Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5228 Compare Versions

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99 S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
1010 IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1111 JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
1212 ____________
1313
1414 A N A C T
1515 RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABI LITIES AND
1616 HOSPITALS – QUALITY SELF-DIRECTED SUPPORTS ACT OF 2025
1717 Introduced By: Representatives Shanley, Edwards, Craven, McNamara, Solomon,
1818 Kazarian, Slater, Diaz, Potter, and Casey
1919 Date Introduced: January 29, 2025
2020 Referred To: House Labor
2121
2222
2323 It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
2424 SECTION 1. Legislative findings. 1
2525 (1) The State of Rhode Island is committed to closing the gap between the demand for 2
2626 personal care services for developmentally disabled adults and the supply of trained workers willing 3
2727 to provide this personal care. 4
2828 (2) The purpose of this chapter is to further the state’s goal of meeting the demand for 5
2929 personal care services by investing in self-directed personal care jobs. By raising wages and 6
3030 benefits for self-directed direct support professionals, the State of Rhode Island will ensure that 7
3131 more developmentally disabled adults can self-direct the care they need and want. In addition, by 8
3232 incorporating collective bargaining rights into the self-directed supports program, this chapter will 9
3333 enhance service access, increase the availability of education and training options, and improve the 10
3434 recruitment and retention of the people selected by participants as direct support professionals. 11
3535 (3) This chapter does not alter or limit the director’s authority to administer the self-12
3636 directed supports program, enforce existing rules, regulations and procedures or adopt amended 13
3737 rules, regulations and procedures for operating the program, determine a participant’s Medicaid 14
3838 eligibility and appropriateness for self-directed personal care services, or assess the scope, amount 15
3939 and duration of services authorized to meet a participant’s needs, except as specifically set forth in 16
4040 this chapter. 17
4141 (4) This chapter does not alter or limit the rights of participants and their representatives to 18
4242
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4545 select, direct, and terminate the services of self-directed direct support professionals or to determine 1
4646 the wages of self-directed direct support professionals within a range set by the director. 2
4747 SECTION 2. Title 40.1 of the General Laws entitled "BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, 3
4848 DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND HOSPITALS" is hereby amended by adding thereto 4
4949 the following chapter: 5
5050 CHAPTER 22.2 6
5151 QUALITY SELF-DIRECTED SUPPORTS ACT OF 2025 7
5252 40.1-22.2-1. Short title. 8
5353 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Quality Self-Directed Supports Act 9
5454 of 2025”. 10
5555 40.1-22.2-2. Definitions. 11
5656 For the purposes of this chapter: 12
5757 (1) “Department” means the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental 13
5858 disabilities and hospitals. 14
5959 (2) “Developmental disability organizations” or “DDOs” means an organization licensed 15
6060 by the department to provide services to adults with disabilities. 16
6161 (3) “Director” means the director of the department of behavioral healthcare, 17
6262 developmental disabilities and hospitals or the director’s designees. 18
6363 (4) “Fiscal intermediary” means a third-party organization operating in accordance with 19
6464 applicable federal and state requirements under contract with the state that is responsible for 20
6565 performing payroll and other employment-related functions on behalf of a participant as set forth 21
6666 in the implementing regulations for the self-directed supports program. 22
6767 (5) “Participant” means an adult who has a developmental disability as defined by § 40.1-23
6868 21-4.3(1) and has been determined by the state to be eligible for Medicaid-funded long-term 24
6969 services and supports under the Medicaid state plan and/or the RI section 1115 waiver 25
7070 demonstration and/or Medicaid authorities created in the future. 26
7171 (6) “Participant’s representative” means a participant’s legal guardian or a person who has 27
7272 been designated by the participant or otherwise has the authority and responsibility to act on behalf 28
7373 of a participant with respect to the provision of self-directed services, including the developmental 29
7474 services subject to this chapter. 30
7575 (7) “Provider representative” means a provider organization that is certified as the 31
7676 exclusive negotiating representative of self-directed direct support professionals as provided in § 32
7777 40.1-22.3-7. 33
7878 (8) “Secretary” means the secretary of the executive office of health and human services 34
7979
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8282 (EOHHS). 1
8383 (9) “Self-directed direct support professional” means an individual selected by and working 2
8484 under the direction of a self-directed supports participant or the participant’s duly authorized 3
8585 representative to provide self-directed personal care services to the participant in accordance with 4
8686 a person-centered plan and the implementing regulations promulgated for the program by the 5
8787 director. Self-directed direct support professional does not mean or include an employee of a DDO, 6
8888 subject to the DDO’s direction and control commensurate with DDO employee status. 7
8989 (10) “Self-directed personal care services” means home and community-based personal 8
9090 care and in-home support services a participant is authorized to self-direct to meet their daily living 9
9191 needs, function adequately at home, safely access the community, or other nonprofessional services 10
9292 under the self-directed supports program or any similar program that may provide similar services 11
9393 in the future under the Medicaid state plan, section 1115 demonstration waiver, or future Medicaid 12
9494 authorities promulgated by the secretary or director. 13
9595 40.1-22.2-3. Scope of coverage. 14
9696 Self-directed direct support professionals may provide all self-directed personal care 15
9797 services to the extent the applicable federal and state laws and rules and regulations allow. 16
9898 40.1-22.2-4. Use of employee workforce. 17
9999 (a) The state’s ability to afford participants and participants’ representatives who choose 18
100100 not to employ a self-directed direct support professional, or are unable to do so, the option of 19
101101 receiving personal care services through the employees of provider agencies, rather than through a 20
102102 self-directed direct support professional, shall not be restricted. 21
103103 (b) Nothing in this chapter shall restrict the state’s ability to afford self-directed supports 22
104104 participants with the freedom of choice guaranteed under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, 42 23
105105 U.S.C. § 1396 et seq., to enter into service delivery agreements with any authorized Medicaid 24
106106 provider. 25
107107 40.1-22.2-5. Duties of the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental 26
108108 disabilities and hospitals. 27
109109 (a) Notwithstanding the state’s obligations to meet and negotiate under chapter 7 of title 28 28
110110 (“labor relations act”), nothing in this chapter shall be construed to make self-directed direct support 29
111111 professionals employees of the state for any purpose, including for the purposes of eligibility for 30
112112 the state employee pension program or state employee health benefits. 31
113113 (b) The director has authority over the terms and conditions of self-directed direct support 32
114114 professionals’ employment, including compensation as required under § 40.1-22.2-6, payment, 33
115115 benefit terms, provider qualification standards, other appropriate terms and conditions for the 34
116116
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119119 workforce of self-directed direct support professionals without infringing on participants’ or 1
120120 participant representatives’ rights and responsibilities to hire, direct, supervise, and/or terminate 2
121121 the employment of their self-directed direct support professionals, and orientation, training, and the 3
122122 operation of a registry as required under § 40.1-22.2-7. 4
123123 (c) The director’s authority in subsection (b) of this section only applies to self-directed 5
124124 personal care services and is subject to the state’s obligation to meet and negotiate with a provider 6
125125 representative pursuant to § 40.1-22.3-3. 7
126126 40.1-22.2-6. Wage ranges. 8
127127 (a) The state shall set wage ranges for all self-directed direct support professionals. All 9
128128 self-directed personal care services performed by self-directed direct support professionals shall be 10
129129 compensated at a wage that is within the range set by the director for the services; provided, 11
130130 however, the participant may choose what wage to pay within the applicable range. 12
131131 (b) The wage range shall be the subject of collective bargaining as provided in this chapter. 13
132132 However, such collective bargaining shall be related solely to self-directed personal care services. 14
133133 All other self-directed services available to self-directed supports participants other than personal 15
134134 care and in-home support services are excluded from collective bargaining. 16
135135 (c) The provisions of this section shall take effect upon the certification of a provider 17
136136 representative as provided in § 40.1-22.3-13. 18
137137 40.1-22.2-7. Other duties of the director of behavioral healthcare, developmental 19
138138 disabilities and hospitals. 20
139139 (a) The director shall determine by rule or regulation that self-directed direct support 21
140140 professionals selected by self-directed supports participants are required to complete an orientation, 22
141141 pursuant to the director’s authority under § 40.1-21-12. The director shall determine by rule or 23
142142 regulation the specific types of education, experience, or training that shall be required for a self-24
143143 directed direct support professional to be included on a registry of persons qualified to be self-25
144144 directed direct support professionals. The provisions of this section shall be collectively bargained 26
145145 with the provider representative. 27
146146 (1) Representatives of the provider representative shall be permitted to attend and present 28
147147 information about the provider representative at educational and training programs presented by 29
148148 the John E. Fogarty Institute of Rhode Island pursuant to § 40.1-21-6. The John E. Fogarty Institute 30
149149 of Rhode Island shall provide the provider representative with a schedule of educational and 31
150150 training programs at least two (2) weeks in advance. The provider representative shall be authorized 32
151151 to provide self-directed direct support professionals with access to more training or education than 33
152152 is minimally required by the director. Nothing in this chapter prohibits a self-directed supports 34
153153
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156156 participant from requiring a self-directed direct support professional to complete more training or 1
157157 education than is minimally required by the director. 2
158158 (b) The director shall maintain, either directly or through a contracted vendor, a registry 3
159159 for self-directed direct support professionals pursuant to the authority provided under § 40.1-21-12 4
160160 and shall collaborate with the provider representative to maintain this registry. This registry shall 5
161161 be consolidated with the registry established for the personal choice program pursuant to § 40-8.15-6
162162 15. 7
163163 (c) The provisions of this section shall take effect upon the certification of a provider 8
164164 representative as provided in § 40.1-22.3-13. 9
165165 40.1-22.2-8. Authority of the department of administration. 10
166166 In accordance with chapter 22.3 of this title, the director of the department of 11
167167 administration shall have the authority to: 12
168168 (1) In coordination with the director, meet and negotiate with any provider representative 13
169169 chosen pursuant to § 40.1-22.3-2(a); 14
170170 (2) In coordination with the director, negotiate over any of the topics in § 40.1-22.3-2(a) 15
171171 and any other appropriate matters governing the workforce of self-directed direct support 16
172172 professionals without infringing on participants’ or their responsible parties’ rights and 17
173173 responsibilities to hire, direct, supervise, or terminate the employment of their self-directed direct 18
174174 support professionals; and 19
175175 (3) In coordination with the director, execute a collective bargaining agreement, subject to 20
176176 any approval required under § 40.1-22.3-5. 21
177177 40.1-22.2-9. Severability. 22
178178 Should any part of this chapter be declared invalid or unenforceable, or the enforcement or 23
179179 compliance with it is suspended, restrained, or barred, either by the state or by the final judgment 24
180180 of a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this chapter shall remain in full force and 25
181181 effect. 26
182182 SECTION 3. Title 40.1 of the General Laws entitled "BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, 27
183183 DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND HOSPITALS" is hereby amended by adding thereto 28
184184 the following chapter: 29
185185 CHAPTER 22.3 30
186186 SELF-DIRECTED DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS 31
187187 40.1-22.3-1. Definitions. 32
188188 For the purposes of this chapter: 33
189189 (1) “Department” means the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental 34
190190
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193193 disabilities and hospitals. 1
194194 (2) “Developmental disability organizations” or “DDOs” means an organization licensed 2
195195 by the department to provide services to adults with disabilities. 3
196196 (3) “Director” means the director of the department of behavioral healthcare, 4
197197 developmental disabilities and hospitals or the director’s designees. 5
198198 (4) “Fiscal intermediary” means a third-party organization operating in accordance with 6
199199 applicable federal and state requirements under contract with the state that is responsible for 7
200200 performing payroll and other employment-related functions on behalf of a participant as set forth 8
201201 in the implementing regulations for the self-directed supports program. 9
202202 (5) “Participant” means an adult who has a developmental disability as defined by § 40.1-10
203203 21-4.3(1) and has been determined by the state to be eligible for Medicaid-funded long-term 11
204204 services and supports under the Medicaid state plan and/or the RI section 1115 waiver 12
205205 demonstration and/or Medicaid authorities created in the future. 13
206206 (6) “Participant’s representative” means a participant’s legal guardian or a person who has 14
207207 been designated by the participant or otherwise has the authority and responsibility to act on behalf 15
208208 of a participant with respect to the provision of self-directed services, including the developmental 16
209209 services subject to this chapter. 17
210210 (7) “Provider representative” means a provider organization that is certified as the 18
211211 exclusive negotiating representative of self-directed direct support professionals as provided in § 19
212212 40.1-22.3-7. 20
213213 (8) “Secretary” means the secretary of the executive office of health and human services 21
214214 (EOHHS). 22
215215 (9) “Self-directed direct support professional” means an individual selected by and working 23
216216 under the direction of a self-directed supports participant or the participant’s duly authorized 24
217217 representative to provide self-directed personal care services to the participant in accordance with 25
218218 a person-centered plan and the implementing regulations promulgated for the program by the 26
219219 director of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals. Self-directed direct 27
220220 support professional does not mean or include an employee of a DDO, subject to the DDO’s 28
221221 direction and control commensurate with DDO employee status. 29
222222 (10) “Self-directed personal care services” means home and community-based personal 30
223223 care and in-home support services a participant is authorized to self-direct to meet their daily living 31
224224 needs, function adequately at home, safely access the community, or other nonprofessional services 32
225225 under the self-directed supports program or any similar program that may provide similar services 33
226226 in the future under the Medicaid state plan, section 1115 demonstration waiver, or future Medicaid 34
227227
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230230 authorities promulgated by the secretary or director. 1
231231 40.1-22.3-2. Right of self-directed support professionals to choose provider 2
232232 representative -- Subject of negotiation. 3
233233 (a) Self-directed direct support professionals may, in accordance with the procedures set 4
234234 forth in § 40.1-22.3-7, choose a provider organization to be their provider representative and to 5
235235 negotiate with the state, over the terms and conditions of self-directed direct support professionals’ 6
236236 participation in providing direct-support services including, but not limited to: 7
237237 (1) Training and professional development opportunities; 8
238238 (2) Improving the recruitment and retention of qualified self-directed direct support 9
239239 professionals; 10
240240 (3) Reimbursement rates, wages, and other economic matters; 11
241241 (4) Benefits; 12
242242 (5) Payment procedures; 13
243243 (6) Provider qualification standards; and 14
244244 (7) A grievance resolution process. 15
245245 (b) Nothing in this chapter or in chapter 22.2 of this title shall interfere with the regulatory 16
246246 authority of the department of health (DOH) over self-directed direct support professionals 17
247247 licensing. Self-directed direct support professional licensing shall be excluded from and not subject 18
248248 to the negotiation process recognized and described in this section. 19
249249 (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, self-directed direct support professionals 20
250250 shall operate in conformance with the relevant sections of the general laws applicable thereto and 21
251251 regulations promulgated by the state. 22
252252 40.1-22.3-3. Good faith negotiations. 23
253253 It shall be the obligation of the director of the department of administration, or designee, 24
254254 to meet and negotiate in good faith with the provider representative within thirty (30) days after 25
255255 receipt of written notice from the provider representative of the request for a meeting for bargaining 26
256256 purposes. This obligation shall include the duty to cause any agreement resulting from the 27
257257 negotiations to be reduced to a written contract. 28
258258 40.1-22.3-4. Unresolved issues - Impasses procedures. 29
259259 In the event that the provider representative and the director, or designee, are unable to 30
260260 reach an agreement on a contract, or reach an impasse in negotiations, the procedures of §§ 36-11-31
261261 7.1 through 36-11-11 shall be followed. 32
262262 40.1-22.3-5. Economic aspects of contract subject to legislative appropriation. 33
263263 Any aspects of a contract requiring appropriation by the federal government, the general 34
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267267 assembly, or revisions to statutes and regulations shall be subject to passage of those appropriations 1
268268 and any necessary statutory and regulatory revisions. 2
269269 40.1-22.3-6. Duty to represent all self-directed direct support professionals fairly – 3
270270 Deduction of membership dues and other voluntary deductions. 4
271271 (a) A provider organization certified as the provider representative shall represent all self-5
272272 directed direct support professionals in the state fairly and without discrimination, without regard 6
273273 to whether or not the self-directed direct support professional is a member of the provider 7
274274 organization. 8
275275 (b) Each self-directed direct support professional may choose whether to be a member of 9
276276 the provider organization. The state, or its designee, shall deduct from payments to self-directed 10
277277 direct support professionals membership dues for self-directed direct support professionals who 11
278278 elect to become members and authorize the deduction of membership dues, and any other voluntary 12
279279 deductions authorized by self-directed direct support professionals. 13
280280 40.1-22.3-7. Certification and decertification of provider organization. 14
281281 (a) Petitions to certify a provider organization to serve as the provider representative of 15
282282 self-directed direct support professionals; petitions to intervene in such an election; and any other 16
283283 petitions for investigation of controversies as to representation may be filed with and acted upon 17
284284 by the labor relations board in accordance with the provisions of chapter 7 of title 28 (“labor 18
285285 relations act”) and the board’s rules and regulations; provided that, any valid petition as to whether 19
286286 self-directed direct support professionals wish to certify or decertify a provider representative shall 20
287287 be resolved by a secret ballot election among self-directed direct support professionals. 21
288288 (b) The only appropriate unit shall consist of all self-directed direct support professionals 22
289289 in the state. 23
290290 (c) For purposes of this section, no self-directed direct support professional shall be deemed 24
291291 excluded from the bargaining unit under § 28–7–3(3)(ii) because they provide care to a family 25
292292 member or because they are in domestic service in a person’s home. 26
293293 (d) The cost of any certification election held under this section shall be split equally among 27
294294 all the provider organizations that appear on the ballot. 28
295295 40.1-22.3-8. Unfair practices. 29
296296 It shall be unlawful for the state to perform any of the acts made unlawful under § 28–7–30
297297 13. It shall be unlawful for the provider representative to perform any of the acts made unlawful 31
298298 under § 28–7–13.1. Any alleged violation of this provision may be filed with the labor relations 32
299299 board as an unfair labor practice and considered and ruled upon in accordance with chapter 7 of 33
300300 title 28 (“labor relations act”) and the board's rules and regulations. 34
301301
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304304 40.1-22.3-9. Right of families to select, direct and terminate self-directed direct 1
305305 support professionals. 2
306306 Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to alter the rights of families to select, direct, and 3
307307 terminate the services of self-directed direct support professionals. 4
308308 40.1-22.3-10. Strikes not authorized. 5
309309 Self-directed direct support professionals shall not engage in any strike or other collective 6
310310 cessation of the delivery of direct-support services. 7
311311 40.1-22.3-11. State action exemption. 8
312312 The state action exemption to the application of state and federal antitrust laws is applicable 9
313313 to the activities of self-directed direct support professionals and their provider representative 10
314314 authorized under this chapter. 11
315315 40.1-22.3-12. Implementation. 12
316316 (a) Within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this chapter, any provider organization 13
317317 that has previously been certified to serve as the provider representative of individual providers 14
318318 pursuant to § 40-8.15-7 shall be furnished by the director with contact information for every person 15
319319 providing self-directed personal care services under the self-directed supports program. The 16
320320 director shall provide any such provider organization with updated contact information every sixty 17
321321 (60) days thereafter. 18
322322 (b) The labor relations board shall hold an election to determine whether a provider 19
323323 organization shall be certified as the provider representative for the bargaining unit of self-directed 20
324324 direct support professionals upon a ten percent (10%) showing of interest. All persons who are 21
325325 providing self-directed services under the self-directed supports program shall be considered part 22
326326 of the bargaining unit for purposes of the showing of interest and shall be eligible to vote in the 23
327327 certification election. If a majority of those casting ballots vote to be represented by that provider 24
328328 organization, then the provider organization shall be certified as the provider representative to 25
329329 negotiate with the state over the terms and conditions of self-directed direct support professionals’ 26
330330 participation in providing self-directed personal care services for all self-directed direct support 27
331331 professionals in the state. The provisions of this chapter shall otherwise apply. 28
332332 (c) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to alter or limit the rights of participants and 29
333333 their representative to select, direct, and terminate the services of self-directed direct support 30
334334 professionals or to determine self-directed direct support professionals’ wages within a range set 31
335335 by the director, or to alter or limit the director’s authority to administer the self-directed supports 32
336336 program including to adopt rules and regulations and operate the program, to determine participant 33
337337 budgets, to determine eligibility, or to authorize services, except as specifically set forth in this 34
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341341 chapter. 1
342342 (d) No provision of any agreement or award resulting from collective bargaining and 2
343343 negotiations under this chapter shall provide for a reduction in Medicaid federal financial 3
344344 participation under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1396 et seq., nor shall any 4
345345 provision of any agreement or award provide for a reduction in the self-directed personal care 5
346346 services for eligible self-directed supports participants. Any provision in any agreement or award 6
347347 that would require an additional appropriation in order to maintain the levels of services provided 7
348348 by existing appropriations shall be subject to the annual budget process. 8
349349 40.1-22.3-13. Severability. 9
350350 Should any part of this chapter be declared invalid or unenforceable, or the enforcement or 10
351351 compliance with it is suspended, restrained, or barred, either by the state or by the final judgment 11
352352 of a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of this chapter shall remain in full force and 12
353353 effect. 13
354354 SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage. 14
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361361 EXPLANATION
362362 BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
363363 OF
364364 A N A C T
365365 RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVEL OPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND
366366 HOSPITALS – QUALITY SELF-DIRECTED SUPPORTS ACT OF 2025
367367 ***
368368 This act would ensure that more developmentally disabled adults can self-direct the care 1
369369 they need and want, by incorporating collective bargaining rights into the self-directed supports 2
370370 program to enhance service access, increase the availability of education and training options and 3
371371 improve the recruitment and retention of the individuals selected by participants as direct support 4
372372 professionals. This act does not alter or limit the authority of the director of behavioral healthcare, 5
373373 developmental disabilities and hospitals to administrator the self-directed supports program, 6
374374 enforce existing rules, regulations and procedures, or adopt amended rules, regulations and 7
375375 procedures for operating the program. This act further does not alter or limit the rights of 8
376376 participants and their representatives to select, direct and terminate the services of self-directed 9
377377 direct support professionals or to determine the wages of self-directed direct support professionals 10
378378 within the range set by the director. 11
379379 This act would take effect upon passage. 12
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