ADVOCACY ALERT - Advocate for Illinois' Inclusion in the Nurse Licensure Compact HB1706 I hope this message finds you well. As a fellow advocate for progressive healthcare policies, I'm reaching out to enlist your support in a crucial initiative—advocating for Illinois’ potential inclusion in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). This decision could significantly impact our state’s healthcare system, both financially and competitively. Why is this important? Currently, there are a lot of questions regarding the financial impacts related to joining the NLC: Potential Revenue Losses: If Illinois joins the NLC, nurses licensed in other NLC states won't need a separate Illinois license, affecting renewal revenue. Potential New Revenue: Illinois could benefit from new revenues by setting higher fees for multistate licenses (MSL) or upgrades from single-state licenses (SSL). License Issuance Flexibility: Illinois could allow nurses to choose between an SSL and an MSL, with the potential to adjust fees for these options. Economic Efficiency: Joining the NLC would simplify the licensing process, significantly cutting time and costs and freeing up resources to better support nurses seeking new or upgraded licenses. Enhanced Competitiveness: Aligning with neighboring NLC states helps prevent the loss of healthcare professionals to more flexible states, maintaining our competitive edge. Projected Upgrades: We anticipate a 10% upgrade to MSLs in the first year post-NLC inclusion, with an estimated 5% annually thereafter. Your Voice Matters! I urge you to use the advocacy alert system to email or call the Health Care Licenses Committee to ensure our voices are heard. Our legislators need to understand the broad support within the nursing community for this change. Take Action Now! Your active participation is vital for enhancing our healthcare system’s efficiency and for ensuring that Illinois remains a leader in healthcare services. Thank you for considering this call to action. I look forward to seeing our combined efforts lead to a more integrated and efficient healthcare system in Illinois. Best regards, Susan Y Swart EdD, MS, RN, CAE Executive Director