Dear CLM Members,
We are very pleased to report that our collective efforts to elevate the human services workforce crisis with the Legislature continue to be successful. Yesterday, the House of Representatives included $100 million in its Economic Development bill (H.5007) to fund supplemental workforce payments for Chapter 257 services. The construct is substantially similar to existing supplemental workforce payments in terms of allowable uses. The House will likely vote on the measure tomorrow (Wednesday).
Please contact your state Representative and thank them for the inclusion of this significant new reserve in the Economic Development bill.
The bill would invest $3.8 billion dollars in a mix of state and federal funding toward a wide variety of initiatives aimed at economic and pandemic recovery.
Efforts will now turn to the Senate, and we will keep you updated as to next steps. While our primarily focus remains higher salary benchmarks, this is an important step in our advocacy campaign to ensure that base rates are fair and adequate to deliver services to individuals and families throughout the Commonwealth.
Additional Items to Watch
CLM is also supporting or watching the following amendments to the Economic Development bill. Please feel free to ask your legislators to support the issues that matter to you.
- Rep. Finn's amendment #348 (Trade Association Consultation with EOHHS) - to include the Collaborative trade associations in planning for the distribution of the supplemental workforce funds.
- Rep. Decker’s amendment #178 (Allocating Budget Surplus and ARPA Funds for Households in Deep Poverty) - to increase cash assistance by 10% in FY 23. The maximum benefit for a family of three is $712 a month, and the maximum benefit for an elder or disabled individual is only $364 a month. In our high-cost state, this is not enough to pay for necessities like food, rent, transportation, clothes and shoes, and reliable internet access. With inflation at an all-time high, it is imperative that we address the needs of our lowest income families. A small part of our surplus billions and unallocated ARPA funds should be directed to increasing cash assistance grants which do not even meet half of the federal poverty level.
- Rep. Decker's amendment #255 (VOCA Bridge) - to provide bridge funding for Victims of Crime Assistance grants