Rep. Maura Hirschauer

Filed: 3/6/2023

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1615

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1615 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Legislative findings. The General Assembly
5recognizes:
6    (1) There is a growing shortage of nurses working in
7Illinois health care facilities, which is most profound in
8Southern Illinois.
9    (2) Nurse employers, including hospitals and long-term
10care facilities, cannot hire the number of nurses they need to
11provide quality nursing care.
12    (3) The purpose of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center
13is to address issues of supply and demand in the nursing
14profession, including issues of recruitment, retention, and
15utilization of nurse manpower resources.
16    (4) The Center reports that the Department of Financial
17and Professional Regulation provides nursing licenses, as of

 

 

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1June 2022, in the following amounts: 17,931 advanced practice
2registered nurse licenses; 200,600 registered nurse licenses;
3and 25,978 licensed practical nurse licenses.
4    (5) The number of licenses does not equate to the number of
5nurses currently in the workforce in Illinois as many nurses
6renew their licenses even after retirement.
7    (6) There have been nursing surveys, but they have been
8voluntary. For instance, in 2020, only 22% of nurses responded
9to surveys.
10    (7) Strategies and changes are necessary to solving the
11nursing shortage. There needs to be accurate and complete
12data.
13    (8) Illinois must know whether there are regional
14shortages of nurses, shortages of nurses in specialty areas,
15or impediments to entering the nursing profession. A required
16survey will address these and other nurse shortage issues.
 
17    Section 5. The Nurse Practice Act is amended by changing
18Section 75-10 as follows:
 
19    (225 ILCS 65/75-10)  (was 225 ILCS 65/17-10)
20    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
21    Sec. 75-10. Illinois Nursing Workforce Center. The purpose
22of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center to address issues of
23supply and demand in the nursing profession, including issues
24of recruitment, retention, and utilization of nurse manpower

 

 

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1resources. The General Assembly finds that the Center will
2enhance the access to and delivery of quality health care
3services by providing an ongoing strategy for the allocation
4of the State's resources directed towards nursing. Each of the
5following objectives shall serve as the primary goals for the
6Center:
7        (1) To develop a strategic plan for nursing workforce
8    in the State by selecting priorities to be addressed,
9    including: manpower in Illinois by selecting priorities
10    that must be addressed.
11            (A) For license renewals beginning in 2024 and
12        each renewal thereafter, to develop and require the
13        completion of a supply survey of all licensed nurses,
14        including licensed practical nurses, registered
15        nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses, at
16        initial licensure and each license renewal thereafter.
17        The survey shall use the National Forum of State
18        Nursing Workforce Centers Minimum Nurse Supply
19        Dataset. The Center shall compile, process, and
20        evaluate the survey findings and report to the
21        Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker
22        of the House of Representatives with recommendations.
23            (B) No later than 2027, to develop a nurse demand
24        and employer survey to be collected biennially. The
25        survey shall use the National Forum of State Nursing
26        Workforce Centers Minimum Nurse Demand Dataset. The

 

 

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1        Center shall compile, process, and evaluate the survey
2        findings and report to the Governor, the President of
3        the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
4        Representatives with recommendations by no later than
5        December 31, 2029.
6        (2) To convene various groups of representatives of
7    nurses, other health care providers, businesses and
8    industries, consumers, legislators, and educators,
9    including 2 representatives of a labor organization
10    recognized under the National Labor Relations Act
11    representing active registered professional nurses
12    licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional
13    Regulation, appointed by the Secretary of Financial and
14    Professional Regulation, to :
15            (A) review and comment on data analysis prepared
16        by for the Center; and
17            (B) recommend systemic changes, including
18        strategies for implementation of recommended changes.
19        (3) To enhance and promote recognition, reward, and
20    renewal activities for nurses in the State Illinois by:
21            (A) proposing and creating reward, recognition,
22        and renewal activities for nursing; and
23            (B) promoting positive media and positive
24        image-building efforts for nursing.
25(Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)
 

 

 

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1    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
2becoming law.".