HB1615ham001 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rep. Maura Hirschauer

Filed: 3/6/2023

10300HB1615ham001 LRB103 25827 SPS 58325 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1615

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1615 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 1. Legislative findings. The General Assembly recognizes:

(1) There is a growing shortage of nurses working in Illinois health care facilities, which is most profound in Southern Illinois.

(2) Nurse employers, including hospitals and long-term care facilities, cannot hire the number of nurses they need to provide quality nursing care.

(3) The purpose of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center is to address issues of supply and demand in the nursing profession, including issues of recruitment, retention, and utilization of nurse manpower resources.

(4) The Center reports that the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation provides nursing licenses, as of June 2022, in the following amounts: 17,931 advanced practice registered nurse licenses; 200,600 registered nurse licenses; and 25,978 licensed practical nurse licenses.

(5) The number of licenses does not equate to the number of nurses currently in the workforce in Illinois as many nurses renew their licenses even after retirement.

(6) There have been nursing surveys, but they have been voluntary. For instance, in 2020, only 22% of nurses responded to surveys.

(7) Strategies and changes are necessary to solving the nursing shortage. There needs to be accurate and complete data.

(8) Illinois must know whether there are regional shortages of nurses, shortages of nurses in specialty areas, or impediments to entering the nursing profession. A required survey will address these and other nurse shortage issues.

Section 5. The Nurse Practice Act is amended by changing Section 75-10 as follows:

(225 ILCS 65/75-10) (was 225 ILCS 65/17-10)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

Sec. 75-10. Illinois Nursing Workforce Center. The purpose of the Illinois Nursing Workforce Center to address issues of supply and demand in the nursing profession, including issues of recruitment, retention, and utilization of nurse manpower resources. The General Assembly finds that the Center will enhance the access to and delivery of quality health care services by providing an ongoing strategy for the allocation of the State's resources directed towards nursing. Each of the following objectives shall serve as the primary goals for the Center:

(1) To develop a strategic plan for nursing workforce in the State by selecting priorities to be addressed, including: manpower in Illinois by selecting priorities that must be addressed.

(A) For license renewals beginning in 2024 and each renewal thereafter, to develop and require the completion of a supply survey of all licensed nurses, including licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses, at initial licensure and each license renewal thereafter. The survey shall use the National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers Minimum Nurse Supply Dataset. The Center shall compile, process, and evaluate the survey findings and report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives with recommendations.

(B) No later than 2027, to develop a nurse demand and employer survey to be collected biennially. The survey shall use the National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers Minimum Nurse Demand Dataset. The Center shall compile, process, and evaluate the survey findings and report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives with recommendations by no later than December 31, 2029.

(2) To convene various groups of representatives of nurses, other health care providers, businesses and industries, consumers, legislators, and educators, including 2 representatives of a labor organization recognized under the National Labor Relations Act representing active registered professional nurses licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, appointed by the Secretary of Financial and Professional Regulation, to :

(A) review and comment on data analysis prepared by for the Center; and

(B) recommend systemic changes, including strategies for implementation of recommended changes.

(3) To enhance and promote recognition, reward, and renewal activities for nurses in the State Illinois by:

(A) proposing and creating reward, recognition, and renewal activities for nursing; and

(B) promoting positive media and positive image-building efforts for nursing.

(Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)

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