Sen. David Koehler

Filed: 3/1/2010

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 3291

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 3291 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4     "Section 5. The Mental Health and Developmental
5 Disabilities Administrative Act is amended by adding Section
6 54.5 as follows:
 
7     (20 ILCS 1705/54.5 new)
8     Sec. 54.5. Community care for the developmentally disabled
9 quality workforce initiative.
10     (a) Legislative intent. Individuals with developmental
11 disabilities who live in community-based settings rely on
12 direct support staff for a variety of supports and services
13 essential to the ability to reach their full potential. A
14 stable, well-trained direct support workforce is critical to
15 the well-being of these individuals. State and national studies
16 have documented high rates of turnover among direct support

 

 

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1 workers and confirmed that improvements in wages can help
2 reduce turnover and develop a more stable and committed
3 workforce. This Section would increase the wages and benefits
4 for direct care workers supporting individuals with
5 developmental disabilities and provide accountability by
6 ensuring that additional resources go directly to these
7 workers.
8     (b) Reimbursement. In order to attract and retain a stable,
9 qualified, and healthy workforce, beginning July 1, 2010, the
10 Department of Human Services may reimburse an individual
11 community service provider serving individuals with
12 developmental disabilities for spending incurred to provide
13 improved wages and benefits to its employees serving
14 developmentally disabled individuals. Reimbursement shall be
15 based upon the provider's most recent cost report. Subject to
16 available appropriations, this reimbursement shall be made
17 according to the following criteria:
18         (1) The Department shall reimburse the provider to
19     compensate for spending on improved wages and benefits for
20     its eligible employees. Eligible employees include
21     employees engaged in direct care work.
22         (2) In order to qualify for reimbursement under this
23     Section, a provider must submit to the Department, before
24     January 1 of each year, documentation of a written, legally
25     binding commitment to increase spending for the purpose of
26     providing improved wages and benefits to its eligible

 

 

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1     employees during the next year. The commitment must be
2     binding as to both existing and future staff. The
3     commitment must include a method of enforcing the
4     commitment that is available to the employees or their
5     representative and is expeditious, uses a neutral
6     decision-maker, and is economical for the employees. The
7     Department must also receive documentation of the
8     provider's provision of written notice of the commitment
9     and the availability of the enforcement mechanism to the
10     employees or their representative.
11         (3) Reimbursement shall be based on the amount of
12     increased spending to be incurred by the provider for
13     improving wages and benefits that exceeds the spending
14     reported in the cost report currently used by the
15     Department. Reimbursement shall be calculated as follows:
16     the per diem equivalent of the quarterly difference between
17     the cost to provide improved wages and benefits for covered
18     eligible employees as identified in the legally binding
19     commitment and the previous period cost of wages and
20     benefits as reported in the cost report currently used by
21     the Department, subject to the limitations identified in
22     paragraph (2) of this subsection. In no event shall the per
23     diem increase be in excess of $7.00 for any 12 month
24     period, or in excess of $8.00 for any 12 month period for
25     community-integrated living arrangements with 4 beds or
26     less. For purposes of this Section, "community-integrated

 

 

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1     living arrangement" has the same meaning ascribed to that
2     term in the Community-Integrated Living Arrangements
3     Licensure and Certification Act.
4         (4) Any community service provider is eligible to
5     receive reimbursement under this Section. A provider's
6     eligibility to receive reimbursement shall continue as
7     long as the provider maintains eligibility under paragraph
8     (2) of this subsection and the reimbursement program
9     continues to exist.
10     (c) Audit. Reimbursement under this Section is subject to
11 audit by the Department and shall be reduced or eliminated in
12 the case of any provider that does not honor its commitment to
13 increase spending to improve the wages and benefits of its
14 employees or that decreases such spending.
 
15     Section 10. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
16 adding Section 5-5.4f as follows:
 
17     (305 ILCS 5/5-5.4f new)
18     Sec. 5-5.4f. Intermediate care facilities for the
19 developmentally disabled quality workforce initiative.
20     (a) Legislative intent. Individuals with developmental
21 disabilities who live in community-based settings rely on
22 direct support staff for a variety of supports and services
23 essential to the ability to reach their full potential. A
24 stable, well-trained direct support workforce is critical to

 

 

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1 the well-being of these individuals. State and national studies
2 have documented high rates of turnover among direct support
3 workers and confirmed that improvements in wages can help
4 reduce turnover and develop a more stable and committed
5 workforce. This Section would increase the wages and benefits
6 for direct care workers supporting individuals with
7 developmental disabilities and provide accountability by
8 ensuring that additional resources go directly to these
9 workers.
10     (b) Reimbursement. Notwithstanding any provision of
11 Section 5-5.4, in order to attract and retain a stable,
12 qualified, and healthy workforce, beginning July 1, 2010, the
13 Department of Healthcare and Family Services may reimburse an
14 individual intermediate care facility for the developmentally
15 disabled for spending incurred to provide improved wages and
16 benefits to its employees serving the individuals residing in
17 the facility. Reimbursement shall be based upon patient days
18 reported in the facility's most recent cost report. Subject to
19 available appropriations, this reimbursement shall be made
20 according to the following criteria:
21         (1) The Department shall reimburse the facility to
22     compensate for spending on improved wages and benefits for
23     its eligible employees. Eligible employees include
24     employees engaged in direct care work.
25         (2) In order to qualify for reimbursement under this
26     Section, a facility must submit to the Department, before

 

 

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1     January 1 of each year, documentation of a written, legally
2     binding commitment to increase spending for the purpose of
3     providing improved wages and benefits to its eligible
4     employees during the next year. The commitment must be
5     binding as to both existing and future staff. The
6     commitment must include a method of enforcing the
7     commitment that is available to the employees or their
8     representative and is expeditious, uses a neutral
9     decision-maker, and is economical for the employees. The
10     Department must also receive documentation of the
11     facility's provision of written notice of the commitment
12     and the availability of the enforcement mechanism to the
13     employees or their representative.
14         (3) Reimbursement shall be based on the amount of
15     increased spending to be incurred by the facility for
16     improving wages and benefits that exceeds the spending
17     reported in the cost report currently used by the
18     Department. Reimbursement shall be calculated as follows:
19     the per diem equivalent of the quarterly difference between
20     the cost to provide improved wages and benefits for covered
21     eligible employees as identified in the legally binding
22     commitment and the previous period cost of wages and
23     benefits as reported in the cost report currently used by
24     the Department, subject to the limitations identified in
25     paragraph (2) of this subsection. In no event shall the per
26     diem increase be in excess of $5.00 for any 12 month period

 

 

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1     for an intermediate care facility for the developmentally
2     disabled with more than 16 beds, or in excess of $6.00 for
3     any 12 month period for an intermediate care facility for
4     the developmentally disabled with 16 beds or less.
5         (4) Any intermediate care facility for the
6     developmentally disabled is eligible to receive
7     reimbursement under this Section. A facility's eligibility
8     to receive reimbursement shall continue as long as the
9     facility maintains eligibility under paragraph (2) of this
10     subsection and the reimbursement program continues to
11     exist.
12     (c) Audit. Reimbursement under this Section is subject to
13 audit by the Department and shall be reduced or eliminated in
14 the case of any facility that does not honor its commitment to
15 increase spending to improve the wages and benefits of its
16 employees or that decreases such spending.
 
17     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
18 2010.".