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An Act To Align Wages for Direct Care Workers for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism with the Minimum Wage
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §3195, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 459, Pt. A, §1, is amended to read:
 
1. Reimbursement.   The department shall reimburse services provided to MaineCare member adults with intellectual disabilities or autism under a waiver granted by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for home-based and community-based care on the basis of rates and a methodology established by major substantive rulemaking and that includes a rate for direct care workers, as defined in section 1717, subsection 1, paragraph A-3, that is no less than 125% of the minimum wage established in Title 26, section 664, subsection 1. The department shall, at least every 2 years, conduct a substantive review of the rates set under this section. The review must provide for public comment. This section applies to all funds, including federal funds, paid by any agency of the State to a provider for care covered by the waiver.
 
SUMMARY
This bill specifies that the MaineCare reimbursement rate for direct care workers for adults with intellectual disabilities or autism must be at least 125% of the state minimum wage.