SR0116 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0116 LRB101 09044 ALS 56102 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, After the United States entered World War II, the demand for nurses increased dramatically, outstripping supply and creating a nursing shortage; and

WHEREAS, In order to alleviate this critical shortage, a plan was conceived to accelerate the training of nursing students and to allow such nursing students to serve during such training; and

WHEREAS, On March 29, 1943, Congresswoman Frances P. Bolton of Ohio introduced a bill in the United States House of Representatives to establish a special government program to facilitate the training of nurses; the bill was passed unanimously by both chambers of Congress, was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 15, 1943, and became effective as Public Law 74 on July 1, 1943; and

WHEREAS, The Bolton Act of 1943 created the Cadet Nurse Corps; the Corps was administered by the United States Public Health Service and supervised by the Division of Nurse Education, which reported to the Surgeon General of the United States; and

WHEREAS, Over one thousand nursing schools throughout the United States joined the Cadet Nurse Program during its existence, facilitating the training of over 125,000 nurses during World War II and greatly increasing the wartime supply of nurses and care for American citizens on both the home and war fronts; and

WHEREAS, By replacing certified nurses who had already entered into active duty in the armed forces of the United States, the Cadet Nurse Corps prevented the collapse of nursing care in hospitals throughout the United States, and service members returned from war to a strong health care system and received necessary and quality care from Cadet Nurses; and

WHEREAS, Having demonstrated their skill, devotion, and patriotism, members of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps deserve the utmost admiration and appreciation; and

WHEREAS, A former member of the Cadet Nurse Corps is not included in the United States government's definition of what constitutes a "veteran" and is not eligible to receive certain veterans' benefits administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies; and

WHEREAS, Recognizing former members of the Cadet Nurse Corps as veterans would be an appropriate and warranted gesture of commendation and gratitude to the women whose service and dedication to their communities and to their nation deserves such a gesture; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Illinois General Assembly urges the United States Congress to amend federal law to recognize as veterans those women who served honorably during World War II as members of the Cadet Nurse Corps; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Dorothy Elaine Ellis Ditzler as an expression of our esteem and respect.