Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HB2695

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB2695

Introduced 2/6/2025, by Rep. Lilian Jiménez

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Human Services Equitable Pay Act. Requires the Department of Human Services to commission a Human Services Compensation Study on the rate of compensation, including wages and benefits, of positions funded by the Department of Human Services and how they compare to similar positions in the human services sector in Illinois and nationally. Requires the study to include an analysis of wage and benefit levels in different settings and for different education levels, including a comparison of compensation for: (1) State employees; (2) human service providers; and (3) for-profit private sector employees with similar roles and titles. Requires the study to be completed and submitted to the Human Services Compensation Task Force by June 30, 2026. Requires the Department to establish the Human Services Compensation Task Force on or before December 31, 2025. Provides that members shall be appointed by the Governor and shall include at least 3 BIPOC executive directors of community-based human service organizations and 2 co-chairs. Requires the Task Force to provide, on or before December 1, 2026, a report to the General Assembly and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget that includes: (i) recommendations on how to strengthen recruitment and retention of human services workers employed by human services providers that have contracts with the State; (ii) recommended rate levels; and (iii) a proposed schedule to increase rates to the recommended rate levels by July 1, 2030. Requires the Department to submit annual reports to the Task Force and the General Assembly that includes salary disparities between professionals employed by human services providers in the Department and comparable employees contracted with the State agency for the delivery of human services, the amount needed to be annually appropriated to the Department in order to reduce such salary disparities, and other matters. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Human Services Equitable Pay Act.

Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"BIPOC" means people who are members of the groups described in subparagraphs (a) through (e) of paragraph (1) of subsection (A) of Section 2 of the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act.

"Department" means the Department of Human Services.

"Grant" means an award to fund a project or program to a human services provider.

"Human services provider" means a community-based human services organization with a human services program funded by a State agency.

"Professional" means an individual employed by a human services agency that contracts with, is grant-funded, or receives funding from a State agency for the purposes of providing direct or indirect services that ensure that individuals have the essential elements to build and maintain physical, emotional, and economic well-being at every phase of life.

"Rate" means the reimbursement rate paid by a State agency to a human services provider to deliver services to clients on the State's behalf.

"State agency" means the Department of Human Services.

Section 10. Human Services Compensation Study.

(a) The Department of Human Services shall commission a Human Services Compensation Study on the rate of compensation, including wages and benefits, of positions funded by the Department and how they compare to similar positions in the human services sector in Illinois and nationally.

(b) The study shall include an analysis of wage and benefit levels in different settings and for different education levels, including a comparison of compensation for:

(1) State employees;

(2) human service providers; and

(3) for-profit private sector employees with similar roles and titles.

(c) The study's analysis shall disaggregate wage and benefit levels in different settings based on the race or ethnicity of the executive director of the institution.

(d) The study shall identify and draw equivalencies between common roles or titles at community-based organizations and the State of Illinois.

(e) The study shall be completed and submitted to the Human Services Compensation Task Force by June 30, 2026.

Section 15. Human Services Compensation Task Force.

(a) Task Force membership.

(1) On or before December 31, 2025, the Department of Human Services shall establish the Human Services Compensation Task Force. Members of the Task Force shall be appointed by the Governor, and shall include the following:

(A) Two representatives of the Department of Human Services.

(B) A representative of a statewide organization representing cross-sector human services providers.

(C) Two representatives of statewide organizations representing human services providers.

(D) Two representatives of human services providers that have annual budgets of $10,000,000 or higher.

(E) Two representatives of human services providers that have annual budgets under $10,000,000.

(F) One representative of a trade or labor union representing professionals employed by human services providers.

(G) Two human service professionals.

(2) Members of the Task Force shall include at least 3 BIPOC executive directors of community-based human service organizations, overlapping with members appointed under subparagraphs (D) through (G) of paragraph (1).

(3) The Task Force shall have 2 co-chairs, one from subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) and one from subparagraphs (D) through (G) of paragraph (1).

(b) On or before December 1, 2026, the Task Force shall provide a report to the General Assembly and the Governor's Office of Management and Budget that includes:

(1) recommendations on how to strengthen recruitment and retention of human services workers employed by human services providers that have contracts with the State;

(2) recommended rate levels as informed by the findings to address any wage and benefit disparities between different settings as may be established in the Human Services Compensation Study; and

(3) a proposed schedule to increase rates to the recommended rate levels described in paragraph (2) by July 1, 2030.

(c) On or before July 1, 2027, and each year thereafter, the State agency shall submit a report to the Task Force and the General Assembly that includes the following information:

(1) the current disparity amount between the salaries of professionals employed by human services providers in the Department and comparable employees contracted with the State agency for the delivery of human services and compensation levels found to be necessary to strengthen recruitment and retention of human services workers;

(2) the amount of annual increases in the rate of reimbursement and grant amounts to human services providers under contract with the State agency that is necessary to reduce and eliminate the disparity amount by July 1, 2029 and in accordance with the recommendations proposed by the Task Force under paragraph (3) of subsection (b);

(3) the amount needed to be annually appropriated to the State agency in order to reduce the disparity amount in accordance with the recommendations proposed by the Task Force under paragraph (3) of subsection (b); and

(4) records of the total amount paid by the State agency in the most recent fiscal year to human services providers, both individually and collectively, for the purpose of strengthening and improving the compensation levels of their employees.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.