SB0067 amends the Illinois Nurse Agency Licensing Act to tighten and clarify regulation of nurse agencies. The bill updates terminology throughout the Act to refer more specifically to “nurse agencies” rather than broader references to “persons” or “health care staffing agencies,” and it reinforces that agencies must be licensed by the Department of Labor before operating or advertising in Illinois. It also confirms that home health agencies that provide nurse agency services still must obtain licensure under this Act, and that health care facilities may not use unlicensed nurse agencies.
The bill revises the application process for a nurse agency license by requiring separate applications and licenses for each location, unless the agency is owned and managed by the same applicant, and it adds a new administrative fine of up to $500 for submitting false or misleading information in an application. It also preserves and updates the list of required application materials, including ownership information, management details, financial solvency, experience and qualifications, tax and labor-law compliance, insurance coverage, and contracts with health care facilities. The Department of Labor retains authority to set fees by rule and to require additional information needed to evaluate an application.
Impact
SB0067 changes state law governing nurse agency licensure, enforcement, and penalties under 225 ILCS 510. It expands and clarifies the Department of Labor’s oversight authority, including complaint intake, investigations, subpoenas, cease-and-desist orders, injunctions, and civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. The bill also makes explicit that civil penalties remain available even if the violation has stopped, and it adds a specific remedy allowing an employee to recover underpaid wages plus 5% damages when a nurse agency has not paid the contractually required hourly wage rate. The practical effect is to increase compliance obligations for nurse agencies and strengthen enforcement tools for the state and affected workers and facilities.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been generally favorable and noncontroversial in the legislature. It passed the Senate unanimously 54-0 and later passed the House with a substantial majority, 75-40, indicating broad support for stronger oversight of nurse agencies but some opposition in the House. The absence of committee transcript material limits insight into detailed debate, but the voting pattern suggests the core regulatory and enforcement changes were acceptable to most lawmakers.
Contention
The main points of contention likely centered on the bill’s stronger enforcement provisions and compliance burdens on nurse agencies, especially the increased civil penalties, the new fine for false or misleading application information, and the wage-liability provision tied to contract hourly rates. Agencies and industry stakeholders may have viewed the bill as adding administrative and financial risk, while supporters likely emphasized patient safety, transparency, and accountability for staffing practices. The House vote margin suggests some members were concerned about the scope or impact of the penalties, even though the bill ultimately advanced.