An Act To Stimulate the Economy by Expanding 0ppOliunities for Personal Assistance Workers
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1364
Committee Amendment CA_A_H674 (House)
Amends: 22 MRSA §7301

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" /J" to H.P. 954, L.D. 1364, Bill, "An Act To 
Stimulate the Economy by Expanding 0ppOliunities for Personal Assistance Workers" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An ActTo Stimulate the Economy by Expanding Opportunities for Direct Support 
Aides' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §7301, sub-§2, 'lIe, as amended by PL 2009, c. 279, §2 and c. 
420, § I, is fUliher amended to read: 
C. 
That a variety of agencies, facilities and individuals must be encouraged to 
provide in-home and community suppOli services and to increase the percentages of 
adults with long-term care needs receiving in-home and community support services 
provided by persons who are employed as personal care assistants or direct support 
aides or by other providers. For the purposes of this paragraph, "direct suppOli aide" 
means a personal care worker or direct suppo11 worker who provides a range of 
services, including personal daily living supports, health suppOlis and community 
supports, to adults with long-term care needs; 
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §7301, sub-§2, 'UF, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 279, §2 and c. 
420, § I, is repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
F. To establish the most efficient and cost-effective system for delivering a broad 
array of long-term care services. 
Sec. 3. Plan for developing direct support aide employment policies. The 
Commissioner of Health and Human Services shall convene a work group of persons 
representing all of the significant patiies, including but not limited to consumers and 
workers, interested in direct suppOli aide employment policies, training programs and 
compensation rates. The work group shall review direct suppo11 aide employment to 
Page I - 124LRIS72(02)-I 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
'l\. iI-\,. 
II 
CO~MITTEE AMENDMENT" A 
,. to H.P. 954, L.D. 1364 
determine the extent to which the following goals are being met in programs administered 
by the Depaliment of Health and Human Services: 
I. 
Development of a rational, equitable and clear framework for defining jobs, 
administering compensation, designing and delivering training and ensuring a sufficient 
and high-quality workforce; 
2. Development of a logical sequence of employment tiers, showing employment 
and training links among long-term care and acute care jobs, in both facility-based and 
home-based services; 
3. The establishment of a statewide job classification system of direct support job 
titles, including direct support aide, with an initial focus on personal care jobs within 
programs funded by the depaliment; 
4. The setting of rates for all jobs classified in the statewide job classification system 
for wages, benefits, training, travel, supervision and administrative costs, with a goal of 
achieving transparency and wage level parity across programs, with reimbursement rates 
that cover the cost of health insurance and workers' compensation, liability insurance, 
recruitment, background checks and motor vehicle violation checks; and 
5. Consideration of a multidepartmental oversight entity to be established by statute 
or by executive action to be assigned responsibility and authority to implement and 
provide ongoing oversight of the recommendations regarding direct support aide 
employment policies that result from work undertaken pursuant to this section. 
For the purposes of this section, "direct suppOli aide" has the same meaning as 
defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 7301, subsection 2, paragraph C.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill. It provides a definition for "direct support aide" in 
the laws governing home-based and community-based' services and directs the 
Commissioner of Health and Human Services to convene a work group to evaluate 
progress toward meeting goals relating to direct suppOli aide employment policies, 
training programs and compensation rates. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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Approved: 02/19/10 ;;b,?ac:.. 
LD 1364 
LR 1572(02) 
An Act To Stimulate the Economy by Expanding Opportunities for Personal Assistance Workers 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
. Additional costs to the DepaJiment of Health and HUlllan Services to convene the workgroup to review direct suppOli 
, aide employment are expected to be minor and can be absorbed by the department utilizing existing budgeted 
resources 
LRI572(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1