Bill > S1077

This bill aims to address the pay disparity between human services workers employed by community-based organizations and direct support workers or other comparable employees in state-operated human services programs. The key provisions are: 1. Requires state agencies that fund human services providers (e.g., Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Department of Housing and Community Development) to incrementally increase reimbursement rates to these providers, in order to reduce the pay disparity by 50% by 2021, 35% by 2022, 20% by 2023, 5% by 2024, and eliminate it entirely by 2025. The increased funding must be used to raise the compensation of human services workers. 2. Directs these state agencies to collaborate with the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers to provide recommendations by January 2020 to strengthen the recruitment and retention of human services workers. 3. Requires these state agencies to report by July 2020 on the current pay disparity and the annual rate increases needed to eliminate it by 2025.

Health and Social Services, Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S1077