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2007 General Assembly Proposals on Nurse Staffing
- HB 392: Nursing Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act
(Rep. Flowers, D-31, Chicago)
- Introduced on 1/31/07. Creates new Act mandating hospitals to implement
prescriptive nurse-patient ratios. The bill is assigned to House Human
Services Committee, where Rep. Flowers serves along with 4 other Democrats
and 4 Republicans. She also chairs the Health Care Availability and Access
Committee, the committee that voted a similar bill to the House Floor in
2006.
Click here to view status of bill.
- HB 119, HA1 - Nurse Practice Act (Rep. "Skip" Saviano, R-77, River
Grove)
- Amendment filed 3/22
providing comprehensive update in anticipation of 12/07 Sunset Act
deadline. Provisions address approval for educational programs,
qualifications for LPN, RN and APN licensure, scope of practice,
disciplinary actions, mandated reporting activity, CEU requirements,
disaster privileging and more. Click
here to view bill.
- SB 360: Nursing & Advanced Practice Act (Sen. Carol Ronen, D-7,
Chicago)
- Introduced 2/7/07. At this time, only amends current Act to extend Sunset
date to Jan., 2018. Most likely is vehicle bill that will eventually contain
updated Act provisions proposed by statewide IDFPR Sunset Act committee. Click
here to view status of bill.
- SB 867, SA2 (Formerly SB 361):
Patient Acuity Nurse Staffing Act (Sen. Carol Ronen, D-7, Chicago)
- Senate Amendment #2 filed on 3/23 represents
agreed language between the Illinois Nurses Association and the Illinois
Hospital Association and addresses staff planning using a hospital's acuity
model, based on recommendations from a nursing care committee comprised of 50%
direct care nurses.
Click here to view bill.
- Introduced on 2/7/07. Creates new Act to
establish a nursing care committee comprised of 50% direct care nurses that
"develops, adopts and implements" the hospital’s written staffing plan and
amends the Hospital Licensing Act to address violations. Each hospital’s plan
must yield "minimum staffing levels for each patient care unit" using a
hospital’s acuity model to align patient care needs with nursing care and
skills. To date, bill remains in Senate Rules committee. Sen. Ronen chairs the
Senate Licensed Activities committee.
Click here to view status of bill.
- SB 605: Nursing Care and Quality Improvement Act (Sen. Iris Martinez,
D-20, Chicago)
- Introduced on 2/8/07. Comprehensive mandate requiring hospitals to
implement same direct care nurse-patient ratios as HB 392 "at all times"
with additional provisions, e.g. acuity model, annual reporting of hospital
staffing plan, employee safeguards. In addition, allows IDPH Director the
discretion to establish more stringent ratios when necessary to address
"patient safety". Provides for financial penalties via rulemaking, as well
as licensure sanctions for violations. Sen. Martinez is the Assistant
Majority Leader in the Senate and serves on the Public Health Committee. To
date, bill remains in Senate Rules committee.
Click here to view bill.
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