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S 130

Workers' Compensation Commission Hearings

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Michael Johnson

The bill requires higher state reimbursements to community-based human service providers, with funds expressly used to raise workers’ pay and reduce the wage disparity over time.

Referred to Committee on Judiciary
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Bill Summary · S 130

Summary — S.130 (2025): “An Act relative to a livable wage for human services workers”

Note: The bill text provided below concerns a Massachusetts state-law proposal to increase reimbursements to human service providers to reduce pay disparities for human services workers. Some accompanying metadata (title, sponsors) appears inconsistent with the bill text; this summary focuses on the bill language itself.

Purpose

To reduce and eliminate the wage gap between employees of community-based human service providers and comparable staff in state-operated human services programs by increasing state reimbursement rates to providers and directing those increases to employee compensation.

Key provisions

  • Adds Section 110 to Chapter 6A of the Massachusetts General Laws establishing definitions and a statutory framework to eliminate a defined “disparity amount.”
  • Defines:
    • “Human service provider”: community-based organizations with programs funded by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA), or Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC).
    • “Human services worker”: employee who provides treatment, support or services to clients/families.
    • “Disparity amount”: average salary difference between human services workers at provider agencies and comparable staff (direct care workers, nurses, clinicians, etc.) in state-operated programs.
    • “Rate”: reimbursement paid by EOHHS, EOEA, EOHLC or the Department of Early Education and Care to a provider.
  • Reimbursement increases schedule (to reduce the disparity amount):
    • Reduce disparity to 50% by July 1, 2026;
    • 30% by July 1, 2027;
    • 10% by July 1, 2028;
    • 0% by July 1, 2029, and remain 0% thereafter.
  • All reimbursement increases must be used to increase compensation of human services workers.
  • Agencies required to adopt implementing regulations: EOHHS, Executive Office for Administration and Finance (ANF), EOEA, EOHLC.
  • Allows earlier elimination of the disparity before July 1, 2029.

Reporting and oversight

  • On or before July 1, 2026 and annually thereafter until disparity eliminated, EOHHS, EOEA and EOHLC (in collaboration with the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers) must report to designated legislative committees. Required report elements include:
    1. Current disparity amount;
    2. Annual reimbursement increases needed to meet the schedule;
    3. Annual appropriation amounts required;
    4. Implementation plan by agency, job description and start date.

Who is affected

  • Community-based human service providers that receive state funding and their employees (directly benefits workers via mandated compensation increases).
  • EOHHS, EOEA, EOHLC, Department of Early Education and Care, and the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (implementation and budgeting).
  • State budget/appropriations — the bill requires increased appropriations to achieve the reimbursement schedule.

Fiscal and implementation implications

  • The bill creates a clear statutory funding obligation that will require appropriations to increase provider reimbursement rates; exact costs are to be quantified in the mandated annual reports.
  • Regulations and administrative systems will be needed to ensure funds are passed through to employee compensation and to monitor compliance.

Procedural status (as provided)

  • Introduced/Filed: Jan 15–16, 2025.
  • Referred to committee(s): Judiciary; Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities; Codes (records show multiple referrals).
  • Hearing noted (provided): scheduled Sept 22, 2025.
  • Reported favorably by committee and referred to Senate Ways & Means (Oct 20, 2025). (Records contain inconsistent entries; consult the official legislative website for current status.)

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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