104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2695 Introduced , by Rep. Lilian Jimnez 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, of positions funded by the Department of Human Services and how they compare to similar positions in the human services sector in Illinois and nationally. Requires the study to include an analysis of wage and benefit levels in different settings and for different education levels, including a comparison of compensation for: (1) State employees; (2) human service providers; and (3) for-profit private sector employees with similar roles and titles. Requires the study to be completed and submitted to the Human Services Compensation Task Force by June 30, 2026. Requires the Department to establish the Human Services Compensation Task Force on or before December 31, 2025. Provides that members shall be appointed by the Governor and shall include at least 3 BIPOC executive directors of community-based human service organizations and 2 co-chairs. Requires the Task Force to provide, on or before December 1, 2026, a report to the General Assembly and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget 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 State; (ii) recommended rate levels; and (iii) a proposed schedule to increase rates to the recommended rate levels by July 1, 2030. Requires the Department to submit annual reports to the Task Force and the General Assembly that includes salary disparities between professionals employed by human services providers in the Department and comparable employees contracted with the State agency for the delivery of human services, the amount needed to be annually appropriated to the Department in order to reduce such salary disparities, and other matters. Effective immediately. LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2695 Introduced , by Rep. Lilian Jimnez SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act 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, of positions funded by the Department of Human Services and how they compare to similar positions in the human services sector in Illinois and nationally. Requires the study to include an analysis of wage and benefit levels in different settings and for different education levels, including a comparison of compensation for: (1) State employees; (2) human service providers; and (3) for-profit private sector employees with similar roles and titles. Requires the study to be completed and submitted to the Human Services Compensation Task Force by June 30, 2026. Requires the Department to establish the Human Services Compensation Task Force on or before December 31, 2025. Provides that members shall be appointed by the Governor and shall include at least 3 BIPOC executive directors of community-based human service organizations and 2 co-chairs. Requires the Task Force to provide, on or before December 1, 2026, a report to the General Assembly and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget 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 State; (ii) recommended rate levels; and (iii) a proposed schedule to increase rates to the recommended rate levels by July 1, 2030. Requires the Department to submit annual reports to the Task Force and the General Assembly that includes salary disparities between professionals employed by human services providers in the Department and comparable employees contracted with the State agency for the delivery of human services, the amount needed to be annually appropriated to the Department in order to reduce such salary disparities, and other matters. Effective immediately. LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2695 Introduced , by Rep. Lilian Jimnez SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act 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, of positions funded by the Department of Human Services and how they compare to similar positions in the human services sector in Illinois and nationally. Requires the study to include an analysis of wage and benefit levels in different settings and for different education levels, including a comparison of compensation for: (1) State employees; (2) human service providers; and (3) for-profit private sector employees with similar roles and titles. Requires the study to be completed and submitted to the Human Services Compensation Task Force by June 30, 2026. Requires the Department to establish the Human Services Compensation Task Force on or before December 31, 2025. Provides that members shall be appointed by the Governor and shall include at least 3 BIPOC executive directors of community-based human service organizations and 2 co-chairs. Requires the Task Force to provide, on or before December 1, 2026, a report to the General Assembly and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget 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 State; (ii) recommended rate levels; and (iii) a proposed schedule to increase rates to the recommended rate levels by July 1, 2030. Requires the Department to submit annual reports to the Task Force and the General Assembly that includes salary disparities between professionals employed by human services providers in the Department and comparable employees contracted with the State agency for the delivery of human services, the amount needed to be annually appropriated to the Department in order to reduce such salary disparities, and other matters. Effective immediately. LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b A BILL FOR HB2695LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695 LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695 LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b 1 AN ACT concerning State government. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Human 5 Services Equitable Pay Act. 6 Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act: 7 "BIPOC" means people who are members of the groups 8 described in subparagraphs (a) through (e) of paragraph (1) of 9 subsection (A) of Section 2 of the Business Enterprise for 10 Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act. 11 "Department" means the Department of Human Services. 12 "Grant" means an award to fund a project or program to a 13 human services provider. 14 "Human services provider" means a community-based human 15 services organization with a human services program funded by 16 a State agency. 17 "Professional" means an individual employed by a human 18 services agency that contracts with, is grant-funded, or 19 receives funding from a State agency for the purposes of 20 providing direct or indirect services that ensure that 21 individuals have the essential elements to build and maintain 22 physical, emotional, and economic well-being at every phase of 23 life. 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB2695 Introduced , by Rep. Lilian Jimnez SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act 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, of positions funded by the Department of Human Services and how they compare to similar positions in the human services sector in Illinois and nationally. Requires the study to include an analysis of wage and benefit levels in different settings and for different education levels, including a comparison of compensation for: (1) State employees; (2) human service providers; and (3) for-profit private sector employees with similar roles and titles. Requires the study to be completed and submitted to the Human Services Compensation Task Force by June 30, 2026. Requires the Department to establish the Human Services Compensation Task Force on or before December 31, 2025. Provides that members shall be appointed by the Governor and shall include at least 3 BIPOC executive directors of community-based human service organizations and 2 co-chairs. Requires the Task Force to provide, on or before December 1, 2026, a report to the General Assembly and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget 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 State; (ii) recommended rate levels; and (iii) a proposed schedule to increase rates to the recommended rate levels by July 1, 2030. Requires the Department to submit annual reports to the Task Force and the General Assembly that includes salary disparities between professionals employed by human services providers in the Department and comparable employees contracted with the State agency for the delivery of human services, the amount needed to be annually appropriated to the Department in order to reduce such salary disparities, and other matters. Effective immediately. LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b A BILL FOR New Act LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695 LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695- 2 -LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695 - 2 - LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695 - 2 - LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b 1 "Rate" means the reimbursement rate paid by a State agency 2 to a human services provider to deliver services to clients on 3 the State's behalf. 4 "State agency" means the Department of Human Services. 5 Section 10. Human Services Compensation Study. 6 (a) The Department of Human Services shall commission a 7 Human Services Compensation Study on the rate of compensation, 8 including wages and benefits, of positions funded by the 9 Department and how they compare to similar positions in the 10 human services sector in Illinois and nationally. 11 (b) The study shall include an analysis of wage and 12 benefit levels in different settings and for different 13 education levels, including a comparison of compensation for: 14 (1) State employees; 15 (2) human service providers; and 16 (3) for-profit private sector employees with similar 17 roles and titles. 18 (c) The study's analysis shall disaggregate wage and 19 benefit levels in different settings based on the race or 20 ethnicity of the executive director of the institution. 21 (d) The study shall identify and draw equivalencies 22 between common roles or titles at community-based 23 organizations and the State of Illinois. 24 (e) The study shall be completed and submitted to the 25 Human Services Compensation Task Force by June 30, 2026. HB2695 - 2 - LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695- 3 -LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695 - 3 - LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695 - 3 - LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b 1 Section 15. Human Services Compensation Task Force. 2 (a) Task Force membership. 3 (1) On or before December 31, 2025, the Department of 4 Human Services shall establish the Human Services 5 Compensation Task Force. Members of the Task Force shall 6 be appointed by the Governor, and shall include the 7 following: 8 (A) Two representatives of the Department of Human 9 Services. 10 (B) A representative of a statewide organization 11 representing cross-sector human services providers. 12 (C) Two representatives of statewide organizations 13 representing human services providers. 14 (D) Two representatives of human services 15 providers that have annual budgets of $10,000,000 or 16 higher. 17 (E) Two representatives of human services 18 providers that have annual budgets under $10,000,000. 19 (F) One representative of a trade or labor union 20 representing professionals employed by human services 21 providers. 22 (G) Two human service professionals. 23 (2) Members of the Task Force shall include at least 3 24 BIPOC executive directors of community-based human service 25 organizations, overlapping with members appointed under HB2695 - 3 - LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695- 4 -LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695 - 4 - LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695 - 4 - LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b 1 subparagraphs (D) through (G) of paragraph (1). 2 (3) The Task Force shall have 2 co-chairs, one from 3 subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) and one from 4 subparagraphs (D) through (G) of paragraph (1). 5 (b) On or before December 1, 2026, the Task Force shall 6 provide a report to the General Assembly and the Governor's 7 Office of Management and Budget that includes: 8 (1) recommendations on how to strengthen recruitment 9 and retention of human services workers employed by human 10 services providers that have contracts with the State; 11 (2) recommended rate levels as informed by the 12 findings to address any wage and benefit disparities 13 between different settings as may be established in the 14 Human Services Compensation Study; and 15 (3) a proposed schedule to increase rates to the 16 recommended rate levels described in paragraph (2) by July 17 1, 2030. 18 (c) On or before July 1, 2027, and each year thereafter, 19 the State agency shall submit a report to the Task Force and 20 the General Assembly that includes the following information: 21 (1) the current disparity amount between the salaries 22 of professionals employed by human services providers in 23 the Department and comparable employees contracted with 24 the State agency for the delivery of human services and 25 compensation levels found to be necessary to strengthen 26 recruitment and retention of human services workers; HB2695 - 4 - LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695- 5 -LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695 - 5 - LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b HB2695 - 5 - LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b 1 (2) the amount of annual increases in the rate of 2 reimbursement and grant amounts to human services 3 providers under contract with the State agency that is 4 necessary to reduce and eliminate the disparity amount by 5 July 1, 2029 and in accordance with the recommendations 6 proposed by the Task Force under paragraph (3) of 7 subsection (b); 8 (3) the amount needed to be annually appropriated to 9 the State agency in order to reduce the disparity amount 10 in accordance with the recommendations proposed by the 11 Task Force under paragraph (3) of subsection (b); and 12 (4) records of the total amount paid by the State 13 agency in the most recent fiscal year to human services 14 providers, both individually and collectively, for the 15 purpose of strengthening and improving the compensation 16 levels of their employees. HB2695 - 5 - LRB104 07765 KTG 17810 b