State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
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[ Engrossed ][ Enrolled ][ House Amendment 001 ]
[ Senate Amendment 001 ]

91_HB1510

 
                                               LRB9103440REdv

 1        AN  ACT  in relation to privatization of nursing services
 2    in Illinois 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        "Privatization"  means  a contract between the Department
16    of Corrections and a person or firm in the private sector for
17    the  purpose  of  providing  nursing  services  in   Illinois
18    correctional facilities.
19        "State  nurse"  means a registered professional nurse who
20    is a state employee  providing nursing services  in  Illinois
21    correctional facilities.
22        "Displace"   means   the   layoff,   demotion,   bumping,
23    involuntary transfer to a new class, title, or location, time
24    based  reduction,  or  reduction  in customary hours of work,
25    wages, or benefits of any State nurse.
26        "Cost-effectiveness study" means an analysis conducted in
27    accordance with the standard methodology of the Bureau of the
28    Budget comparing the projected cost of delivering the service
29    under the proposed contract to the  cost  of  delivering  the
30    service   in-house.    The  analysis  shall  include  in  the
 
                            -2-                LRB9103440REdv
 1    projected cost of the proposed contract any continuing  State
 2    costs  associated  with  the  service,  such  as the costs of
 3    inspection, supervision, and monitoring.  The analysis  shall
 4    exclude  from the cost of delivering the service in-house all
 5    overhead costs unless the costs are  attributable  solely  to
 6    the service.
 7        "Firm"   means   a  corporation,  partnership,  nonprofit
 8    organization, or sole proprietorship.

 9        Section 15.  Privatization  requirements.   Privatization
10    is  permissible  to  achieve  cost  savings  when  all of the
11    following conditions are met.
12        (a)  The Department of Corrections  clearly  demonstrates
13    that the proposed contract will result in actual overall cost
14    savings to the State, provided that:
15             (1)  In comparing costs, there shall be included the
16        State's  additional  cost  of  providing the same nursing
17        services as proposed by a contractor.   These  additional
18        costs   shall   include  the  salaries  and  benefits  of
19        additional nursing staff that would  be  needed  and  the
20        cost of additional space, equipment, and materials needed
21        to perform the function.
22             (2)  In comparing costs, there shall not be included
23        the  State's  indirect  overhead costs unless these costs
24        can be attributed solely to the function in question  and
25        would  not  exist  if  that function was not performed in
26        State service.  Indirect overhead  costs  means  the  pro
27        rata   share  of  existing  administrative  salaries  and
28        benefits,   rent,   equipment   costs,   utilities,   and
29        materials.
30             (3)  In comparing costs, there shall be included  in
31        the  cost  of  a contractor providing nursing service any
32        continuing State costs that would be directly  associated
33        with  the  contracted  services.   These continuing State
 
                            -3-                LRB9103440REdv
 1        costs shall include, but not be  limited  to,  those  for
 2        inspection, supervision, and monitoring.
 3        (b)  The  savings  shall  be  large enough to ensure that
 4    they will not be eliminated by private sector and State  cost
 5    fluctuations  that  could  normally  be  expected  during the
 6    contracting period.
 7        (c)  The amount of savings clearly justifies the size and
 8    duration of the contracting agreement.
 9        (d)  The  contract  is  awarded  through  a   publicized,
10    competitive bidding process.
11        (e)  The contract includes specific provisions pertaining
12    to  the  qualifications  of the registered professional nurse
13    who  will  perform  the  work  under  contract,  as  well  as
14    assurance  that  the  contractor's  hiring   practices   meet
15    applicable  nondiscrimination,  affirmative  action standards
16    and the Rutan decree prohibition against  hiring  and  firing
17    employees on the basis of political beliefs and activities.
18        (f)  The  potential for future economic risk to the State
19    from potential contractor rate increases is minimal.
20        (g)  The contract is with a firm.
21        (h)  The potential economic advantage of  contracting  is
22    not  outweighed  by  the  public's interest in having nursing
23    services performed directly by State government.
24        (i)  The contract must provide that the contractor  shall
25    not  pay  wages  and  benefits at a rate and level lower than
26    that  provided  to  State  employees  performing   comparable
27    nursing services.

28        Section   20.   Privatization  permitted.   Privatization
29    initiatives  also  shall  be  permissible  when  any  of  the
30    following conditions are met.
31        (1)  The services contracted are not available or  cannot
32    be performed satisfactorily by State nurses, or are of such a
33    highly  specialized  or  technical  nature that the necessary
 
                            -4-                LRB9103440REdv
 1    expert knowledge, experience, and ability is not available in
 2    the State workforce.
 3        (2)  A  private   contractor   can   provide   equipment,
 4    materials,   facilities,  or  support  services  that  cannot
 5    feasibly be provided by the State in the location  where  the
 6    nursing services are to be performed.
 7        (3)  The  services  are  of such an urgent, temporary, or
 8    occasional nature that State nurses cannot adequately perform
 9    them.

10        Section 25.  Eligibility of contractors.  All contractors
11    submitting bids must submit  an  eligibility  report  to  the
12    department  overseeing  the  privatization  contract  and the
13    Office of the Comptroller. The report shall include, but  not
14    be limited to:
15        (1)  documentation of compliance with federal, State, and
16    city    labor,   anti-discrimination,   affirmative   action,
17    unemployment, occupational safely and  health,  environmental
18    protection, and workers' compensation laws;
19        (2)  quarterly payroll records listing the name, address,
20    hours  worked, hourly wage paid, and fringe benefits paid for
21    each nurse employee for the last 2 years;
22        (3)  the  union  status  and  representation   for   each
23    registered professional nurse for the last 2 years;
24        (4)  the  ethnic,  racial,  and  gender  make-up  of  its
25    workforce for the last 2 years; and
26        (5)  a   list  of  the  political  contributions  of  the
27    contractor and its principals for  the  last  4  years.   The
28    reports  shall  be  public  documents  available  for  public
29    inspection.

30        Section 30.  Annual performance reports.  All contractors
31    awarded procurement under Section 15 and 20 of this Act shall
32    submit  annual  performance  reports  to  the  Department  of
 
                            -5-                LRB9103440REdv
 1    Corrections   and   the   Office  of  the  Comptroller.   The
 2    performance report shall include, but not be limited to:
 3        (1)  documentation of compliance with federal, State, and
 4    city   labor,   anti-discrimination,   affirmative    action,
 5    unemployment,  occupational  safety and health, environmental
 6    protection, and workers' compensation laws;
 7        (2)  payroll records listing the  name,  address,  social
 8    security  number,  hours worked, hourly wage paid, and fringe
 9    benefits paid for each registered professional nurse;
10        (3)  the  union  status  and  representation   for   each
11    employee;
12        (4)  the  ethnic,  racial,  and  gender  make-up  of  the
13    workforce; and
14        (5)  a   list  of  the  political  contributions  of  the
15    contractor and its principals for the last year.  The reports
16    shall be public documents available for public inspection.

17        Section    35.     Withholding    reimbursement.     When
18    privatization initiatives are  funded  under  this  Act,  the
19    Department  of Corrections shall include a withholding clause
20    in the privatization contract providing the  State  with  the
21    authority  to  withhold reimbursement if the contractor fails
22    to comply with Section 30 of this Act.

23        Section 45.  Procedures.  At any time the  Department  of
24    Corrections  proposes  to execute a contract under Section 15
25    it shall notify the Department of Central Management Services
26    of its intention.  All  organizations  that  represent  State
27    nurses who perform the type of work to be contracted, and any
28    person  or  organization  that  has  filed  with  the board a
29    request for notice, shall be  contacted  immediately  by  the
30    Department  of  Central  Management  Services upon receipt of
31    this  notice  so  that  they  may  be  given   a   reasonable
32    opportunity to comment on the proposed contract.  Departments
 
                            -6-                LRB9103440REdv
 1    or  agencies  submitting  proposed contracts shall retain and
 2    provide all  data  and  other  information  relevant  to  the
 3    contracts  and  necessary  for  a specific application of the
 4    standards set forth in Section 15.  Any employee organization
 5    representing State nurses may  request,  within  10  days  of
 6    notification,  the commission to review any contract proposed
 7    or executed under Section  15.   Upon  such  a  request,  the
 8    commission  shall review the contract for compliance with the
 9    standards specified in Section 15.

10        Section 50.   Other  proposed  contracts;  reviews.   The
11    Department  of Central Management Services, at the request of
12    an employee organization that represents State nurses,  shall
13    review the adequacy of any proposed or executed contract that
14    is of a type enumerated in Section 15.

15        Section   65.    Worker  protection.   At  Department  of
16    Corrections facilities where medical services are   currently
17    provided by a contractor, and cost analysis demonstrates that
18    the requirements for privatization set forth in Section 15 of
19    this  Act  are  not  met,  the Department shall provide those
20    services directly and shall offer  employment  to  all  staff
21    employed  by  a  contractor at each facility to perform their
22    same duties  for  the  Department.  The  employees  shall  be
23    granted  civil  service status in the appropriate State title
24    and shall be granted seniority credit for all  time  employed
25    by  a  medical  contractor  at  the Department of Corrections
26    facility for purposes of salary step  placement  and  accrued
27    benefits  only.  In no instance shall such employees suffer a
28    diminution in wages or benefits.

29        Section 90.  Applicability.  This  Act  applies  only  to
30    contracts  executed  or  renewed  after the effective date of
31    this Act.
 
                            -7-                LRB9103440REdv
 1        Section 95.  Severability. The provisions of this Act are
 2    severable under Section 1.31 of the Statutes on Statutes.

 3        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
 4    becoming law.

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