Full Text of HB3255 99th General Assembly
HB3255 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016 HB3255 Introduced , by Rep. Robyn Gabel SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
| 20 ILCS 1705/55.5 new | | 305 ILCS 5/5-5.4i new | |
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Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that the Department of Human Services shall increase
rates and reimbursements so that on or before July 1, 2017 direct service personnel
in residential and day programs serving individuals with
developmental disabilities earn a starting wage of not less than $13 per hour. On or before July l, 2015 rates shall
increase to fund a $1 per hour increase. Provides that on or before January 1, 2016 rates shall
increase to fund an additional $1 per hour increase. On or before July 1, 2016 rates shall
increase to fund an additional $1 per hour increase. Provides that on or before January 1, 2017 rates
shall increase to fund an additional $0.65 per hour increase. Defines "direct service personnel". Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the amount of the payment rate for all nursing facilities certified by the Department
of Public Health under the ID/DD Community Care Act as intermediate care facilities for the
developmentally disabled or long term care for under age 22 facilities shall
increase to fund: (1) a $1 per hour increase on or before July 1, 2015; (2) an additional $1 per hour increase on or before January 1, 2016; (3) an additional $1 per hour increase on or before July l, 2016; and (4) an increase to fund an additional $0.65 per hour increase on or before January l,
2017. Effective immediately.
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| | | FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY | |
| | A BILL FOR |
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| | | HB3255 | | LRB099 08768 RLC 28936 b |
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| 1 | | AN ACT concerning care for the developmentally disabled, | 2 | | which may be referred to as
the Community Disability Living | 3 | | Wage Act.
| 4 | | WHEREAS, An estimated 23,000 children and adults with | 5 | | developmental disabilities are
supported in community-based | 6 | | settings in Illinois; direct service personnel (DSP), are
| 7 | | trained paraprofessional staff that are engaged in activities | 8 | | of daily living and
community support; these employees earn | 9 | | wages that place them and their families
below the poverty | 10 | | level; and | 11 | | WHEREAS, According to a recent industry salary survey, the | 12 | | average direct service personnel wage in Illinois
is $9.35 per | 13 | | hour which is 18.5% below the U.S. Department of Health and | 14 | | Human
Services poverty threshold of $23,850 for a family of 4; | 15 | | this predominately female,
minority workforce is often | 16 | | compelled to work many overtime hours or hold down a
second job | 17 | | to support their families; many have to fall back on public | 18 | | benefits such as
Medicaid and food stamps, creating additional | 19 | | expenditures for state government; low
wages are a consequence | 20 | | of the historically low reimbursement rates paid by the State
| 21 | | of Illinois to community-based service providers; over the last | 22 | | 10 fiscal years, increases
in State funding to these agencies | 23 | | have averaged far less than 1% per year, for a total of
5.5%; | 24 | | by contrast, the Consumer Price Index increased 21% over the | 25 | | same period; and |
| | | HB3255 | - 2 - | LRB099 08768 RLC 28936 b |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, The lack of adequate wages for employees who | 2 | | perform the challenging
work of supporting individuals with | 3 | | disabilities results in high employee turnover, which
in turn | 4 | | negatively impacts the quality of services provided; higher | 5 | | wages are proven to
reduce staff turnover, improving stability | 6 | | and quality of services while reducing
employer training costs; | 7 | | and | 8 | | WHEREAS, The General Assembly finds that in order to reduce | 9 | | turnover, increase
retention, and ensure direct service | 10 | | personnel are adequately compensated for the
critically | 11 | | important work they do, an increase in rates and reimbursements | 12 | | to
community-based service providers to effectuate an increase | 13 | | in the starting hourly wage
paid to direct service personnel is | 14 | | needed; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, It is the purpose of this amendatory Act to | 16 | | increase the wages of direct
service personnel in community | 17 | | disability agencies beyond that of poverty level in an
effort | 18 | | to improve their lives and the lives of the vulnerable | 19 | | individuals they support;
therefore
| 20 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| 21 | | represented in the General Assembly:
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| | | HB3255 | - 3 - | LRB099 08768 RLC 28936 b |
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| 1 | | Section 5. The Mental Health and Developmental | 2 | | Disabilities Administrative Act is amended by adding Section | 3 | | 55.5 as follows: | 4 | | (20 ILCS 1705/55.5 new) | 5 | | Sec. 55.5. Increased wages for direct service personnel. | 6 | | The Department shall establish reimbursement rates which build | 7 | | toward livable wages
for direct service personnel in | 8 | | residential and day programs serving individuals with
| 9 | | developmental disabilities under Section 54 of this Act, | 10 | | including but not limited to
intermediate care facilities for | 11 | | the developmentally disabled, community integrated
living | 12 | | arrangements, developmental training programs, employment, and | 13 | | other
residential and day programs for individuals with | 14 | | developmental disabilities supported
by State funds or funding | 15 | | under Title XIX of the federal Social Security Act. As used in | 16 | | this Section, "direct service personnel" means direct care | 17 | | staff, front-line
supervisors, qualified support | 18 | | professionals, nurses, and non-administrative support
staff | 19 | | working in service settings outlined in this Section. The | 20 | | Department shall increase
rates and reimbursements so that on | 21 | | or before July 1, 2017 direct service personnel
earn a starting | 22 | | wage of not less than $13 per hour. On or before July l, 2015 | 23 | | rates shall
increase to fund a $1 per hour increase. On or | 24 | | before January 1, 2016 rates shall
increase to fund an | 25 | | additional $1 per hour increase. On or before July 1, 2016 |
| | | HB3255 | - 4 - | LRB099 08768 RLC 28936 b |
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| 1 | | rates shall
increase to fund an additional $1 per hour | 2 | | increase. On or before January 1, 2017 rates
shall increase to | 3 | | fund an additional $0.65 per hour increase. | 4 | | Section 10. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by | 5 | | adding Section 5-5.4i as follows: | 6 | | (305 ILCS 5/5-5.4i new) | 7 | | Sec. 5-5.4i. Increased wages for direct service personnel. | 8 | | Under Section 55.5 of the Mental Health and Developmental | 9 | | Disabilities Administrative
Act, the amount of the payment rate | 10 | | for all nursing facilities certified by the Department
of | 11 | | Public Health under the ID/DD Community Care Act as | 12 | | intermediate care facilities for the
developmentally disabled | 13 | | or long term care for under age 22 facilities shall
increase to | 14 | | fund: | 15 | | (1) a $1 per hour increase on or before July 1, 2015; | 16 | | (2) an additional $1 per hour increase on or before January | 17 | | 1, 2016; | 18 | | (3) an additional $1 per hour increase on or before July l, | 19 | | 2016; and | 20 | | (4) an increase to fund an additional $0.65 per hour | 21 | | increase on or before January l,
2017.
| 22 | | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | 23 | | becoming law.
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