093_SR0306

                                     LRB093 14307 HSS 19875 r

 1                          SENATE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, Providing  care  and  habilitative  services  to
 3    individuals  with developmental disabilities is a fundamental
 4    responsibility of Illinois State government; and

 5        WHEREAS, These vulnerable  individuals  depend  on  these
 6    services  to ensure their safety, meet their basic needs, and
 7    help them develop to their fullest potential; and

 8        WHEREAS,   Illinois   has   a   widespread   network   of
 9    community-based agencies with which it contracts  to  provide
10    these  residential and day treatment programs to thousands of
11    disabled individuals; and

12        WHEREAS, A critical variable in  providing  high  quality
13    services  is  having a dedicated, stable, well-trained staff;
14    and

15        WHEREAS, Historically these agencies  have  not  received
16    sufficient State funding to provide salary levels or benefits
17    that can attract and retain employees; and

18        WHEREAS,  These  low  wages  and  inadequate benefits are
19    unfair to the employees who provide  this  vital  service  as
20    well  as  to  the  individuals they serve who suffer from the
21    high employee turnover and lack of continuity of care; and

22        WHEREAS, Over the past three years  insurance  costs  for
23    these agencies, particularly employee health insurance costs,
24    have increased far faster than the rate of inflation; and

25        WHEREAS,    These    agencies   did   not   receive   any
26    cost-of-living increase in the previous  two  years,  leaving
27    many  low-wage  workers  without  a wage increase during that
28    period; and

29        WHEREAS, In recognition of all of the above, the Illinois
30    General Assembly, by an  overwhelming  vote,  included  a  4%
 
                            -2-      LRB093 14307 HSS 19875 r
 1    cost-of-living  increase  for  these  agencies serving people
 2    with developmental disabilities in the Illinois FY 04 budget;
 3    and

 4        WHEREAS, Governor Blagojevich signed that  increase  into
 5    law; and

 6        WHEREAS, The Office of Management and Budget has directed
 7    all State agencies to hold back 2% of their funds in reserve;
 8    and

 9        WHEREAS, In response to this directive, the Department of
10    Human  Services  is withholding a portion of the appropriated
11    increase from the grants to these agencies; and

12        WHEREAS, Because of other actions taken by the Department
13    of Human Services, many of these agencies have thus  far  not
14    received any increase at all; and

15        WHEREAS, Based on information currently available, DHS is
16    planning to provide these agencies with an increase that will
17    average approximately 2%; and

18        WHEREAS,  Because funding to these agencies is reimbursed
19    by the federal government at the  rate  of  50%  through  the
20    Medicaid  program,  the  actual cost to the State to fund the
21    full 4% is less than the amount being withheld; therefore, be
22    it

23        RESOLVED, BY  THE  SENATE  OF  THE  NINETY-THIRD  GENERAL
24    ASSEMBLY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  ILLINOIS, that we call upon the
25    Governor's Office of Management and Budget and the Department
26    of Human Services to act to ensure that agencies serving  the
27    developmentally  disabled  through  contracts  with the State
28    receive the full 4% cost-of-living increase that was mandated
29    by action of the General Assembly for the purpose of enabling
30    these agencies to increase direct  care  wages,  meet  rising
31    costs,   and   continue  to  meet  the  vital  needs  of  the



 
                            -3-      LRB093 14307 HSS 19875 r
 1    individuals they serve.