Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB01415 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3		-	LCO 1 of 5
	3	+	LCO No. 4854 1 of 5
4	4
5		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 1415
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1415
6	6		January Session, 2025
	7	+	LCO No. 4854
	8	+
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
	11	+
	12	+
	13	+	Introduced by:
	14	+	(HS)
7	15
8	16
9	17
10		-	~~AN ACT CONCERNING MINIMUM WAGES FOR NURSING HOME~~
11		-	~~WORKERS PROVIDING DIRECT CARE~~ AND ~~CERTAIN GROUP HOME~~
12		-	~~WORKERS~~.
	18	+
	19	+	AN ACT CONCERNING MEDICAID AND MEDICAID -FUNDED
	20	+	PROGRAMS.
13	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
14	22		Assembly convened:
15	23
16	24		Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) For the purposes of this 1
17		-	section, "direct care" has the same meaning as provided in section 19a-2
18		-	563h of the general statutes and "nursing home" has the same meaning 3
19		-	as provided in section 19a-563 of the general statutes. A nursing home 4
20		-	shall implement a schedule of wage increases to employees who 5
21		-	provide direct care so that all such employees attain a minimum hourly 6
22		-	wage of twenty-two dollars and fifty cents not later than January 1, 2026, 7
23		-	and twenty-five dollars not later than January 1, 2027. 8
24		-	(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, a 9
25		-	Medicaid-funded nursing home with rates set pursuant to chapter 319y 10
26		-	of the general statutes shall not be required to provide such minimum 11
27		-	wage unless state rates of payment are sufficient to fund such wage. 12
28		-	Nursing homes that receive a rate adjustment for the purpose of wage 13
29		-	increases but do not provide increases in employee salaries as described 14
30		-	in this section may be subject to a rate decrease by the Commissioner of 15
31		-	Social Services in the same amount as the adjustment. 16
32		-	Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 19a-491a of the general statutes is 17
33		-	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 18 Substitute Bill No. 1415
	25	+	section, "direct care" and "nursing home" have the same meanings as 2
	26	+	provided in section 19a-563h of the general statutes. A nursing home 3
	27	+	shall implement a schedule of wage increases to employees who 4
	28	+	provide direct care so that all such employees attain a minimum hourly 5
	29	+	wage of twenty-two dollars and fifty cents not later than January 1, 2026, 6
	30	+	and twenty-five dollars not later than January 1, 2027. 7
	31	+	(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, a 8
	32	+	Medicaid-funded nursing home with rates set pursuant to chapter 319y 9
	33	+	of the general statutes shall not be required to provide such minimum 10
	34	+	wage unless state rates of payment are sufficient to fund such wage. 11
	35	+	Nursing homes that receive a rate adjustment for the purpose of wage 12
	36	+	increases but do not provide increases in employee salaries as described 13
	37	+	in this subsection may be subject to a rate decrease by the Commissioner 14
	38	+	of Social Services in the same amount as the adjustment. 15
	39	+	Raised Bill No. 1415
34	40
35	41
36		-	LCO 2 of 5
37	42
38		-	1, 2026): 19
39		-	(a) A person seeking a license to establish, conduct, operate or 20
40		-	maintain a nursing home shall provide the Department of Public Health 21
41		-	with the following information: 22
42		-	(1) (A) The name and business address of the owner and a statement 23
43		-	of whether the owner is an individual, partnership, corporation or other 24
44		-	legal entity; (B) the names of the officers, directors, trustees, or 25
45		-	managing and general partners of the owner, the names of persons 26
46		-	having a five per cent or greater ownership interest in the owner, and a 27
47		-	description of each such person's occupation with the owner; (C) if the 28
48		-	owner is a corporation which is incorporated in another state, a 29
49		-	certificate of good standing from the secretary of state of the state of 30
50		-	incorporation; and (D) if a private equity company or real estate 31
51		-	investment trust owns any portion of the business, any information 32
52		-	regarding such company or trust required to be disclosed (i) on federal 33
53		-	Form CMS-855a, and (ii) in accordance with 42 CFR 424.516 or 42 CFR 34
54		-	455.104, as amended from time to time; 35
55		-	(2) A description of the relevant business experience of the owner and 36
56		-	of the administrator of the nursing home and evidence that the 37
57		-	administrator has a license issued pursuant to section 19a-514; 38
58		-	(3) Affidavits signed by the owner, any of the persons described in 39
59		-	subdivision (1) of this subsection, the administrator, assistant 40
60		-	administrator, the medical director, the director of nursing and assistant 41
61		-	director of nursing disclosing any matter in which such person has been 42
62		-	convicted of a felony, as defined in section 53a-25, or has pleaded nolo 43
63		-	contendere to a felony charge, or has been held liable or enjoined in a 44
64		-	civil action by final judgment, if the felony or civil action involved fraud, 45
65		-	embezzlement, fraudulent conversion or misappropriation of property; 46
66		-	or is subject to an injunction or restrictive or remedial order of a court of 47
67		-	record at the time of application, within the past five years has had any 48
68		-	state or federal license or permit suspended or revoked as a result of an 49
69		-	action brought by a governmental agency or department, arising out of 50 Substitute Bill No. 1415
	43	+	LCO No. 4854 2 of 5
	44	+
	45	+	Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 19a-491a of the general statutes is 16
	46	+	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 17
	47	+	1, 2026): 18
	48	+	(a) A person seeking a license to establish, conduct, operate or 19
	49	+	maintain a nursing home shall provide the Department of Public Health 20
	50	+	with the following information: 21
	51	+	(1) (A) The name and business address of the owner and a statement 22
	52	+	of whether the owner is an individual, partnership, corporation or other 23
	53	+	legal entity; (B) the names of the officers, directors, trustees, or 24
	54	+	managing and general partners of the owner, the names of persons 25
	55	+	having a five per cent or greater ownership interest in the owner, and a 26
	56	+	description of each such person's occupation with the owner; (C) if the 27
	57	+	owner is a corporation which is incorporated in another state, a 28
	58	+	certificate of good standing from the secretary of state of the state of 29
	59	+	incorporation; and (D) if a private equity company or real estate 30
	60	+	investment trust owns any portion of the business, any information 31
	61	+	regarding such company or trust required to be disclosed (i) on federal 32
	62	+	Form CMS-855a, and (ii) in accordance with 42 CFR 424.516 or 42 CFR 33
	63	+	455.104, as amended from time to time; 34
	64	+	(2) A description of the relevant business experience of the owner and 35
	65	+	of the administrator of the nursing home and evidence that the 36
	66	+	administrator has a license issued pursuant to section 19a-514; 37
	67	+	(3) Affidavits signed by the owner, any of the persons described in 38
	68	+	subdivision (1) of this subsection, the administrator, assistant 39
	69	+	administrator, the medical director, the director of nursing and assistant 40
	70	+	director of nursing disclosing any matter in which such person has been 41
	71	+	convicted of a felony, as defined in section 53a-25, or has pleaded nolo 42
	72	+	contendere to a felony charge, or has been held liable or enjoined in a 43
	73	+	civil action by final judgment, if the felony or civil action involved fraud, 44
	74	+	embezzlement, fraudulent conversion or misappropriation of property; 45
	75	+	or is subject to an injunction or restrictive or remedial order of a court of 46
	76	+	Raised Bill No. 1415
70	77
71	78
72		-	LCO 3 of 5
73	79
74		-	or relating to health care business activity, including, but not limited to, 51
75		-	actions affecting the operation of a nursing home, retirement home, 52
76		-	residential care home or any facility subject to sections 17b-520 to 17b-53
77		-	535, inclusive, or a similar statute in another state or country; 54
78		-	(4) (A) A statement as to whether or not the owner is, or is affiliated 55
79		-	with, a religious, charitable or other nonprofit organization; (B) the 56
80		-	extent of the affiliation, if any; (C) the extent to which the affiliate 57
81		-	organization will be responsible for the financial obligations of the 58
82		-	owner; and (D) the provision of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or 59
83		-	any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United 60
84		-	States, as from time to time amended, if any, under which the owner or 61
85		-	affiliate is exempt from the payment of income tax; 62
86		-	(5) The location and a description of other health care facilities of the 63
87		-	owner, existing or proposed, and, if proposed, the estimated completion 64
88		-	date or dates and whether or not construction has begun; 65
89		-	(6) Audited and certified financial statements of the owner, including 66
90		-	(A) a balance sheet as of the end of the most recent fiscal year, [and] (B) 67
91		-	income statements for the most recent fiscal year of the owner or such 68
92		-	shorter period of time as the owner shall have been in existence, and (C) 69
93		-	wage data demonstrating compliance with section 1 of this act; and 70
94		-	(7) If the operation of the nursing home has not yet commenced, a 71
95		-	statement of the anticipated source and application of the funds used or 72
96		-	to be used in the purchase or construction of the home, including: 73
97		-	(A) An estimate of such costs as financing expense, legal expense, 74
98		-	land costs, marketing costs and other similar costs which the owner 75
99		-	expects to incur or become obligated for prior to the commencement of 76
100		-	operations; and 77
101		-	(B) A description of any mortgage loan or any other financing 78
102		-	intended to be used for the financing of the nursing home, including the 79
103		-	anticipated terms and costs of such financing. 80 Substitute Bill No. 1415
	80	+	LCO No. 4854 3 of 5
	81	+
	82	+	record at the time of application, within the past five years has had any 47
	83	+	state or federal license or permit suspended or revoked as a result of an 48
	84	+	action brought by a governmental agency or department, arising out of 49
	85	+	or relating to health care business activity, including, but not limited to, 50
	86	+	actions affecting the operation of a nursing home, retirement home, 51
	87	+	residential care home or any facility subject to sections 17b-520 to 17b-52
	88	+	535, inclusive, or a similar statute in another state or country; 53
	89	+	(4) (A) A statement as to whether or not the owner is, or is affiliated 54
	90	+	with, a religious, charitable or other nonprofit organization; (B) the 55
	91	+	extent of the affiliation, if any; (C) the extent to which the affiliate 56
	92	+	organization will be responsible for the financial obligations of the 57
	93	+	owner; and (D) the provision of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or 58
	94	+	any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United 59
	95	+	States, as from time to time amended, if any, under which the owner or 60
	96	+	affiliate is exempt from the payment of income tax; 61
	97	+	(5) The location and a description of other health care facilities of the 62
	98	+	owner, existing or proposed, and, if proposed, the estimated completion 63
	99	+	date or dates and whether or not construction has begun; 64
	100	+	(6) Audited and certified financial statements of the owner, including 65
	101	+	(A) a balance sheet as of the end of the most recent fiscal year, [and] (B) 66
	102	+	income statements for the most recent fiscal year of the owner or such 67
	103	+	shorter period of time as the owner shall have been in existence, and (C) 68
	104	+	wage data demonstrating compliance with section 1 of this act; and 69
	105	+	(7) If the operation of the nursing home has not yet commenced, a 70
	106	+	statement of the anticipated source and application of the funds used or 71
	107	+	to be used in the purchase or construction of the home, including: 72
	108	+	(A) An estimate of such costs as financing expense, legal expense, 73
	109	+	land costs, marketing costs and other similar costs which the owner 74
	110	+	expects to incur or become obligated for prior to the commencement of 75
	111	+	operations; and 76
	112	+	Raised Bill No. 1415
104	113
105	114
106		-	LCO 4 of 5
107	115
108		-	Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) As used in this section, "group 81
109		-	home" means a community living arrangement that provides services to 82
110		-	individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities authorized to 83
111		-	receive support and services through the Department of Developmental 84
112		-	Services and the Department of Social Services. 85
113		-	(b) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall 86
114		-	require any nonprofit employer contracting with the state to provide 87
115		-	services at a group home to implement a schedule of wage increases to 88
116		-	employees who provide services to individuals with intellectual or 89
117		-	developmental disabilities so that (1) all such employees attain a 90
118		-	minimum hourly wage of twenty-two dollars and fifty cents not later 91
119		-	than January 1, 2026, and twenty-five dollars not later than January 1, 92
120		-	2027, and (2) the salaries of such employees who earn over such 93
121		-	minimum wage but not more than thirty dollars per hour are increased 94
122		-	by not more than five per cent for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2026, 95
123		-	and June 30, 2027. The secretary shall, within available appropriations, 96
124		-	transfer sufficient funds in each fiscal year to the behavioral services 97
125		-	program account and the employment opportunities and day services 98
126		-	accounts of the Department of Developmental Services and the 99
127		-	community residential services account of the Department of Social 100
128		-	Services to provide state funds to such employer to implement the wage 101
129		-	increases prescribed in this subsection. 102
130		-	(c) On and after January 1, 2026, a nonprofit employer receiving state 103
131		-	funds to implement the provisions of this section shall provide 104
132		-	documentation of the schedule of wage increases to the secretary. Such 105
133		-	documentation shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the secretary that 106
134		-	such funds were used for: (1) Increasing employee salaries to ensure 107
135		-	such minimum wage is attained, and (2) increasing the salaries of 108
136		-	employees who earn over such minimum wage but not more than thirty 109
137		-	dollars per hour in accordance with subsection (b) of this section. 110
138		-	(d) Not later than December 31, 2026, the Secretary of the Office of 111
139		-	Policy and Management shall file a report, in accordance with the 112
140		-	provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing 113 Substitute Bill No. 1415
	116	+	LCO No. 4854 4 of 5
	117	+
	118	+	(B) A description of any mortgage loan or any other financing 77
	119	+	intended to be used for the financing of the nursing home, including the 78
	120	+	anticipated terms and costs of such financing. 79
	121	+	Sec. 3. (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) As used in this section, "group home" 80
	122	+	means a community living arrangement that provides services to 81
	123	+	individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities authorized to 82
	124	+	receive support and services through the Department of Developmental 83
	125	+	Services and the Department of Social Services. 84
	126	+	(b) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall 85
	127	+	require any nonprofit employer contracting with the state to provide 86
	128	+	services at a group home to implement a schedule of wage increases to 87
	129	+	employees who provide services to individuals with intellectual or 88
	130	+	developmental disabilities so that all such employees attain a minimum 89
	131	+	hourly wage of twenty-two dollars and fifty cents not later than January 90
	132	+	1, 2026, and twenty-five dollars not later than January 1, 2027. The 91
	133	+	secretary shall, within available appropriations, transfer sufficient funds 92
	134	+	in each fiscal year to the behavioral services program and the 93
	135	+	employment opportunities and day services accounts of the Department 94
	136	+	of Developmental Services and the community residential services 95
	137	+	account of the Department of Social Services to provide state funds to 96
	138	+	such employer to (1) implement the wage increases prescribed in this 97
	139	+	subsection, and (2) increase the salaries of such employees who earn 98
	140	+	over such minimum wage but not more than thirty dollars per hour by 99
	141	+	not more than five per cent for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2026, and 100
	142	+	June 30, 2027. 101
	143	+	(c) On and after January 1, 2026, a nonprofit employer receiving state 102
	144	+	funds to implement the provisions of this section shall provide 103
	145	+	documentation of the schedule of wage increases to the secretary. Such 104
	146	+	documentation shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the secretary that 105
	147	+	such funds were used for: (1) Increasing employee salaries to ensure 106
	148	+	such minimum wage is attained, and (2) increasing the salaries of 107
	149	+	employees who earn over such minimum wage but not more than thirty 108
	150	+	Raised Bill No. 1415
141	151
142	152
143		-	LCO 5 of 5
144	153
145		-	committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 114
146		-	relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, human 115
147		-	services and public health on (1) the amount of state funds provided 116
148		-	pursuant to subsection (b) of this section to implement the provisions of 117
149		-	this section, and (2) what effect the wage increases have had on 118
150		-	attracting and retaining employees and improving support and services 119
151		-	for group home residents. 120
	154	+	LCO No. 4854 5 of 5
	155	+
	156	+	dollars per hour in accordance with subsection (b) of this section. 109
	157	+	(d) Not later than December 31, 2026, the Secretary of the Office of 110
	158	+	Policy and Management shall file a report, in accordance with the 111
	159	+	provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing 112
	160	+	committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 113
	161	+	relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, human 114
	162	+	services and public health on (1) the amount of state funds provided 115
	163	+	pursuant to subsection (b) of this section to implement the provisions of 116
	164	+	this section, and (2) what effect the wage increases have had on 117
	165	+	attracting and retaining employees and improving support and services 118
	166	+	for group home residents. 119
152	167		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
153	168		sections:
154	169
155	170		Section 1 July 1, 2025 New section
156	171		Sec. 2 January 1, 2026 19a-491a(a)
157	172		Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 New section
158	173
159		-	Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
160		-	The title was changed, in Section 1(a), "'nursing home' has the same
161		-	meaning as provided in section 19a-563 of the general statutes" was
162		-	added for clarity, in Section 1(b), "subsection" was changed to "section"
163		-	for accuracy, in Section 3 "(NEW)" was added for conformity with
164		-	standard drafting conventions, and Section 3(b) was redrafted for
165		-	clarity.
	174	+	Statement of Purpose:
	175	+	To establish minimum wages for nursing home workers and certain
	176	+	group home workers in programs funded by Medicaid.
166	177
167		-	HS Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
	178	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	179	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	180	+	underlined.]
168	181