HB4461sam001 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Don Harmon

Filed: 3/23/2006

09400HB4461sam001 LRB094 18005 HLH 57139 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 4461

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 4461 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 605-430 as follows:

(20 ILCS 605/605-430 new)

Sec. 605-430. Funding; study. To ensure the availability of a quality health care workforce to meet present and future health care needs within the State, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity may, subject to appropriation, conduct a study of the current and projected academic training capacity in the State of Illinois specific to the nursing profession. The study shall address the current supply and demand for masters-prepared nurses as nursing school faculty and set specific goals for recruiting and training new nursing faculty throughout the region. The study shall also determine the feasibility of the State engaging in the following activities: (i) the establishment of scholarship funds and work-study programs to help recruit potential new nursing school faculty, (ii) the creation of a system to regularly review and increase nurse faculty salary and benefits to make academic practice competitive with clinical practice, and (iii) the development of career track programs for academia that offer advancement and rewards for nursing school faculty comparable to those in clinical management. The study shall include the collaborative input of hospital and other health care provider associations and public and private educational institutions from throughout the State.

Subject to the availability of State funds, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall complete the study by July 1, 2007 and shall present its findings to the General Assembly for consideration.

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