Budget Amendment ID: FY2019-S4-460

EHS 460

Study of wage disparity

Messrs. DiDomenico, Lewis, Barrett, Eldridge and Hinds, Ms. L'Italien, Messrs. Moore and Feeney, Ms. Gobi, Messrs. O'Connor and Cyr moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section __ the following new section:-

"SECTION __. On or before March  1, 2019, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Department of Early Education and Care – working with representatives from the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers, Inc. – shall report to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs, the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, the Joint Committee on Public Health and the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight their determination of:

(a) The disparity amount between the salaries of human services workers employed by human service providers and state employees holding similar job titles and/or state employees who provide similar services to clients;

(b) The amount of annual increases in the rate of reimbursement to human service providers necessary to reduce and eliminate the disparity amount by July 1, 2023.

On or before March 1, 2019, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Department of Early Education and Care – working with representatives from the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers, Inc. – shall report to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and the House Committee on Ways and Means recommendations to strengthen recruitment and retention of human services workers employed by human services providers that have contracts with the state."