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91_HR0791
LRB9113803DJcd
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Direct care workers who tend to the needs of the
3 developmentally disabled, mentally ill, infirm, and elderly
4 perform a difficult task that is both physically and
5 emotionally challenging; and
6 WHEREAS, Workers employed by private provider agencies
7 are among the lowest paid in the State; and
8 WHEREAS, A 1998 University of Illinois study found that
9 private providers of disability services in Illinois paid
10 workers a starting salary of only $6.00 per hour; and
11 WHEREAS, Many workers in these private agencies often
12 must pay up to 10% of their compensation per month for health
13 insurance coverage; and
14 WHEREAS, The University of Illinois study found staff
15 turnover rates among private agencies in Illinois was at 80%
16 in their first year of employment; and
17 WHEREAS, High staff turnover rates negatively impact the
18 quality of care and continuity required for the disabled,
19 mentally ill, infirm, and elderly; and
20 WHEREAS, The State of Illinois must ensure that direct
21 care workers are properly compensated for their important
22 work and that turnover at these private agencies is kept to a
23 minimum, allowing vulnerable individuals a stable and safe
24 environment; and
25 WHEREAS, Illinois private agency providers have indicated
26 that they want to use any funding increase to increase wages
27 for direct care employees, but in the past not all providers
28 have done so; therefore, be it
29 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
30 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
-2- LRB9113803DJcd
1 providers of services for the developmentally disabled,
2 mentally ill, infirm, and elderly shall increase wages of
3 direct care workers by either (i) at least the same
4 percentage as a funding increase awarded as a cost of doing
5 business increase or (ii) at least the same amount as a
6 funding increase awarded as an average wage increase for
7 these workers; and be it further
8 RESOLVED, That each service provider shall certify to its
9 funding agency or agencies (the Department of Public Aid or
10 the Department of Human Services, or both) as provided by
11 policies established by each such Department, that it has
12 provided the wage increases in accordance with these
13 requirements; and be it further
14 RESOLVED, That this certification shall, at a minimum,
15 include, for each State-funded service: the name of the
16 provider; the type of State-funded services offered by the
17 provider; the number of direct care employees affected by the
18 increase; the average salary increase awarded to these
19 employees; the average increase in benefits awarded to these
20 employees; the total amount of funding increase received; the
21 total amount of that funding increase intended for wage and
22 benefit enhancement for direct care workers; and the total
23 amount of that funding increase expended on wage and benefit
24 increases for direct care workers; and be it further
25 RESOLVED, That the Auditor General shall review each
26 Department's implementation of this certification process as
27 part of its regular compliance audit process; and be it
28 further
29 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this Resolution be
30 forwarded to the Director of Public Aid, the Secretary of
31 Human Services, and the Auditor General.