2022 -- H 7390
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LC004419
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022
____________
AN ACT
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OFFICE OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES -- MINIMUM WAGE FOR PROVIDERS
Introduced By: Representatives Shanley, Bennett, Hawkins, Vella-Wilkinson, Tanzi,
Kazarian, Slater, Morales, Williams, and Amore
Date Introduced: February 09, 2022
Referred To: House Finance
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 42-7.2 of the General Laws entitled "Office of Health and Human
2 Services" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
3 42-7.2-2.1. Minimum wage for providers of state contracted human services.
4 (a) As used in this section:
5 (1) "BHDDH" means the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities
6 and hospitals.
7 (2) "DCYF" means the department of children, youth and families.
8 (3) "DHS" means the department of human services.
9 (4) "DOH" means the department of health.
10 (5) "Employee" means any person who receives compensation for providing human
11 services including, but not limited to, any person who receives compensation pursuant to a
12 contractual arrangement with a human service provider who is not directly employed by such
13 provider.
14 (6) "EOHHS" means the executive office of health and human services.
15 (7) "Human services" means any of the services administered by EOHHS, BHDDH,
16 DCYF, DHS, and DOH that involve direct care of persons including, but not limited to, medical
17 services, mental health and addiction treatment, nutrition and housing assistance, services for
18 persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, rehabilitative services, assistance with
 1 activities of daily living, and residential and rehabilitative services.
2 (b) Subject to available appropriations, the EOHHS, BHDDH, DCYF, DHS and DOH
3 shall, effective July 1, 2023, adjust the wage rates in any contract with private human services
4 providers, in accordance with standard accounting principles, as prescribed by the secretary of
5 EOHHS, to provide a pro rata increase in salaries and wages of hourly employees, to reflect a
6 starting hourly wage of no less than twenty-one dollars ($21.00) for such employees. Such wage
7 rate adjustments shall reflect reasonable costs mandated by collective bargaining agreements with
8 certified collective bargaining agents or otherwise provided by a human services provider to
9 employees. Starting wages shall annually be adjusted by that prescribed in CPI-U.
10 (b) Existing employees with one to five (5) years of service, shall have an hourly wage of
11 no less than twenty-one dollars ($21.00); employees with five (5) to ten (10) years of experience
12 shall have an hourly wage of no less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of twenty-one dollars
13 ($21.00) or twenty-three dollars and ten cents ($23.10); employees with ten (10) to twenty (20)
14 years of experience shall have a hourly wage of no less than one hundred twenty percent (120%)
15 of twenty-one dollars ($21.00) or twenty-five dollars and twenty cents ($25.20); and employees
16 with greater than twenty (20) years of experience shall have an hourly wage of no less than one
17 hundred thirty percent (130%) of twenty-one dollars ($21.00) or twenty-seven dollars and thirty
18 cents ($27.30). Such wage rates may be increased by collective bargaining agreements with
19 certified collective bargaining agents or otherwise provided by a human services provider to
20 employees. These wages shall annually be adjusted by that prescribed in CPI-U.
21 (c) Nothing in this section shall require the EOHHS, BHDDH, DCYF, DHS and DOH to
22 adjust wage rates in a way that jeopardizes federal government reimbursement. Human services
23 providers who receive such wage rate adjustments but do not provide an increase in employee wage
24 rates, in accordance with this section, may be subject to a rate decrease in the same amount as the
25 wage rate increase adjustment by the EOHHS, BHDDH, DCYF, DHS and DOH.
26 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2023.
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 EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
AN ACT
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OFFICE OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES -- MINIMUM WAGE FOR PROVIDERS
***
1 This act would require state contracted human services providers to pay their employees a
2 starting hourly wage, of no less than twenty-one dollars ($21.00) per hour, and to include wage
3 incremental raises for existing employees.
4 This act would take effect on July 1, 2023.
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