The proposed bill, General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 1415, aims to establish minimum wage requirements for nursing home workers providing direct care and certain group home workers. Effective July 1, 2025, nursing homes are mandated to implement a schedule of wage increases for direct care employees, ensuring they reach a minimum hourly wage of $22.50 by January 1, 2026, and $25.00 by January 1, 2027. However, Medicaid-funded nursing homes are exempt from this requirement unless state payment rates are sufficient to cover the wage increases. Additionally, nursing homes that receive rate adjustments for wage increases but fail to raise employee salaries accordingly may face a rate decrease from the Commissioner of Social Services.

The bill also introduces new requirements for nonprofit employers operating group homes, mandating them to implement similar wage increases for employees serving individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. By January 1, 2026, these employees must also achieve a minimum wage of $22.50, with a subsequent increase to $25.00 by January 1, 2027. Furthermore, employees earning between the minimum wage and $30 per hour will receive a salary increase of up to 5% for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2026, and June 30, 2027. Nonprofit employers must document their compliance with these wage increases and report to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management by December 31, 2026, detailing the impact of these wage adjustments on employee retention and service quality. The bill repeals and substitutes certain provisions in section 19a-491a, including the addition of wage data compliance requirements for nursing home licensing.