SJ0050 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0050 LRB093 18654 LCB 44381 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, State-funded homecare workers in Illinois allow 60,000 seniors and people with disabilities to live safely in their own communities; and

WHEREAS, State-funded homecare workers save the State of Illinois millions in nursing home costs; and

WHEREAS, In order to insure a high quality and consistent workforce, it is necessary to provide these care providers with health insurance; and

WHEREAS, As homecare is a medicaid-funded program and many of the workers are at or below the poverty line, there are many opportunities to obtain federal funds for homecare workers' health insurance; therefore be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that the General Assembly shall create a committee to explore the options to provide health insurance to State-funded homecare workers; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the committee shall hold a minimum of 4 hearings throughout the State and shall provide recommendations for the implementation of a health insurance program to the General Assembly no later than January 1, 2005; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the committee shall be co-chaired by the Chairperson of the House Aging Committee and the Chairperson of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the committee shall consist of 17 members in addition to the co-chairpersons as follows: one member appointed by the Governor; one member representing the Illinois Department on Aging appointed by the Governor; one member from the Office of Rehabilitation Services within the Department of Human Services appointed by the Governor; 2 members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; 2 members appointed by the President of the Senate; one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; 4 members appointed by the co-chairs, with the recommendation of the Service Employees International Union Local 880, one member each from the aging segment and one member each from the disabilities segment; one member representing the vendors contracting with the Department of Aging appointed by the Governor; one member representing the disabled community appointed by agreement of the co-chairs; one member representing the senior community appointed by agreement of the co-chairs; and one member from the general public appointed by agreement of the co-chairs; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Chairperson of the House Aging Committee and the Chairperson of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.