Bill Text: IL HB4912 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: 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.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-24 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Kam Buckner [HB4912 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HB4912-Introduced.html

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103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB4912 Introduced , 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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AN ACT concerning State government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Human
Services Equitable Pay Act.
Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"Grant" means an award to fund a project or program to a
human services provider.
"Human services provider" means a community-based human
services organization with a human services program funded by
a State agency.
"Professional" means an individual employed by a human
services agency that contracts with, is grant-funded, or
receives funding from a State agency for the purposes of
providing direct or indirect services that ensure that
individuals have the essential elements to build and maintain
physical, emotional, and economic well-being at every phase of
life.
"Rate" means the reimbursement rate paid by a State agency
to a human services provider to deliver services to clients on
the State's behalf.
"State agency" means the Department of Human Services, the
Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of

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Juvenile Justice, the Department on Aging, or the Department
of Public Health.
Section 10. Human Services Compensation Study.
(a) The Department of Human Services shall commission a
Human Services Compensation Study on the rate of compensation,
including wages and benefits, in the human services sector in
Illinois and nationally.
(b) 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:
(1) Employees of public sector entities.
(2) Employees of managed care organizations.
(3) Employees of community-based human services
providers.
(c) The study shall be completed and submitted to the
Human Services Compensation Task Force by June 30, 2025.
Section 15. Human Services Compensation Task Force.
(a) On or before June 30, 2025, the Department of Human
Services shall establish the Human Services Compensation Task
Force. Members of the Task Force shall be appointed by the
Governor, and shall include the following:
(1) The Secretary of Human Services, or the
Secretary's designee, who shall serve as the chairperson
of the Task Force.

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(2) The Director of Aging, or the Director's designee.
(3) The Director of Children and Family Services, or
the Director's designee.
(4) The Director of Public Health, or the Director's
designee.
(5) The Director of Juvenile Justice, or the
Director's designee.
(6) A representative of a statewide organization
representing cross-sector human services providers.
(7) Two representatives of statewide organizations
representing human services providers.
(8) Two representatives of human services providers
that have annual budgets of $10,000,000 or higher.
(9) Two representatives of human services providers
that have annual budgets under $10,000,000.
(10) One representative of a trade or labor union
representing professionals employed by human services
providers.
(11) Two human service professionals.
(b) On or before December 1, 2025, the Task Force shall
provide a report to the General Assembly and the Governor's
Office of Management and Budget that includes:
(1) recommendations on how to strengthen recruitment
and retention of human services workers employed by human
services providers that have contracts with the State;
(2) recommended rate levels to address any wage and

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benefit disparities between different settings as may be
established in the Human Services Compensation Study; and
(3) a proposed schedule to increase rates to the
recommended rate levels described in paragraph (2) by July
1, 2029.
(c) On or before July 1, 2025, and each year thereafter,
each State agency shall submit a report to the Task Force and
the General Assembly that includes the following information:
(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 in
accordance with the schedule of rate increases proposed by
the Task Force under paragraph (3) of subsection (b);
(3) the amount needed to be annually appropriated to
the State agency in order to reduce the disparity amount
in accordance with the schedule of rate increases proposed
by the Task Force under paragraph (3) of subsection (b);
and
(4) the implementation of rates necessary to eliminate
the disparity amount by agency, job description, and start

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date of implementation.