Bill Text: IL SR0621 | 2011-2012 | 97th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Resolves that the Auditor General is directed to conduct a performance audit of the Department of Public Health and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to assess those Departments' efforts to implement the nursing home safety and funding provisions enacted under Public Act 96-1372 and Public Act 96-1530.

Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)

Status: (Failed) 2013-01-08 - Session Sine Die [SR0621 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2011-SR0621-Introduced.html

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SR0621 LRB097 20014 KTG 65997 r
SENATE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Chicago Tribune investigative reports in the
fall of 2009 identified severe problems in nursing homes that
endangered residents; and
WHEREAS, The 96th General Assembly on May 7, 2010 passed
Senate Bill 326 that included multiple provisions to improve
safety in nursing homes; and
WHEREAS, A key provision in the legislation was a statutory
increase in the staffing ratios for nursing homes; and
WHEREAS, Governor Quinn signed Senate Bill 326 into law as
Public Act 96-1372 with an effective date of July 29, 2010; and
WHEREAS, The Office of the Attorney General has increased
the enforcement of nursing home standards and the
identification of criminals living in nursing homes; and
WHEREAS, The 96th General Assembly on January 11, 2010
passed Senate Bill 3088 which created a new nursing home bed
tax to increase funding to nursing homes in order to support
the higher staffing ratios required by Public Act 96-1372 and
in order to fund the State's increased enforcement activities;
and

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WHEREAS, Governor Quinn signed Senate Bill 3088 as Public
Act 96-1530 with an effective date of February 16, 2011; and
WHEREAS, Public Act 96-1530 did not contain any provisions
directly linking the increased funding from the nursing home
bed tax to higher standards or increased staffing; and
WHEREAS, It is in the best interests of the citizens of
Illinois to ensure that the safety provisions in Public Act
96-1372 are properly implemented and effective; and
WHEREAS, It is in the best interests of the citizens of
Illinois to ensure that the funding from the nursing home bed
tax is being used to improve nursing home safety; therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Auditor General is
directed to conduct a performance audit of the Department of
Public Health and the Department of Healthcare and Family
Services to assess those Departments' efforts to implement the
provisions under Public Act 96-1372 and Public Act 96-1530; and
be it further
RESOLVED, That the audit shall include, but not be limited

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to, the following determinations:
(1) An analysis of problem nursing homes identified
either in press reports by the Office of the Attorney
General or by the Department of Public Health that have had
safety issues, and the status of resident care before and
after the provisions of Public Act 96-1372 and Public Act
96-1530 became effective; and
(2) An analysis of the amount of the increased Medicaid
rates funded by the bed tax established under Public Act
96-1530 that are being used for meeting the new staffing
requirements under Public Act 96-1372; and
(3) An assessment of whether the increased Medicaid
funding has led to improvements in the problem nursing
homes; and
(4) An analysis of the Department of Healthcare and
Family Services' administration and implementation of the
new bed tax as it relates to items (1), (2), and (3) above;
and
(5) An analysis of the Department of Public Health's
implementation of the provisions under Public Act 96-1372;
and
(6) A review of the amounts from the new bed tax used
to fund State nursing home regulation enforcement
activities and community based services; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That the Office of the Governor, the Office of
the Attorney General, the Department of Public Health, the
Department of Healthcare and Family Services, and any other
entity having information relevant to this audit shall
cooperate fully and promptly with the Auditor General in the
conduct of this audit; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as
soon as possible and report his or her findings and
recommendations upon completion in accordance with the
provisions of Section 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing Act;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be delivered to
the Auditor General, the Governor, the Attorney General, the
Department of Public Health, and the Department of Healthcare
and Family Services.