103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB2509

 

Introduced 2/15/2023, by Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
225 ILCS 65/60-5
225 ILCS 65/60-10

    Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that the Board of Nursing shall review and make a recommendation for the approval or disapproval of a program by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation based on, among other criteria, a 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. Provides that a graduate who does not take an examination for licensure within the first 90 days after graduation and a graduate who has failed the exam will be required to return to the institution of higher education for remediation prior to repeating or taking the exam. Provides that a graduate may retake the exam only after the institution of higher education provides approval once remediation has been successfully completed. Provides that institutional approval to retake expires 6 months after issuance of the approval to retake. Provides that a graduate with an expired approval is required to repeat the remediation and reapproval process.


LRB103 04652 AMQ 49660 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB2509LRB103 04652 AMQ 49660 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Nurse Practice Act is amended by changing
5Sections 60-5 and 60-10 as follows:
 
6    (225 ILCS 65/60-5)
7    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)
8    Sec. 60-5. RN education program requirements; out-of-State
9programs.
10    (a) All registered professional nurse education programs
11must be reviewed by the Board and approved by the Department
12before the successful completion of such a program may be
13applied toward meeting the requirements for registered
14professional nurse licensure under this Act. Any program
15changing the level of educational preparation or the
16relationship with or to the parent institution or establishing
17an extension of an existing program must request a review by
18the Board and approval by the Department. The Board shall
19review and make a recommendation for the approval or
20disapproval of a program by the Department based on the
21following criteria:
22        (1) a feasibility study that describes the need for
23    the program and the facilities used, the potential of the

 

 

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1    program to recruit faculty and students, financial support
2    for the program, and other criteria, as established by
3    rule;
4        (2) program curriculum that meets all State
5    requirements;
6        (2.5) measurement of program effectiveness based on a
7    passage rate of all graduates over the 3 most recent
8    calendar years without reference to first-time test
9    takers;
10        (3) the administration of the program by a Nurse
11    Administrator and the involvement of a Nurse Administrator
12    in the development of the program;
13        (4) the occurrence of a site visit prior to approval;
14    and
15        (5) beginning December 31, 2022, obtaining and
16    maintaining programmatic accreditation by a national
17    accrediting body for nursing education recognized by the
18    United States Department of Education and approved by the
19    Department.
20    The Department and Board of Nursing shall be notified
21within 30 days if the program loses its accreditation. The
22Department may adopt rules regarding a warning process and
23reaccreditation.
24    (b) In order to obtain initial Department approval and to
25maintain Department approval, a registered professional
26nursing program must meet all of the following requirements:

 

 

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1        (1) The institution responsible for conducting the
2    program and the Nurse Administrator must ensure that
3    individual faculty members are academically and
4    professionally competent.
5        (2) The program curriculum must contain all applicable
6    requirements established by rule, including both theory
7    and clinical components.
8        (3) The passage rates of the program's graduating
9    classes on the State-approved licensure exam must be
10    deemed satisfactory by the Department.
11    (c) Program site visits to an institution conducting or
12hosting a professional nursing program may be made at the
13discretion of the Nursing Coordinator or upon recommendation
14of the Board. Full routine site visits may be conducted by the
15Department for periodic evaluation. Such visits shall be used
16to determine compliance with this Act. Full routine site
17visits must be announced and may be waived at the discretion of
18the Department if the program maintains accreditation with an
19accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of
20Education and approved by the Department.
21    (d) Any institution conducting a registered professional
22nursing program that wishes to discontinue the program must do
23each of the following:
24        (1) Notify the Department, in writing, of its intent
25    to discontinue the program.
26        (2) Continue to meet the requirements of this Act and

 

 

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1    the rules adopted thereunder until the official date of
2    termination of the program.
3        (3) Notify the Department of the date on which the
4    last student shall graduate from the program and the
5    program shall terminate.
6        (4) Assist remaining students in the continuation of
7    their education in the event of program termination prior
8    to the graduation of the program's final student.
9        (5) Upon the closure of the program, notify the
10    Department, in writing, of the location of student and
11    graduate records' storage.
12    (e) Out-of-State registered professional nursing education
13programs planning to offer clinical practice experiences in
14this State must meet the requirements set forth in this
15Section and must meet the clinical and faculty requirements
16for institutions outside of this State, as established by
17rule. The institution responsible for conducting an
18out-of-State registered professional nursing education program
19and the administrator of the program shall be responsible for
20ensuring that the individual faculty and preceptors overseeing
21the clinical experience are academically and professionally
22competent.
23(Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)
 
24    (225 ILCS 65/60-10)
25    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

 

 

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1    Sec. 60-10. RN licensure by examination.
2    (a) Each applicant who successfully meets the requirements
3of this Section is eligible for licensure as a registered
4professional nurse.
5    (b) An applicant for licensure by examination to practice
6as a registered professional nurse is eligible for licensure
7when the following requirements are met:
8        (1) the applicant has submitted a completed written
9    application, on forms provided by the Department, and
10    fees, as established by the Department;
11        (2) the applicant has graduated from a professional
12    nursing education program approved by the Department or
13    has been granted a certificate of completion of
14    pre-licensure requirements from another United States
15    jurisdiction;
16        (3) the applicant has successfully completed a
17    licensure examination approved by the Department;
18        (4) (blank);
19        (5) the applicant has submitted to the criminal
20    history records check required under Section 50-35 of this
21    Act;
22        (6) the applicant has submitted, either to the
23    Department or its designated testing service, a fee
24    covering the cost of providing the examination; failure to
25    appear for the examination on the scheduled date at the
26    time and place specified after the applicant's application

 

 

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1    for examination has been received and acknowledged by the
2    Department or the designated testing service shall result
3    in the forfeiture of the examination fee; and
4        (7) the applicant has met all other requirements
5    established by the Department by rule.
6    An applicant for licensure by examination may take the
7Department-approved examination in another jurisdiction.
8    (b-5) If an applicant for licensure by examination
9neglects, fails, or refuses to take an examination or fails to
10pass an examination for a license within 3 years of the date of
11initial application, the application shall be denied. When an
12applicant's application is denied due to the failure to pass
13the examination within the 3-year period, that applicant must
14undertake an additional course of education as defined by rule
15prior to submitting a new application for licensure. Any new
16application must be accompanied by the required fee, evidence
17of meeting the requirements in force at the time of the new
18application, and evidence of completion of the additional
19course of education prescribed by rule.
20    A graduate who does not take an examination for licensure
21within the first 90 days after graduation and a graduate who
22has failed the exam will be required to return to the
23institution of higher education for remediation prior to
24repeating or taking the exam. A graduate may retake the exam
25only after the institution of higher education provides
26approval once remediation has been successfully completed.

 

 

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1Institutional approval to retake expires 6 months after
2issuance of the approval to retake. A graduate with an expired
3approval is required to repeat the remediation and reapproval
4process.
5    (c) An applicant for licensure by examination shall have
6one year after the date of notification of the successful
7completion of the examination to apply to the Department for a
8license. If an applicant fails to apply within one year, the
9applicant shall be required to retake and pass the examination
10unless licensed in another jurisdiction of the United States.
11    (d) An applicant for licensure by examination who passes
12the Department-approved licensure examination for professional
13nursing may obtain employment as a license-pending registered
14nurse and practice under the direction of a registered
15professional nurse or an advanced practice registered nurse
16until such time as he or she receives his or her license to
17practice or until the license is denied. In no instance shall
18any such applicant practice or be employed in any management
19capacity. An individual may be employed as a license-pending
20registered nurse if all of the following criteria are met:
21        (1) He or she has completed and passed the
22    Department-approved licensure exam and presents to the
23    employer the official written notification indicating
24    successful passage of the licensure examination.
25        (2) He or she has completed and submitted to the
26    Department an application for licensure under this Section

 

 

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1    as a registered professional nurse.
2        (3) He or she has submitted the required licensure
3    fee.
4        (4) He or she has met all other requirements
5    established by rule, including having submitted to a
6    criminal history records check.
7    (e) The privilege to practice as a license-pending
8registered nurse shall terminate with the occurrence of any of
9the following:
10        (1) Three months have passed since the official date
11    of passing the licensure exam as inscribed on the formal
12    written notification indicating passage of the exam. The
13    3-month license pending period may be extended if more
14    time is needed by the Department to process the licensure
15    application.
16        (2) Receipt of the registered professional nurse
17    license from the Department.
18        (3) Notification from the Department that the
19    application for licensure has been refused.
20        (4) A request by the Department that the individual
21    terminate practicing as a license-pending registered nurse
22    until an official decision is made by the Department to
23    grant or deny a registered professional nurse license.
24    (f) (Blank).
25    (g) (Blank).
26    (h) (Blank).

 

 

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1    (i) (Blank).
2    (j) (Blank).
3    (k) All applicants for registered professional nurse
4licensure have 3 years after the date of application to
5complete the application process. If the process has not been
6completed within 3 years after the date of application, the
7application shall be denied, the fee forfeited, and the
8applicant must reapply and meet the requirements in effect at
9the time of reapplication.
10    (l) All applicants for registered nurse licensure by
11examination who are graduates of practical nursing educational
12programs in a country other than the United States and its
13territories shall have their nursing education credentials
14evaluated by a Department-approved nursing credentialing
15evaluation service. No such applicant may be issued a license
16under this Act unless the applicant's program is deemed by the
17nursing credentialing evaluation service to be equivalent to a
18professional nursing education program approved by the
19Department. An applicant who has graduated from a nursing
20educational program outside of the United States or its
21territories and whose first language is not English shall
22submit evidence of English proficiency, as defined by rule.
23    (m) (Blank).
24(Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)