IL HB4515

Establishes a Health Care Worker Registry maintained by the Department of Public Health that is accessible to health care employers and tracks individuals who have completed required training or are working as nursing assistants, home health aides, and related positions, including their background check and training information.

Creates separate registry access levels: an employer-only registry that includes detailed personal information (name, address, Social Security number, training dates, criminal history, and waiver status) and an optional publicly accessible registry that only reports whether individuals are eligible to work and hides waiver information.

Requires health care employers to query the registry before hiring individuals for direct care positions and prohibits employment of individuals with disqualifying criminal convictions unless they obtain a waiver from the Department of Public Health.

Allows individuals with disqualifying criminal convictions to request waivers by submitting an application, written explanation of the conviction, and documentation of completed fines and probation; the Department must decide within 30 days and notify the applicant in writing.

Establishes a working group led by the Governor's Office to evaluate the effectiveness of waivers in creating job opportunities for people with criminal records and recommend improvements to the waiver process by July 1, 2017.