HB5703 EngrossedLRB098 17565 RPS 52674 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 Nursing Home Care Act is amended by changing
5Section 3-702 as follows:
 
6    (210 ILCS 45/3-702)  (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4153-702)
7    Sec. 3-702. (a) A person who believes that this Act or a
8rule promulgated under this Act may have been violated may
9request an investigation. The request may be submitted to the
10Department in writing, by telephone, by electronic means, or by
11personal visit. An oral complaint shall be reduced to writing
12by the Department. The Department shall make available, through
13its website and upon request, information regarding the oral
14and phone intake processes and the list of questions that will
15be asked of the complainant. The Department shall request
16information identifying the complainant, including the name,
17address and telephone number, to help enable appropriate
18follow-up. The Department shall act on such complaints via
19on-site visits or other methods deemed appropriate to handle
20the complaints with or without such identifying information, as
21otherwise provided under this Section. The complainant shall be
22informed that compliance with such request is not required to
23satisfy the procedures for filing a complaint under this Act.

 

 

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1The Department must notify complainants that complaints with
2less information provided are far more difficult to respond to
3and investigate.
4    (b) The substance of the complaint shall be provided in
5writing to the licensee, owner or administrator no earlier than
6at the commencement of an on-site inspection of the facility
7which takes place pursuant to the complaint.
8    (c) The Department shall not disclose the name of the
9complainant unless the complainant consents in writing to the
10disclosure or the investigation results in a judicial
11proceeding, or unless disclosure is essential to the
12investigation. The complainant shall be given the opportunity
13to withdraw the complaint before disclosure. Upon the request
14of the complainant, the Department may permit the complainant
15or a representative of the complainant to accompany the person
16making the on-site inspection of the facility.
17    (d) Upon receipt of a complaint, the Department shall
18determine whether this Act or a rule promulgated under this Act
19has been or is being violated. The Department shall investigate
20all complaints alleging abuse or neglect within 7 days after
21the receipt of the complaint except that complaints of abuse or
22neglect which indicate that a resident's life or safety is in
23imminent danger shall be investigated within 24 hours after
24receipt of the complaint. All other complaints shall be
25investigated within 30 days after the receipt of the complaint.
26The Department employees investigating a complaint shall

 

 

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1conduct a brief, informal exit conference with the facility to
2alert its administration of any suspected serious deficiency
3that poses a direct threat to the health, safety or welfare of
4a resident to enable an immediate correction for the
5alleviation or elimination of such threat. Such information and
6findings discussed in the brief exit conference shall become a
7part of the investigating record but shall not in any way
8constitute an official or final notice of violation as provided
9under Section 3-301. All complaints shall be classified as "an
10invalid report", "a valid report", or "an undetermined report".
11For any complaint classified as "a valid report", the
12Department must determine within 30 working days if any rule or
13provision of this Act has been or is being violated.
14    (d-1) The Department shall, whenever possible, combine an
15on-site investigation of a complaint in a facility with other
16inspections in order to avoid duplication of inspections.
17    (e) In all cases, the Department shall inform the
18complainant of its findings within 10 days of its determination
19unless otherwise indicated by the complainant, and the
20complainant may direct the Department to send a copy of such
21findings to another person. The Department's findings may
22include comments or documentation provided by either the
23complainant or the licensee pertaining to the complaint. The
24Department shall also notify the facility of such findings
25within 10 days of the determination, but the name of the
26complainant or residents shall not be disclosed in this notice

 

 

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1to the facility. The notice of such findings shall include a
2copy of the written determination; the correction order, if
3any; the warning notice, if any; the inspection report; or the
4State licensure form on which the violation is listed.
5    (f) A written determination, correction order, or warning
6notice concerning a complaint, together with the facility's
7response, shall be available for public inspection, but the
8name of the complainant or resident shall not be disclosed
9without his consent.
10    (g) A complainant who is dissatisfied with the
11determination or investigation by the Department may request a
12hearing under Section 3-703. The facility shall be given notice
13of any such hearing and may participate in the hearing as a
14party. If a facility requests a hearing under Section 3-703
15which concerns a matter covered by a complaint, the complainant
16shall be given notice and may participate in the hearing as a
17party. A request for a hearing by either a complainant or a
18facility shall be submitted in writing to the Department within
1930 days after the mailing of the Department's findings as
20described in subsection (e) of this Section. Upon receipt of
21the request the Department shall conduct a hearing as provided
22under Section 3-703.
23    (g-5) The Department shall conduct an annual review and
24make a report concerning the complaint process that includes
25the number of complaints received, the breakdown of anonymous
26and non-anonymous complaints and whether the complaints were

 

 

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1substantiated or not, the total number of substantiated
2complaints, and any other complaint information requested by
3the Long-Term Care Facility Advisory Board created under
4Section 2-204 of this Act or the Illinois Long-Term Care
5Council created under Section 4.04a of the Illinois Act on the
6Aging. This report shall be provided to the Long-Term Care
7Facility Advisory Board and the Illinois Long-Term Care
8Council. The Long-Term Care Advisory Board and the Illinois
9Long-Term Care Council shall review the report and suggest any
10changes deemed necessary to the Department for review and
11action, including how to investigate and substantiate
12anonymous complaints.
13    (h) Any person who knowingly transmits a false report to
14the Department commits the offense of disorderly conduct under
15subsection (a)(8) of Section 26-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
16(Source: P.A. 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)
 
17    Section 10. The ID/DD Community Care Act is amended by
18changing Section 3-702 as follows:
 
19    (210 ILCS 47/3-702)
20    Sec. 3-702. Request for investigation of violation.
21    (a) A person who believes that this Act or a rule
22promulgated under this Act may have been violated may request
23an investigation. The request may be submitted to the
24Department in writing, by telephone, by electronic means, or by

 

 

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1personal visit. An oral complaint shall be reduced to writing
2by the Department. The Department shall make available, through
3its website and upon request, information regarding the oral
4and phone intake processes and the list of questions that will
5be asked of the complainant. The Department shall request
6information identifying the complainant, including the name,
7address and telephone number, to help enable appropriate follow
8up. The Department shall act on such complaints via on-site
9visits or other methods deemed appropriate to handle the
10complaints with or without such identifying information, as
11otherwise provided under this Section. The complainant shall be
12informed that compliance with such request is not required to
13satisfy the procedures for filing a complaint under this Act.
14The Department must notify complainants that complaints with
15less information provided are far more difficult to respond to
16and investigate.
17    (b) The substance of the complaint shall be provided in
18writing to the licensee, owner or administrator no earlier than
19at the commencement of an on-site inspection of the facility
20which takes place pursuant to the complaint.
21    (c) The Department shall not disclose the name of the
22complainant unless the complainant consents in writing to the
23disclosure or the investigation results in a judicial
24proceeding, or unless disclosure is essential to the
25investigation. The complainant shall be given the opportunity
26to withdraw the complaint before disclosure. Upon the request

 

 

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1of the complainant, the Department may permit the complainant
2or a representative of the complainant to accompany the person
3making the on-site inspection of the facility.
4    (d) Upon receipt of a complaint, the Department shall
5determine whether this Act or a rule promulgated under this Act
6has been or is being violated. The Department shall investigate
7all complaints alleging abuse or neglect within 7 days after
8the receipt of the complaint except that complaints of abuse or
9neglect which indicate that a resident's life or safety is in
10imminent danger shall be investigated within 24 hours after
11receipt of the complaint. All other complaints shall be
12investigated within 30 days after the receipt of the complaint.
13The Department employees investigating a complaint shall
14conduct a brief, informal exit conference with the facility to
15alert its administration of any suspected serious deficiency
16that poses a direct threat to the health, safety or welfare of
17a resident to enable an immediate correction for the
18alleviation or elimination of such threat. Such information and
19findings discussed in the brief exit conference shall become a
20part of the investigating record but shall not in any way
21constitute an official or final notice of violation as provided
22under Section 3-301. All complaints shall be classified as "an
23invalid report", "a valid report", or "an undetermined report".
24For any complaint classified as "a valid report", the
25Department must determine within 30 working days if any rule or
26provision of this Act has been or is being violated.

 

 

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1    (d-1) The Department shall, whenever possible, combine an
2on site investigation of a complaint in a facility with other
3inspections in order to avoid duplication of inspections.
4    (e) In all cases, the Department shall inform the
5complainant of its findings within 10 days of its determination
6unless otherwise indicated by the complainant, and the
7complainant may direct the Department to send a copy of such
8findings to another person. The Department's findings may
9include comments or documentation provided by either the
10complainant or the licensee pertaining to the complaint. The
11Department shall also notify the facility of such findings
12within 10 days of the determination, but the name of the
13complainant or residents shall not be disclosed in this notice
14to the facility. The notice of such findings shall include a
15copy of the written determination; the correction order, if
16any; the warning notice, if any; the inspection report; or the
17State licensure form on which the violation is listed.
18    (f) A written determination, correction order, or warning
19notice concerning a complaint, together with the facility's
20response, shall be available for public inspection, but the
21name of the complainant or resident shall not be disclosed
22without his or her consent.
23    (g) A complainant who is dissatisfied with the
24determination or investigation by the Department may request a
25hearing under Section 3-703. The facility shall be given notice
26of any such hearing and may participate in the hearing as a

 

 

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1party. If a facility requests a hearing under Section 3-703
2which concerns a matter covered by a complaint, the complainant
3shall be given notice and may participate in the hearing as a
4party. A request for a hearing by either a complainant or a
5facility shall be submitted in writing to the Department within
630 days after the mailing of the Department's findings as
7described in subsection (e) of this Section. Upon receipt of
8the request the Department shall conduct a hearing as provided
9under Section 3-703.
10    (g-5) The Department shall conduct an annual review and
11make a report concerning the complaint process that includes
12the number of complaints received, the breakdown of anonymous
13and non-anonymous complaints and whether the complaints were
14substantiated or not, the total number of substantiated
15complaints, and any other complaint information requested by
16the DD Facility Advisory Board. This report shall be provided
17to the DD Facility Advisory Board. The DD Facility Advisory
18Board shall review the report and suggest any changes deemed
19necessary to the Department for review and action, including
20how to investigate and substantiate anonymous complaints.
21    (h) Any person who knowingly transmits a false report to
22the Department commits the offense of disorderly conduct under
23subsection (a)(8) of Section 26-1 of the Criminal Code of 2012.
24(Source: P.A. 96-339, eff. 7-1-10; 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)
 
25    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
26becoming law.