102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB4427
 
Introduced , by Rep. Lance Yednock
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:



225 ILCS 65/60-10

 Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Provides that an applicant for licensure by examination who has not yet passed the licensure examination for professional nursing approved by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation may obtain employment as an exam-pending (and license-pending) registered nurse and may practice under the direction of a registered professional nurse or an advanced practice registered nurse until passage of the examination.



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A BILL FOR
 


HB4427LRB102 23735 AMQ 32924 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 Nurse Practice Act is amended by changing 
5Section 60-10 as follows:

6 (225 ILCS 65/60-10)
7 (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2028)

8 Sec. 60-10. RN licensure by examination.
9 (a) Each applicant who successfully meets the requirements 
10of this Section is eligible for licensure as a registered 
11professional nurse.
12 (b) An applicant for licensure by examination to practice 
13as a registered professional nurse is eligible for licensure 
14when the following requirements are met:
15  (1) the applicant has submitted a completed written 
16 application, on forms provided by the Department, and 
17 fees, as established by the Department;
18  (2) the applicant has graduated from a professional 
19 nursing education program approved by the Department or 
20 has been granted a certificate of completion of 
21 pre-licensure requirements from another United States 
22 jurisdiction;
23  (3) the applicant has successfully completed a 
 
 
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1 licensure examination approved by the Department;
2  (4) (blank);
3  (5) the applicant has submitted to the criminal 
4 history records check required under Section 50-35 of this 
5 Act;
6  (6) the applicant has submitted, either to the 
7 Department or its designated testing service, a fee 
8 covering the cost of providing the examination; failure to 
9 appear for the examination on the scheduled date at the 
10 time and place specified after the applicant's application 
11 for examination has been received and acknowledged by the 
12 Department or the designated testing service shall result 
13 in the forfeiture of the examination fee; and
14  (7) the applicant has met all other requirements 
15 established by the Department by rule.

16 An applicant for licensure by examination may take the 
17Department-approved examination in another jurisdiction.
18 (b-5) If an applicant for licensure by examination 
19neglects, fails, or refuses to take an examination or fails to 
20pass an examination for a license within 3 years of the date of 
21initial application, the application shall be denied. When an 
22applicant's application is denied due to the failure to pass 
23the examination within the 3-year period, that applicant must 
24undertake an additional course of education as defined by rule 
25prior to submitting a new application for licensure. Any new 
26application must be accompanied by the required fee, evidence 
 
 
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1of meeting the requirements in force at the time of the new 
2application, and evidence of completion of the additional 
3course of education prescribed by rule.
4 (c) An applicant for licensure by examination shall have 
5one year after the date of notification of the successful 
6completion of the examination to apply to the Department for a 
7license. If an applicant fails to apply within one year, the 
8applicant shall be required to retake and pass the examination 
9unless licensed in another jurisdiction of the United States.
10 (d) An applicant for licensure by examination who passes 
11the Department-approved licensure examination for professional 
12nursing may obtain employment as a license-pending registered 
13nurse and practice under the direction of a registered 
14professional nurse or an advanced practice registered nurse 
15until such time as he or she receives his or her license to 
16practice or until the license is denied. In no instance shall 
17any such applicant practice or be employed in any management 
18capacity. An individual may be employed as a license-pending 
19registered nurse if all of the following criteria are met:
20  (1) He or she has completed and passed the 
21 Department-approved licensure exam and presents to the 
22 employer the official written notification indicating 
23 successful passage of the licensure examination.
24  (2) He or she has completed and submitted to the 
25 Department an application for licensure under this Section 
26 as a registered professional nurse.
 
 
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1  (3) He or she has submitted the required licensure 
2 fee.
3  (4) He or she has met all other requirements 
4 established by rule, including having submitted to a 
5 criminal history records check.
6 (d-5) Notwithstanding any law of the State to the 
7contrary, an applicant for licensure by examination, including 
8a recent graduate of a registered nurse program, who has not 
9yet passed the Department-approved licensure examination for 
10professional nursing may obtain employment as an exam-pending 
11(and license-pending) registered nurse and may practice under 
12the direction of a registered professional nurse or an 
13advanced practice registered nurse until passage of the 
14examination.
15 (e) The privilege to practice as a license-pending 
16registered nurse shall terminate with the occurrence of any of 
17the following:
18  (1) Three months have passed since the official date 
19 of passing the licensure exam as inscribed on the formal 
20 written notification indicating passage of the exam. The 
21 3-month license pending period may be extended if more 
22 time is needed by the Department to process the licensure 
23 application.
24  (2) Receipt of the registered professional nurse 
25 license from the Department.
26  (3) Notification from the Department that the 
 
 
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1 application for licensure has been refused.
2  (4) A request by the Department that the individual 
3 terminate practicing as a license-pending registered nurse 
4 until an official decision is made by the Department to 
5 grant or deny a registered professional nurse license.
6 (f) (Blank).
7 (g) (Blank).
8 (h) (Blank).
9 (i) (Blank).
10 (j) (Blank).
11 (k) All applicants for registered professional nurse 
12licensure have 3 years after the date of application to 
13complete the application process. If the process has not been 
14completed within 3 years after the date of application, the 
15application shall be denied, the fee forfeited, and the 
16applicant must reapply and meet the requirements in effect at 
17the time of reapplication.
18 (l) All applicants for registered nurse licensure by 
19examination who are graduates of practical nursing educational 
20programs in a country other than the United States and its 
21territories shall have their nursing education credentials 
22evaluated by a Department-approved nursing credentialing 
23evaluation service. No such applicant may be issued a license 
24under this Act unless the applicant's program is deemed by the 
25nursing credentialing evaluation service to be equivalent to a 
26professional nursing education program approved by the 
 
 
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1Department. An applicant who has graduated from a nursing 
2educational program outside of the United States or its 
3territories and whose first language is not English shall 
4submit evidence of English proficiency, as defined by rule.
5 (m) (Blank).

6(Source: P.A. 100-513, eff. 1-1-18.)