The Providers’ Council is pleased to report that the final American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) spending plan from the Legislature includes $16.5 million for a loan repayment program and $13.5 million for a grant program for human services organizations to support the retention and recruitment of human services workers.
You can find the full text of this line item at 1599-2027 – or on pages 18 and 19 of the attached Conference Committee ARPA bill (new bill number H4269).
Two other items of note:
- $500 million is present to create an Essential Employee Premium Pay program to provide direct financial support to essential workers of not less than $500 and not more than $2,000 each. Workers at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level – nearly $39,000 for a single person and $79,500 for a family of four – would be eligible. Additionally, the Providers’ Council will be asked to appoint one member of the premium pay advisory panel to make recommendations to ANF about the program. This information is on page 160 of the attached document.
- Additionally, the spending plan includes $39.4 million for human services rates, which is present at 1599-6903 – or on page 3 of the attached document.
Formal sessions of the Legislature ended for the year on Nov. 17. The Legislature will now attempt to pass the spending plan in informal sessions. Any one legislator can object to its passage and stop it from moving forward. We are hopeful the Legislature will work to pass this bill expeditiously and get it onto Governor Baker’s desk for his signature.
If you have questions, please contact Bill Yelenak at the Council.
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