93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB4880

 

Introduced 02/04/04, by Wyvetter H. Younge

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Public School Volunteer Health Care Practitioner Act. Establishes the Public School Volunteer Health Care Practitioner Program to encourage health care practitioners to provide their services in the public schools. Provides that if a health care practitioner provides services, without compensation, in a public school for a specified number of hours, the person is eligible to have his or her license renewal fee waived and 25% of any continuing education hours fulfilled. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning schools.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Public
5 School Volunteer Health Care Practitioner Act.
 
6     Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to establish
7 a public school volunteer health care practitioner program with
8 incentives in order to encourage health care practitioners to
9 provide their services, without compensation, in the public
10 schools. The program is intended to complement other programs
11 designed to provide health services or increase the level of
12 health care in the public schools.
 
13     Section 10. Definitions. Unless the context otherwise
14 requires, in this Act:
15     "Health care practitioner" means a physician licensed to
16 practice medicine in all of its branches under the Medical
17 Practice Act of 1987; a chiropractic physician licensed under
18 the Medical Practice Act of 1987; a podiatric physician
19 licensed under the Podiatric Medical Practice Act of 1987; an
20 optometrist licensed under Illinois Optometric Practice Act of
21 1987; an advanced practice nurse, registered nurse, or
22 practical nurse licensed under the Nursing and Advanced
23 Practice Nursing Act; a pharmacist licensed under the Pharmacy
24 Practice Act of 1987; a dentist or dental hygienist licensed
25 under the Illinois Dental Practice Act; a certified nurse
26 midwife licensed under the Nursing and Advanced Practice
27 Nursing Act; a speech-language pathologist or audiologist
28 licensed under the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and
29 Audiology Practice Act; or a physical therapist licensed under
30 the Illinois Physical Therapy Act.
31     "Department" means the Department of Professional

 

 

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1 Regulation.
2     "Program" means the Public School Volunteer Health Care
3 Practitioner Program established under this Act.
 
4     Section 15. Creation of Program; supervision and review.
5 The Public School Volunteer Health Care Practitioner Program is
6 created. The Department shall have the responsibility to
7 supervise the Program and perform periodic Program reviews.
 
8     Section 20. Program incentives. Notwithstanding any
9 provision of the Medical Practice Act of 1987, the Podiatric
10 Medical Practice Act of 1987, the Illinois Optometric Practice
11 Act of 1987, the Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act, the
12 Pharmacy Practice Act of 1987, the Illinois Dental Practice
13 Act, the Illinois Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
14 Practice Act, or the Illinois Physical Therapy Act to the
15 contrary, any health care practitioner who participates in the
16 Program and thereby agrees to provide his or her services,
17 without compensation, in a public school for at least 80 hours
18 a year for each school year during the licensure period, or, if
19 the health care practitioner is retired, for at least 400 hours
20 a year for each school year during the licensure period, upon
21 providing sufficient proof from the applicable school district
22 that the health care practitioner has completed these hours at
23 the time of license renewal under procedures specified by the
24 Department, shall be eligible for the following:
25         (1) waiver of the license renewal fee for an active
26     license; and
27         (2) fulfillment of a maximum of 25% of the continuing
28     education hours required for license renewal, if there is a
29     requirement.
30 The school district may establish a schedule for health care
31     practitioners who participate in the Program.
 
32     Section 25. Requirements to participate.
33     (a) A health care practitioner must complete all forms and

 

 

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1 procedures for participation in the Program prior to the
2 applicable license renewal date.
3     (b) To participate in the Program, a health care
4 practitioner must have the following:
5         (1) a valid, active license to practice his or her
6     profession in this State; and
7         (2) a criminal background investigation performed in
8     the same manner as applicants for employment under Section
9     10-21.9 or 34-18.5 of the School Code, unless already
10     provided and completed for practitioner licensing,
11     profiling, or credentialing purposes.
 
12     Section 30. Liability protection costs. The school
13 district, through its self-insurance program, shall bear the
14 cost of any increase in premiums for liability protection for
15 health care practitioners participating in the Program other
16 than those employed by the school or school district.
 
17     Section 35. Program publicity. The Department, in
18 cooperation with the State Board of Education, shall publicize
19 the availability of the Program and its benefits in each school
20 district.
 
21     Section 40. Rules. The Department, in cooperation with the
22 State Board of Education, may adopt any rules necessary to
23 implement this Act. The rules shall include the forms to be
24 completed and procedures to be followed by applicants and
25 school personnel under the Program.
 
26     Section 45. Funding. The provisions of this Act shall be
27 implemented to the extent that specific appropriations have
28 been made for this purpose.
 
29     Section 50. Implementation schedule. Implementation of the
30 Program shall be in accordance with the following schedule:
31         (1) The forms and procedures required by this Act must

 

 

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1     be completed and distributed to all school districts on or
2     before November 30, 2005.
3         (2) Each school district must make the application
4     forms and any other materials required by this Act
5     available to all public schools in the district within one
6     month after the forms and procedures are completed and
7     distributed to the school district.
8         (3) Publicity of the Program in a school district, as
9     required by this Act, must begin within one month after the
10     forms and procedures are completed and distributed to the
11     school district.
 
12     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
13 becoming law.