Bill > A2822

Introduced Session

This bill provides bonuses for certain essential healthcare workers. The bonuses are provided to individuals who receive an annualized base salary of $100,000 or less, who provide hands-on health or care services to individuals, or in-person support services to those providers, without regard to whether the person works full-time, part-time, on a salaried, hourly, or temporary basis, or as an independent contractor. The bill directs the Director of the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services to seek federal approvals as applicable, and, subject to federal financial participation, to support with federal and State funding bonuses to be made available during the State fiscal year of 2024 to recruit, retain, and reward essential healthcare workers pursuant to the bill. The bill requires the Director of the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services, subject to any necessary approvals by the federal centers for Medicare and Medicaid services, to develop the forms and procedures needed to identify the number of hours employees worked and to provide reimbursement to employers for the purposes of funding employee bonuses in accordance with hours worked during a vesting period. The system established by the Director of the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services requires employers to provide eligible employees with bonuses according to schedules that are to be established pursuant to the bill. The schedules are to provide for total payments not to exceed $3,000 per employee in accordance with the following: (1) employees who have worked an average of at least 20 but less than 30 hours per week over the course of a vesting period would receive a $500 bonus for the vesting period; (2) employees who have worked an average of at least 30 but less than 35 hours per week over the course of a vesting period would receive a $1,000 bonus for the vesting period; (3) employees who have worked an average of at least 35 hours per week over the course of a vesting period would receive a $1,500 bonus for the vesting period; and (4) full-time employees who are exempt from overtime compensation pursuant to State law over the course of a vesting period are to receive a $1,500 bonus for the vesting period. The bill requires the Director of the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services to conduct audits, investigations and reviews of employers required to submit claims under the bill. The bill appropriates $400,000,000 from the General Fund to the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services for the purpose of providing bonuses and enabling it to implement the bill.

Committee Categories

Lou Greenwald (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document