97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5130

 

Introduced 2/8/2012, by Rep. Michael Unes - David R. Leitch - Jehan A. Gordon

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
210 ILCS 45/3-702  from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4153-702

    Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Provides that when the Department of Public Health receives a complaint of a violation of the Act or the Department's rules, the Department shall require (instead of request) information identifying the complainant, and requires that the identifying information include the complainant's relationship to the facility. Provides that if the Department has a good faith belief, based on information that comes to its attention, that a complaint is frivolous, intended to harass, or intended to defraud the Department, the Department shall (i) impose on the complainant a civil monetary penalty in the amount of $125 and (ii) include the complainant's name on a list of violators published quarterly. Also provides that if the complainant is licensed or certified by the Department or by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, then, subject to the requirements of the Department's Health Care Worker Registry, the Department shall forward the complainant's name to the appropriate agency for further action. Effective January 1, 2013.


LRB097 17324 DRJ 62525 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5130LRB097 17324 DRJ 62525 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Nursing Home Care Act is amended by changing
5Section 3-702 as follows:
 
6    (210 ILCS 45/3-702)  (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 4153-702)
7    Sec. 3-702. (a) A person who believes that this Act or a
8rule promulgated under this Act may have been violated may
9request an investigation. The request may be submitted to the
10Department in writing, by telephone, or by personal visit. An
11oral complaint shall be reduced to writing by the Department.
12The Department shall require request information identifying
13the complainant, including the name, address, and telephone
14number, and relationship to the facility that is the subject of
15the complaint, to help enable appropriate follow-up. The
16Department shall act on such complaints via on-site visits or
17other methods deemed appropriate to handle the complaints with
18or without such identifying information, as otherwise provided
19under this Section. The complainant shall be informed that
20compliance with such request is not required to satisfy the
21procedures for filing a complaint under this Act. If the
22Department has a good faith belief, based on information that
23comes to its attention, that a complaint is frivolous, intended

 

 

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1to harass, or intended to defraud the Department, the
2Department shall (i) impose on the complainant a civil monetary
3penalty in the amount of $125 and (ii) include the
4complainant's name on a list of violators published quarterly.
5In addition, if the complainant is licensed or certified by the
6Department or by the Department of Financial and Professional
7Regulation, then, subject to the requirements of the
8Department's Health Care Worker Registry, the Department shall
9forward the complainant's name to the appropriate agency for
10further action.
11    (b) The substance of the complaint shall be provided in
12writing to the licensee, owner or administrator no earlier than
13at the commencement of an on-site inspection of the facility
14which takes place pursuant to the complaint.
15    (c) The Department shall not disclose the name of the
16complainant unless the complainant consents in writing to the
17disclosure or the investigation results in a judicial
18proceeding, or unless disclosure is essential to the
19investigation. The complainant shall be given the opportunity
20to withdraw the complaint before disclosure. Upon the request
21of the complainant, the Department may permit the complainant
22or a representative of the complainant to accompany the person
23making the on-site inspection of the facility.
24    (d) Upon receipt of a complaint, the Department shall
25determine whether this Act or a rule promulgated under this Act
26has been or is being violated. The Department shall investigate

 

 

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1all complaints alleging abuse or neglect within 7 days after
2the receipt of the complaint except that complaints of abuse or
3neglect which indicate that a resident's life or safety is in
4imminent danger shall be investigated within 24 hours after
5receipt of the complaint. All other complaints shall be
6investigated within 30 days after the receipt of the complaint.
7The Department employees investigating a complaint shall
8conduct a brief, informal exit conference with the facility to
9alert its administration of any suspected serious deficiency
10that poses a direct threat to the health, safety or welfare of
11a resident to enable an immediate correction for the
12alleviation or elimination of such threat. Such information and
13findings discussed in the brief exit conference shall become a
14part of the investigating record but shall not in any way
15constitute an official or final notice of violation as provided
16under Section 3-301. All complaints shall be classified as "an
17invalid report", "a valid report", or "an undetermined report".
18For any complaint classified as "a valid report", the
19Department must determine within 30 working days if any rule or
20provision of this Act has been or is being violated.
21    (d-1) The Department shall, whenever possible, combine an
22on-site investigation of a complaint in a facility with other
23inspections in order to avoid duplication of inspections.
24    (e) In all cases, the Department shall inform the
25complainant of its findings within 10 days of its determination
26unless otherwise indicated by the complainant, and the

 

 

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1complainant may direct the Department to send a copy of such
2findings to another person. The Department's findings may
3include comments or documentation provided by either the
4complainant or the licensee pertaining to the complaint. The
5Department shall also notify the facility of such findings
6within 10 days of the determination, but the name of the
7complainant or residents shall not be disclosed in this notice
8to the facility. The notice of such findings shall include a
9copy of the written determination; the correction order, if
10any; the warning notice, if any; the inspection report; or the
11State licensure form on which the violation is listed.
12    (f) A written determination, correction order, or warning
13notice concerning a complaint, together with the facility's
14response, shall be available for public inspection, but the
15name of the complainant or resident shall not be disclosed
16without his consent.
17    (g) A complainant who is dissatisfied with the
18determination or investigation by the Department may request a
19hearing under Section 3-703. The facility shall be given notice
20of any such hearing and may participate in the hearing as a
21party. If a facility requests a hearing under Section 3-703
22which concerns a matter covered by a complaint, the complainant
23shall be given notice and may participate in the hearing as a
24party. A request for a hearing by either a complainant or a
25facility shall be submitted in writing to the Department within
2630 days after the mailing of the Department's findings as

 

 

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1described in subsection (e) of this Section. Upon receipt of
2the request the Department shall conduct a hearing as provided
3under Section 3-703.
4    (h) Any person who knowingly transmits a false report to
5the Department commits the offense of disorderly conduct under
6subsection (a)(8) of Section 26-1 of the "Criminal Code of
71961".
8(Source: P.A. 85-1378.)
 
9    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
101, 2013.