S-1334.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5821

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Kohl‑Welles, Deccio and Rasmussen

Read first time 02/05/2001.  Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.

Providing a wage increase for direct care workers in long-term care service.

    AN ACT Relating to wage increase for direct care workers in long-term care service; adding a new section to chapter 74.39A RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 71A.12 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 74.39A RCW to read as follows:

    The compensation for all unlicensed direct care workers who provide state-funded long-term care services through contract with the department of social and health services under the medicaid personal care program, community options program entry system, or chore services, whose hourly wage as of June 30, 2001, is nine dollars or less per hour, shall receive an increase of one dollar per hour starting July 1, 2001.  The compensation for all unlicensed direct care workers who provide state-funded long-term care services as employees of home care agencies, adult family homes, boarding homes, nursing homes, and adult day health, whose hourly wage as of June 30, 2001, is nine dollars or less per hour, shall receive an increase of one dollar per hour starting July 1, 2001.  The total sum of this increase shall go directly to pay for worker wages and shall not be used for any other purposes.

    As used in this section, "direct care worker" means a person whose duties include assisting with activities of daily living for a functionally disabled person as defined in this chapter.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 71A.12 RCW to read as follows:

    The compensation for all unlicensed direct care workers who provide state-funded long-term care services through contract with the department of social and health services authorized under this chapter, whose hourly wage is nine dollars or less per hour as of June 30, 2001, shall receive an increase of one dollar per hour starting July 1, 2001.  The total sum of this increase shall go directly to pay for worker wages and shall not be used to pay for any other purposes.

    As used in this section, "direct care worker" means a person whose duties include assisting with activities of daily living for a functionally disabled person as defined in chapter 74.39A RCW.  For the purposes of this section, a direct care worker may be an individual provider or a person employed in any of the following programs authorized under this chapter:  Intensive tenant support, regular tenant support, supportive living, group homes, alternative living, family support, attendant care, or respite care.

                            --- END ---