The bill establishes the Home Care Employment Standards Advisory Board within the Department of Health in Alaska. The board will consist of various members, including commissioners from health and labor, as well as eight appointed members representing covered providers, direct care workers, enrollees, and other relevant organizations. The board's responsibilities include advising on payment rates for personal care services, investigating workforce conditions, and preparing a biennial report on findings and recommendations related to service adequacy and worker compensation.

Additionally, the bill mandates that agencies providing home and community-based services pay their employees performing personal care services a specified percentage of the total annual funding received from the department, starting at 70% in 2026 and increasing to 80% by 2030. There are provisions for hardship exemptions for small providers, allowing them to pay a lower percentage under certain conditions. The bill also outlines the process for the board's first meeting and preliminary investigations into workforce conditions, and it includes provisions for amending the state Medicaid plan to implement these changes. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, unless certain federal approvals are obtained beforehand.

Statutes affected:
SB0154A, AM SB 154, introduced 04/02/2025: 44.29.600, 44.29.910, 44.29.905, 44.29.915, 44.29.920, 44.29.925, 39.20.180, 44.29.930, 44.29.935, 44.29.940, 44.29.945, 44.29.900, U.S.C, 47.07.030, 47.07.045
SB0154B, AM SSSB 154, introduced 04/22/2025: 44.29.600, 44.29.910, 44.29.905, 44.29.915, 44.29.920, 44.29.925, 39.20.180, 44.29.930, 44.29.935, 44.29.945, 44.29.900, U.S.C, 47.07.030, 47.07.045