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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3396 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 223
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Mindy Domb
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to a livable wage for human services workers.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/17/2025 1 of 4
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3396 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 223
By Representative Domb of Amherst, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 223) of Mindy
Domb relative to a livable wage for human services workers. Children, Families and Persons
with Disabilities.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act relative to a livable wage for human services workers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 6A of the General Laws, as so appearing in the 2022 Official
2Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section:-
3 Section 105. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context
4clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:
5 “Human service provider,” a community-based human services organization with a
6human services program funded by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the
7Executive Office of Elder Affairs or the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
8 “Human services worker,” an employee of a human service provider who provides
9treatment, support or services to clients or their families. 2 of 4
10 “Disparity amount,” the monetary calculation of the average difference in salary between
11human services workers and 1) direct care workers, nurses, clinicians or other comparable
12employees employed by the commonwealth’s state-operated programs for human services;
13 “Rate,” the reimbursement rate paid by the Executive Office of Health and Human
14Services, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable
15Communities or the Department of Early Education and Care to a human service provider to
16deliver services to clients on the Commonwealth’s behalf.
17 (b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Executive Office of
18Health and Human Services, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and the Executive Office of
19Housing and Livable Communities shall increase the rate of reimbursement for human services
20providers by an amount that reduces the disparity amount, as defined by subsection (a), to:
21 50 percent on or before July 1, 2026
22 30 percent on or before July 1, 2027
23 10 percent on or before July 1, 2028
24 Zero percent on or before July 1, 2029, and shall remain at 0 percent thereafter
25 (c) All increases in the rate of reimbursement provided for in this section shall be used to
26increase the compensation of human services workers.
27 (d) The Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Executive Office of
28Administration and Finance, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and the Executive Office of
29Housing and Livable Communities shall adopt regulations to implement this section. 3 of 4
30 (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the elimination of the disparity
31amount prior to July 1, 2028.
32 SECTION 2. On or before July 1, 2025 and annually thereafter until the disparity amount
33is eliminated for human services workers, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services,
34the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable
35Communities, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers,
36Inc., shall provide a report to the Senate and House Committees on Ways and Means, the Joint
37Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, the Joint Committee on Elder
38Affairs, the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, the Joint Committee on Mental Health,
39Substance Use and Recovery, the Joint Committee on Public Health, and the Joint Committee on
40State Administration and Regulatory Oversight that includes the following information:
41 The current disparity amount, as defined in Subsection (a) of Section 105 of Chapter 6A
42of the General Laws, between the salaries of human services workers, as defined in Subsection
43a) of Section 105 of Chapter 6A of the General Laws, employed by human service providers, as
44defined in Subsection (a) of Section 105 of Chapter 6A of the General Laws, and direct care
45workers, nurses, clinicians or other comparable employees employed by the Commonwealth’s
46state-operated programs for human services;
47 The amount of annual increases in the rate of reimbursement, as defined in Subsection (a)
48of Section 105 of Chapter 6A of the General Laws, to human service providers under contract
49with their department necessary to reduce and eliminate the disparity amount by July 1, 2028
50pursuant to the schedule articulated in Subsection (b) of Section 105 of Chapter 6A of the
51General Laws; 4 of 4
52 The amount needed to be appropriated annually to achieve the reductions in the disparity
53amount described in paragraphs (1)-(4) of Subsection (b) of Section 105 of Chapter 6A of the
54General Laws by July 1, 2028; and
55 The implementation of rates necessary to eliminate the disparity amount by agency, job
56description and start date of implementation.