S.119 / H.283 (Sen. DiDomenico; Rep. Roy & Rep. Garballey)
Creates an education loan repayment program for certain eligible human service workers. (Lead: Provider’s Council)
- Direct Care I workers’ salaries are benchmarked to $20.79 an hour. MIT Living Wage calculator puts that figure for a single person with no children in Massachusetts at nearly $28 an hour.
- The lack of affordable higher education for human services workers and the burden of student debt greatly contribute to the sector’s recruitment and retention difficulties.
- In 2024, Massachusetts residents had a median monthly student loan payment of $226, the second highest in the nation.
- The one-time ARPA-funded student loan repayment program, launched in 2024, received requests totaling more than three times its $16.5 million allocation.
FACT SHEET (Provider's Council)
STATUS: Senate bill referred to Senate Ways and Means & House bill referred to House Ways and Means (History: reported favorably from Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities 6/26/25 after hearing 5/13/25).
SPONSORS
House:
Senate:
| Sal N. DiDomenico | Middlesex and Suffolk |
| Joanne M. Comerford | Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester |
| James K. Hawkins | 2nd Bristol |
| Kathleen R. LaNatra | 12th Plymouth |
| John F. Keenan | Norfolk and Plymouth |
| Patrick M. O'Connor | First Plymouth and Norfolk |
| Manny Cruz | 7th Essex |
| Bruce E. Tarr | First Essex and Middlesex |
| Michael D. Brady | Second Plymouth and Norfolk |
| Brendan P. Crighton | Third Essex |
| James B. Eldridge | Middlesex and Worcester |
| Dylan A. Fernandes | Plymouth and Barnstable |
| Robyn K. Kennedy | First Worcester |
| Liz Miranda | Second Suffolk |
| Mike Connolly | 26th Middlesex |
| William J. Driscoll, Jr. | Norfolk, Plymouth and Bristol |
| Pavel M. Payano | First Essex |