Public Act 100-0754
 
HB4665 EnrolledLRB100 16246 RLC 31369 b

    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Mental Health and Developmental
Disabilities Administrative Act is amended by adding Section
4.4 as follows:
 
    (20 ILCS 1705/4.4 new)
    Sec. 4.4. Direct support person credential pilot program.
    (a) In this Section, "direct support person credential"
means a document issued to an individual by a recognized
accrediting body attesting that the individual has met the
professional requirements of the credentialing program by the
Division of Developmental Disabilities of the Department of
Human Services.
    (b) The Division shall initiate a program to continue to
gain the expertise and knowledge of the developmental
disabilities workforce and of the developmental disabilities
workforce recruitment and retention needs throughout the
developmental disabilities field. The Division shall implement
a direct support person credential pilot program to assist and
attract persons into the field of direct support, advance
direct support as a career, and professionalize the field to
promote workforce recruitment and retention efforts, advanced
skills and competencies, and further ensure the health, safety,
and well-being of persons being served.
    (c) The direct support person credential pilot program is
created within the Division to assist persons in the field of
developmental disabilities obtain a credential in their fields
of expertise.
    (d) The pilot program shall be administered by the Division
for 3 years. The pilot program shall include providers,
licensed and certified by the Division or by the Department of
Public Health. The purpose of the pilot program is to assess
how the establishment of a State-accredited direct support
person credential:
        (1) promotes recruitment and retention efforts in the
    developmental disabilities field, notably the direct
    support person position;
        (2) enhances competence in the developmental
    disabilities field;
        (3) yields quality supports and services to persons
    with developmental disabilities; and
        (4) advances the health and safety requirements set
    forth by the State.
    (e) The Division, in administering the pilot program, shall
consider, but not be limited to, the following:
        (1) best practices learning initiatives, including the
    University of Minnesota's college of direct support and all
    Illinois Department of Human Services-approved direct
    support person competencies;
        (2) national direct support professional and person
    competencies or credentialing-based standards and
    trainings;
        (3) facilitating direct support person's portfolio
    development;
        (4) the role and value of skill mentors; and
        (5) creating a career ladder.
    (f) The Division shall produce a report detailing the
progress of the pilot program, including, but not limited to:
        (1) the rate of recruitment and retention for direct
    support persons of providers participating in the pilot
    program compared to the rate for non-participating
    providers;
        (2) the number of direct support persons credentialed;
    and
        (3) the enhancement of quality supports and services to
    persons with developmental disabilities.
 
    Section 10. The MC/DD Act is amended by adding Section
3-206.005 as follows:
 
    (210 ILCS 46/3-206.005 new)
    Sec. 3-206.005. Certification status for certified nursing
assistants. A certified nursing assistant shall lose his or her
certification status if he or she goes 24 consecutive months
without performing nursing or nursing-related services for
pay. In this Section, "nursing or nursing-related services for
pay" includes work performed as a direct support professional
as it is defined in the Community Services Act.
 
    Section 15. The ID/DD Community Care Act is amended by
adding Section 3-206.005 as follows:
 
    (210 ILCS 47/3-206.005 new)
    Sec. 3-206.005. Certification status for certified nursing
assistants. A certified nursing assistant shall lose his or her
certification status if he or she goes 24 consecutive months
without performing nursing or nursing-related services for
pay. In this Section, "nursing or nursing-related services for
pay" includes work performed as a direct support professional
as it is defined in the Community Services Act.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.