State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_HB3549

 
                                               LRB9110840STsb

 1        AN ACT regulating privatization of  nursing  services  to
 2    correctional facilities.

 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:

 5        Section 1.  Short title.  This Act may be  cited  as  the
 6    Correctional   Facilities   Nursing   Services  Privatization
 7    Regulation Act.

 8        Section 5.  Purpose.  It is the purpose of this  Act  and
 9    the  policy  of the State to ensure that the residents of the
10    State correctional facilities receive  high  quality  nursing
11    services at the lowest possible cost, with due regard for the
12    taxpayers  of  the  State  and  the  needs of both public and
13    private sector nurses.

14        Section 10.  Definitions.  As used in this Act:
15        "Department" means the Department of Corrections.
16        "Privatization" means a contract between  the  Department
17    of   Corrections  and  a  person,  corporation,  partnership,
18    nonprofit organization, or sole proprietorship in the private
19    sector for the  purpose  of  providing  nursing  services  in
20    Illinois correctional facilities.
21        "State  nurse"  means a registered professional nurse who
22    is a State employee providing nursing  services  in  Illinois
23    correctional facilities.

24        Section 15.  Privatization requirements.
25        (a)  Privatization is permissible to achieve cost savings
26    when all of the following conditions are met:
27             (1)  The  Department  of  Corrections  shall clearly
28        demonstrate that the proposed  contract  will  result  in
29        actual overall cost savings to the State.
 
                            -2-                LRB9110840STsb
 1                  (A)  In   comparing   costs,   there  shall  be
 2             included the State's additional  cost  of  providing
 3             the   same   nursing   services  as  proposed  by  a
 4             contractor.  These additional  costs  shall  include
 5             the  salaries  and  benefits  of  additional nursing
 6             staff  that  would  be  needed  and  the   cost   of
 7             additional space, equipment, and materials needed to
 8             perform the function.
 9                  (B)  In  comparing  costs,  there  shall not be
10             included the State's indirect overhead costs  unless
11             these costs can be attributed solely to the function
12             in  question  and  would  not exist if that function
13             were not  performed  in  State  service.   "Indirect
14             overhead costs" means the pro rata share of existing
15             administrative    salaries   and   benefits,   rent,
16             equipment costs, utilities, and materials.
17                  (C)  In  comparing  costs,   there   shall   be
18             included  in  the  cost  of  a  contractor providing
19             nursing service  any  continuing  State  costs  that
20             would  be  directly  associated  with the contracted
21             services.   These  continuing  State   costs   shall
22             include,   but   not   be   limited  to,  those  for
23             inspection, supervision, and monitoring.
24             (2)  The contract shall include specific  provisions
25        pertaining   to  the  qualifications  of  the  registered
26        professional  nurse  who  will  perform  the  work  under
27        contract, as well  as  assurance  that  the  contractor's
28        hiring  practices  meet  applicable nondiscrimination and
29        affirmative action standards.
30        (b)  Privatization is also permissible  to  achieve  cost
31    savings when any of the following conditions is met:
32             (1)  The  services  contracted  are not available or
33        cannot be performed satisfactorily by  State  nurses;  or
34        are of such a highly specialized or technical nature that
 
                            -3-                LRB9110840STsb
 1        the  necessary  expert knowledge, experience, and ability
 2        is not available in the State work force.
 3             (2)  A private  contractor  can  provide  equipment,
 4        materials,   facilities   support  services  that  cannot
 5        feasibly be provided by the State in the  location  where
 6        the nursing services are to be performed.
 7             (3)  The  services are of such an urgent, temporary,
 8        or occasional nature that State nurses cannot  adequately
 9        perform them.

10        Section 20.  Eligibility of contractors.  All contractors
11    submitting  bids  must  submit  an  eligibility report to the
12    Department.   The  report  shall  be  available  for   public
13    inspection  upon  request.  The report shall include, but not
14    be limited to:
15        (a)  the  union  status  and  representation   for   each
16    registered professional nurse for the last two years;
17        (b)  the  ethnic,  racial,  and  gender  make-up  of  the
18    contractor's work force for the last 2 years; and
19        (c)    a list of the principals of the contractor for the
20    last 4 years.

21        Section 25.  Annual performance reports.  All contractors
22    awarded procurement under Section 15 of this Act shall submit
23    annual performance reports to the Department of  Corrections.
24    These  reports  shall be available for public inspection upon
25    request.  Each performance report shall include, but  not  be
26    limited to:
27        (a)  payroll  records  listing the name, work site, hours
28    worked, hourly wage paid, and fringe benefits paid  for  each
29    registered professional nurse;
30        (b)  the   union   status  and  representation  for  each
31    employee;
32        (c)  the ethnic, racial, and gender make-up of  the  work
 
                            -4-                LRB9110840STsb
 1    force; and
 2        (d)  a  list  of the principals of the contractor for the
 3    last year.
 4        The reports required under this Section shall  be  public
 5    documents available for public inspection.

 6        Section     30.  Withholding     reimbursement.      When
 7    privatization  initiatives  are  funded  under  this Act, the
 8    Department of Corrections shall include a withholding  clause
 9    in  the  privatization  contract providing the State with the
10    authority to withhold reimbursement if the  contractor  fails
11    to comply with Section 25 of this Act.

12        Section 35.  Procedures.
13        (a)  Prior   to   making   a  decision  to  contract  for
14    registered professional nursing services and at a  time  that
15    is  early  in  the period for considering such decisions, the
16    Department of Corrections shall notify all organizations that
17    represent State nurses who perform the type  of  work  to  be
18    contracted.   Any  person or organization that has filed with
19    the Department  a  request  for  notice  shall  be  contacted
20    immediately   by  the  Department  so  that  that  person  or
21    organization may be given a reasonable opportunity to comment
22    on the proposed contract.
23        (b)  Departments   or   agencies   submitting    proposed
24    contracts  shall  retain  and  provide  all  data  and  other
25    information relevant to the contracts which are necessary for
26    a  specific application of the standards set forth in Section
27    15.  Any employee organization representing State nurses  may
28    request,  within  10  days of notification, the Department to
29    review any contract proposed or executed  under  Section  15.
30    Upon such a request, the Department shall review the contract
31    for compliance with the standards specified in Section 15.
 
                            -5-                LRB9110840STsb
 1        Section   40.  Other  proposed  contracts;  review.   The
 2    Department of Central Management Services, at the request  of
 3    an  employee organization that represents State nurses, shall
 4    review the adequacy of any proposed or executed contract that
 5    is of a type enumerated in Section 15.

 6        Section 45.  Worker protection.
 7        (a)  At  Department  of  Corrections   facilities   where
 8    medical  services are currently provided by a contractor, and
 9    cost  analysis  demonstrates  that   the   requirements   for
10    privatization  set  forth  in  Section 15 of this Act are not
11    met, the Department shall provide those services directly and
12    shall offer employment to all staff employed by a  contractor
13    at  each  facility  to  perform  their  same  duties  for the
14    Department,  subject   to   available   appropriations.   The
15    employees  shall  be  granted  civil  service  status  in the
16    appropriate State title and shall be granted seniority credit
17    for  all  time  employed  by  a  medical  contractor  at  the
18    Department of Corrections facility  for  purposes  of  salary
19    step  placement  and  accrued  benefits only.  In no instance
20    shall  these  employees  suffer  a  diminution  in  wages  or
21    benefits.
22        (b)  As used in this Section, "cost  analysis"  means  an
23    analysis   conducted   in   accordance   with   the  standard
24    methodology comparing the projected cost  of  delivering  the
25    service under the proposed contract to the cost of delivering
26    the  service  in-house.   The  analysis  shall include in the
27    projected cost of the proposed contract any continuing  State
28    costs  associated  with  the  service,  such  as the costs of
29    inspection, supervision, and monitoring.  The analysis  shall
30    exclude  from the cost of delivering the service in-house all
31    overhead costs unless the costs are  attributable  solely  to
32    the service.
 
                            -6-                LRB9110840STsb
 1        Section  90.    Applicability.   This Act applies only to
 2    contracts executed or renewed on or after the effective  date
 3    of this Act.

 4        Section  95.  Severability.   The  provisions of this Act
 5    are severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes.

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

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