% per year on the unpaid | ||||||
2 | balance. Payment must begin within 6 months following the date | ||||||
3 | of the occurrence initiating the repayment. All repayments must | ||||||
4 | be completed within 6 years from the date of the occurrence | ||||||
5 | initiating the repayment. However, this repayment obligation | ||||||
6 | may be deferred and re-evaluated every 6 months when the | ||||||
7 | failure to fulfill the nurse educator employment obligation | ||||||
8 | results from involuntarily leaving the profession due to a | ||||||
9 | decrease in the number of nurses employed in this State or when | ||||||
10 | the failure to fulfill the nurse educator employment obligation | ||||||
11 | results from total and permanent disability. The repayment | ||||||
12 | obligation shall be excused if the failure to fulfill the nurse | ||||||
13 | educator employment obligation results from the death or | ||||||
14 | adjudication as incompetent of the person holding the | ||||||
15 | scholarship. No claim for repayment may be filed against the | ||||||
16 | estate of such a decedent or incompetent. | ||||||
17 | The Department may allow a nurse educator employment | ||||||
18 | obligation fulfillment alternative if the nurse educator | ||||||
19 | scholarship recipient is unsuccessful in finding work as a | ||||||
20 | nurse educator. The Department shall maintain a database of all | ||||||
21 | available nurse educator positions in this State. | ||||||
22 | (e) Each person applying for a scholarship under this | ||||||
23 | Section must be provided with a copy of this Section at the | ||||||
24 | time of application for the benefits of this scholarship. | ||||||
25 | (110 ILCS 975/6.10 new) |
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1 | Sec. 6.10. Nurse educator grants for approved | ||||||
2 | institutions. Beginning with the fall term of the 2008-2009 | ||||||
3 | academic year, the Department, in accordance with rules adopted | ||||||
4 | by the Department to implement and administer this Section, | ||||||
5 | shall provide grants to approved institutions that have | ||||||
6 | graduate degree programs to expand their nurse educator | ||||||
7 | faculty, subject to appropriation. The Department shall award | ||||||
8 | up to $100,000 per institution to assist in start-up costs and | ||||||
9 | salaries for faculty. If an approved institution applies for | ||||||
10 | more grant funding than is available, then the Department shall | ||||||
11 | establish criteria for evaluating grant applications and | ||||||
12 | prorating available grant funds.
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13 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
14 | becoming law.
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