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91_SB1499 LRB9112648JMdv 1 AN ACT to amend the Department of Professional Regulation 2 Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. 3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 4 represented in the General Assembly: 5 Section 5. The Department of Professional Regulation Law 6 of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by 7 adding Section 2105-157 as follows: 8 (20 ILCS 2105/2105-157 new) 9 Sec. 2105-157. Nursing home advisory committee. The 10 Department shall cooperate with the Department of Public 11 Health in establishing an advisory committee to monitor the 12 status of referrals made to the Department pursuant to 13 Section 3-108 of the Nursing Home Care Act. The committee 14 shall be composed of up to 5 persons, chosen by the 15 departments, all of whom (i) are members of professions that 16 provide care or services to nursing home residents and are 17 regulated by the Department or (ii) are persons admitted to 18 practice law in Illinois. At least 2 members of the 19 committee shall represent a consumer organization that 20 engages solely in advocacy or legal representation on behalf 21 of nursing home residents and their immediate families. 22 Representatives of the Department of Public Health, and 23 employees of any other state agency whose participation is 24 requested by the 2 departments, shall meet monthly with the 25 committee to (1) inform it of the status of referrals made to 26 the Department pursuant to Section 3-108 of the Nursing Home 27 Care Act, (2) assist the Department in developing expertise 28 in the investigation of those referrals by creating a 29 specialized unit within the Department to investigate 30 complaints related to nursing homes, (3) consider how a 31 specialized unit can conduct efficient and professional -2- LRB9112648JMdv 1 investigations while protecting the safety and well-being of 2 nursing home residents whose care is the subject of a 3 complaint and, when appropriate, protecting the 4 confidentiality of witnesses, and (4) advise the Department 5 about how to minimize duplication of the efforts of the 2 6 departments and make their determinations and recommendations 7 consistent. No member of the committee shall reveal, to any 8 other person, the identity of any individual whose conduct is 9 the subject of committee proceedings. Any member of the 10 committee who violates this confidentiality requirement is 11 subject to professional discipline.