103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB4912
 
Introduced 2/7/2024, by Rep. Lilian Jiménez
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act
    Creates the Human Services Equitable Pay Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to commission a Human Services Compensation Study on the rate of compensation, including wages and benefits, in the human services sector in Illinois and nationally. Provides that the study shall include an analysis of wage and benefit levels in different settings and for different education levels, including a comparison of compensation for employees of public sector entities, managed care organizations, and community-based human services providers. Requires the study to be completed and submitted to the Human Services Compensation Task Force by June 30, 2025. Requires the Department to establish the Task Force on or before June 30, 2025. Requires the Task Force to submit a report to the General Assembly and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget by December 1, 2025 that includes: (i) recommendations on how to strengthen recruitment and retention of human services workers employed by human services providers that have contracts with the Department of Human Services, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department on Aging, or the Department of Public Health; (ii) recommended rate levels to address any wage and benefit disparities between different settings as may be established in the Human Services Compensation Study; and (iii) a proposed schedule to increase rates to the recommended rate levels by July 1, 2029. Requires each named State agency to submit an annual report to the Task Force and the General Assembly, beginning July 1, 2025, that includes information on: (1) the current disparity amount between the salaries of professionals employed by human services providers and comparable employees employed by the State agency or managed care organizations contracted with the State agency for the delivery of human services; (2) the amount of annual increases in the rate of reimbursement to human services providers under contract with the State agency that is necessary to reduce and eliminate the disparity amount by July 1, 2029; and (3) other matters. Effective immediately. 


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A BILL FOR
 
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1    AN ACT concerning State government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Human 
5Services Equitable Pay Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7    "Grant" means an award to fund a project or program to a 
8human services provider.
9    "Human services provider" means a community-based human 
10services organization with a human services program funded by 
11a State agency.
12    "Professional" means an individual employed by a human 
13services agency that contracts with, is grant-funded, or 
14receives funding from a State agency for the purposes of 
15providing direct or indirect services that ensure that 
16individuals have the essential elements to build and maintain 
17physical, emotional, and economic well-being at every phase of 
18life.
19    "Rate" means the reimbursement rate paid by a State agency 
20to a human services provider to deliver services to clients on 
21the State's behalf.
22    "State agency" means the Department of Human Services, the 
23Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of 
 
 
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1Juvenile Justice, the Department on Aging, or the Department 
2of Public Health.
 
3    Section 10. Human Services Compensation Study. 
4    (a) The Department of Human Services shall commission a 
5Human Services Compensation Study on the rate of compensation, 
6including wages and benefits, in the human services sector in 
7Illinois and nationally.
8    (b) The study shall include an analysis of wage and 
9benefit levels in different settings and for different 
10education levels, including a comparison of compensation for:
11        (1) Employees of public sector entities.
12        (2) Employees of managed care organizations.
13        (3) Employees of community-based human services 
14    providers.
15    (c) The study shall be completed and submitted to the 
16Human Services Compensation Task Force by June 30, 2025. 
 
17    Section 15. Human Services Compensation Task Force. 
18    (a) On or before June 30, 2025, the Department of Human 
19Services shall establish the Human Services Compensation Task 
20Force. Members of the Task Force shall be appointed by the 
21Governor, and shall include the following: 
22        (1) The Secretary of Human Services, or the 
23    Secretary's designee, who shall serve as the chairperson 
24    of the Task Force.
 
 
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1        (2) The Director of Aging, or the Director's designee.
2        (3) The Director of Children and Family Services, or 
3    the Director's designee.
4        (4) The Director of Public Health, or the Director's 
5    designee.
6        (5) The Director of Juvenile Justice, or the 
7    Director's designee.
8        (6) A representative of a statewide organization 
9    representing cross-sector human services providers.
10        (7) Two representatives of statewide organizations 
11    representing human services providers.
12        (8) Two representatives of human services providers 
13    that have annual budgets of $10,000,000 or higher.
14        (9) Two representatives of human services providers 
15    that have annual budgets under $10,000,000.
16        (10) One representative of a trade or labor union 
17    representing professionals employed by human services 
18    providers.
19        (11) Two human service professionals.
20    (b) On or before December 1, 2025, the Task Force shall 
21provide a report to the General Assembly and the Governor's 
22Office of Management and Budget that includes:
23        (1) recommendations on how to strengthen recruitment 
24    and retention of human services workers employed by human 
25    services providers that have contracts with the State;
26        (2) recommended rate levels to address any wage and 
 
 
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1    benefit disparities between different settings as may be 
2    established in the Human Services Compensation Study; and 
3        (3) a proposed schedule to increase rates to the 
4    recommended rate levels described in paragraph (2) by July 
5    1, 2029.
6    (c) On or before July 1, 2025, and each year thereafter, 
7each State agency shall submit a report to the Task Force and 
8the General Assembly that includes the following information:
9        (1) the current disparity amount between the salaries 
10    of professionals employed by human services providers and 
11    comparable employees employed by the State agency or 
12    managed care organizations contracted with the State 
13    agency for the delivery of human services;
14        (2) the amount of annual increases in the rate of 
15    reimbursement to human services providers under contract 
16    with the State agency that is necessary to reduce and 
17    eliminate the disparity amount by July 1, 2029 and in 
18    accordance with the schedule of rate increases proposed by 
19    the Task Force under paragraph (3) of subsection (b);
20        (3) the amount needed to be annually appropriated to 
21    the State agency in order to reduce the disparity amount 
22    in accordance with the schedule of rate increases proposed 
23    by the Task Force under paragraph (3) of subsection (b); 
24    and
25        (4) the implementation of rates necessary to eliminate 
26    the disparity amount by agency, job description, and start 
 
 
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1    date of implementation.
 
2    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
3becoming law.