An Act to Support Essential Support Workers and Enhance
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1932
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: FECTEAU, DAUGHTRY
Amends: 5 MRSA §282, 22 MRSA §7402, 26 MRSA §3802

Legislative Document
No. 1932
H.P. 1293
House of Representatives, May 6, 2025
An Act to Support Essential Support Workers and Enhance 
Workforce Development
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Speaker FECTEAU of Biddeford.
Cosponsored by President DAUGHTRY of Cumberland and
Representatives: CLOUTIER of Lewiston, GATTINE of Westbrook, POIRIER of Skowhegan, 
STOVER of Boothbay, Senators: BENNETT of Oxford, DUSON of Cumberland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §282, sub-§10, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. GG, §3, is 
amended to read:
10.  Economic projections.  To prepare long-range economic projections to ensure 
that projected available state financial resources are commensurate with projected state 
expenditures needed to meet long-term state economic goals and policies; and
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA §282, sub-§11, as amended by PL 2021, c. 717, §3, is further 
amended to read:
11.  Economic and demographic analyses.  To conduct studies and continuing 
economic and demographic analyses of the state economy, including economic and 
demographic forecasting, and collect, collate and analyze all pertinent data and statistics 
relating to those studies and analyses to assist the Governor, the Legislature and the various 
state departments in formulating goals, programs and policies.  The commissioner shall 
make these data and statistics available to the Legislature upon request.  All state agencies 
shall cooperate with the commissioner regarding implementation of the provisions of this 
subsection. In implementing this subsection, the commissioner may use secondary data 
made available to the commissioner by other state agencies or other organizations.; and
Sec. 3.  5 MRSA §282, sub-§12 is enacted to read:
12.  Biennial funding comparison report.  To report to the joint standing committee 
of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters, by January 
15, 2026 and every 2 years thereafter, the total biennial cost to the State for all approved 
services under the MaineCare program and state-funded programs provided by essential 
support workers as defined in Title 22, section 7401, subsection 3.  The report must include 
the total projected cost if all such approved services were provided to the individuals who 
qualify for the services and forecast anticipated costs in the future with projected 
demographic changes.
Sec. 4.  22 MRSA §7402, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 398, Pt. AAAA, §1, is amended 
to read:
§7402.  Essential support worker reimbursement
Services provided by essential support workers that are reimbursed by the department 
under the MaineCare program or another state-funded program must include in the 
reimbursement rate the following:
1.  At least 125% 140% of the minimum wage.  An amount equal to at least 125% 
140% of the minimum wage established in Title 26, section 664, subsection 1 for the labor 
portion of the reimbursement rate.  An increase to the minimum wage must be applied to 
the reimbursement rate at within 6 months of the time the increase takes place; and
2.  Taxes and benefits.  An amount necessary to reimburse the provider for taxes and 
benefits paid or costs incurred by the provider that are directly related to the reimbursed 
wage increase in subsection 1.  This amount must be adjusted whenever an increase to the 
minimum wage is applied to the reimbursement rate under subsection 1.
3.  Effective date.  This section takes effect January 1, 2022.
Essential support workers providing services reimbursed by the department under the 
MaineCare program or another state-funded program must be paid at least 125% of the 
minimum wage established in Title 26, section 664, subsection 1.
Sec. 5.  26 MRSA §3802, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 688, §2 and reallocated 
by RR 2021, c. 2, Pt. A, §98, is amended to read:
2.  Membership.  The advisory committee consists of 14 16 members, appointed as 
follows:
A.  One member of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate;
B.  One member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the 
House;
C.  The Commissioner of Health and Human Services or the commissioner's designee;
D.  The Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner's designee;
E.  One member representing an organization providing services to persons with 
intellectual disabilities and autism who is a member of a statewide association of 
providers of services to persons with intellectual disabilities and autism, appointed by 
the President of the Senate;
F.  One member representing a facility-based long-term care provider who is a member 
of a statewide association of facility-based long-term care providers, appointed by the 
President of the Senate;
G.  One member representing a service coordination agency for people receiving home-
based and community-based long-term care, appointed by the President of the Senate;
H.  One member representing an organization providing statewide homemaker services 
through a state-funded, independent, support service program, appointed by the 
President of the Senate;
I.  One member representing an institution of higher education engaged in workforce 
development, appointed by the President of the Senate;  
J.  One member representing a career and technical education center or region, 
appointed by the Speaker of the House;
K.  One member representing an organization promoting independent living for 
persons with disabilities, appointed by the Speaker of the House;
L.  One member who is an essential support worker, appointed by the Speaker of the 
House;
M.  One member representing a statewide advocacy association that broadly advocates 
for people who are entitled to receive essential support worker services, appointed by 
the Speaker of the House; and
N.  One member representing an organization providing services to persons with 
behavioral health challenges who is a member of a statewide association of providers 
of services to persons with behavioral health challenges, appointed by the Speaker of 
the House.;
O.  One member representing an organization providing personal care services in a 
home setting, appointed by the Speaker of the House; and
P.  One member representing the long-term care ombudsman program established 
under Title 22, section 5106, subsection 11-C and Title 22, section 5107-A.
Sec. 6.  Biennial funding report.  The report required by the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 5, section 282, subsection 12 must include services provided under the 
MaineCare program or state-funded programs in the Department of Health and Human 
Services rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Sections 12, 13, 17, 
18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 28, 29, 50, 65, 67, 92, 96 and 97 and the Department of Health and 
Human Services, Office of Aging and Disability Services rule Chapter 5: Office of Aging 
and Disability Services Policy Manual, Sections 63 and 69.
Sec. 7.  Maine Health Data Organization data inventory development.  The 
Maine Health Data Organization established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, 
chapter 1683, referred to in this section as "the organization," shall consult with the 
Essential Support Workforce Advisory Committee established in Title 26, section 3802 and 
the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a methodology for establishing 
a baseline report on the care gap for MaineCare and state-funded services.  The 
organization shall identify the currently available data sources and the data gaps that are 
barriers to creating a uniform data collection and reporting system along with options for 
methods to gather the missing data and the associated costs.  For the purposes of this 
section, "care gap" is defined as the difference between the number of individuals who are 
approved for services under the MaineCare program or state funded programs in the 
department's rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Sections 12, 13, 
17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 28, 29, 50, 65, 67, 92, 96 and 97 and the department's Office of 
Aging and Disability Services rule Chapter 5:  Office of Aging and Disability Services 
Policy Manual, Sections 63 and 69 but who are not receiving care because of the State's 
direct care workforce shortage.  No later than January 15, 2026, the organization shall 
submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
health and human services matters with its findings and recommendations relating to 
available data sources and potential solutions for existing data gaps along with associated 
costs to create a report that would establish a baseline care gap that could be used for 
ongoing data collection, tracking and reporting.  The joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters is authorized to 
report out legislation relating to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd 
Legislature.
Sec. 8.  Innovations in Care and Support Technology Plan.  The Department 
of Health and Human Services shall convene a stakeholder group to develop the 
Innovations in Care and Support Technology Plan, referred to in this section as "the plan," 
no later than October 15, 2026.  The plan must be developed to advance the use of 
technology to reduce the number of unstaffed essential support worker hours due to staffing 
shortages.  The department shall identify a current staff person within the department as 
the lead for the stakeholder group.  
1.  Membership.  The stakeholder group must include, but is not limited to, the 
following:
A.  Members of the Essential Support Workforce Advisory Committee established in 
the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 3802;
B.  Representatives from provider agencies;
C.  Family caregivers;
D.  Clients receiving essential support worker services funded by the MaineCare 
program or other state-funded programs;
E.  Representatives with expertise in digital health and assistive technology; and
F.  Representatives of the department within the Office of Aging and Disability 
Services, the Office of MaineCare Services and the Office of Behavioral Health.  
2.  Plan requirements.  The plan must include the following:
A.  An inventory of current available and effective technologies, the results of Maine's 
innovation grant projects, promising initiatives being tested and implemented in other 
states and a review of available federal and private resources and policies;
B.  The development of a set of empirical and achievable goals to promote the use of 
supportive technologies to assist the existing essential support worker workforce, to expand 
assistive technology and to manage the health and well-being of individuals who are not 
receiving all the hours of assistance for which they are approved; 
C.  An implementation map with a timeline and milestones; and
D.  Identification of any necessary legislation, rulemaking or funding for the plan.
3.  Report.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall submit a copy of the 
plan to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and 
human services matters.
Sec. 9.  Credentialing and training redesign.  The Department of Health and 
Human Services shall create a stakeholder group to assist the department in developing a 
5-year plan, referred to in this section as "the plan," to expand its worker portability and 
advancement initiative.  The purpose of the plan is to establish a standardized curricula and 
training program for all essential support workers as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 22, section 7401, subsection 3, including college credit courses, stackable credentials 
and alignment with certifications and MaineCare reimbursement rates in a manner that 
builds on the department's worker portability and advancement initiative.  The plan must 
also include a structure for ongoing evaluation and improvement of established curricula 
and training programs.
1.  Membership.  The stakeholder group must include, but is not limited to: 
A.  Representatives from the Office of Aging and Disability Services, the Office of 
MaineCare Services and the Division of Licensing and Certification;
B.  A representative from the State Board of Nursing;
C.  A representative from the Department of Labor;
D.  Representatives from institutions of higher education including the University of 
New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine, AgingME Geriatrics Workforce 
Enhancement Program, 2nd round; the University of Southern Maine, Muskie School 
of Public Service; and the Maine Community College System, Harold Alfond Center 
for the Advancement of Maine's Workforce;
E.  Members of Maine's Essential Care and Support Workforce Partnership who 
represent or are affiliated with employers of essential support workers as defined in 
Title 22, section 7401, subsection 3; 
F.  Members of the Direct Care and Support Professional Advisory Council, within the 
long-term care ombudsman program under Title 22, section 5107-A; and
G.  Clients, or guardians or family members of clients, receiving essential support 
worker services funded by the MaineCare program or state-funded programs. 
2.  Plan requirements.  The plan must include: 
A.  The development of a set of empirical and achievable steps to implement the plan; 
B.  An inventory of current and planned curricula and training initiatives targeting 
essential support workers;
C.  An implementation map with a timeline and milestones; and
D.  Identification of any necessary legislation, rulemaking and funding required to 
implement the plan.
3.  Report.  No later than October 15, 2026, the department shall submit a report with 
the plan to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health 
and human services matters and the Essential Support Workforce Advisory Committee 
established in Title 26, section 3802.  The joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having jurisdiction over health and human services matters is authorized to report out 
legislation to the 133rd Legislature in 2027.
Sec. 10.  Effective date. That section of this Act that amends the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 22, section 7402 takes effect January 1, 2026.
SUMMARY
This bill increases the rate for the labor portion of reimbursement for services provided 
by essential support workers from 125% of the minimum wage to 140%.  This requirement 
is effective January 1, 2026.
The bill requires that essential support workers whose services are reimbursed under 
the MaineCare program or a state-funded program must be paid no less than 125% of the 
minimum wage.
The bill requires the Maine Health Data Organization, in consultation with the 
Essential Support Workforce Advisory Committee and the Department of Health and 
Human Services, to develop a methodology for establishing a baseline report in order to be 
able to examine the care gap in essential support worker services paid by the MaineCare 
program or a similar state-funded program.  The care gap is defined as the difference 
between approved services and the hours of services actually provided.
The bill requires the Department of Administrative and Financial Services to provide 
a biennial report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
health and human services matters that estimates the actual cost to the State of providing 
all long-term care services and forecasts costs in the future.
The bill changes the membership of the Essential Support Workforce Advisory 
Committee to include a representative of the long-term care ombudsman program and a 
representative of an organization that provides personal care services in the home.
The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to convene a 
stakeholder group to develop the Innovations in Care and Support Technology Plan to be 
submitted by October 15, 2026.  The purpose of the plan is to advance the use of technology 
to reduce the number of approved but unstaffed essential support worker hours.
The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to create a stakeholder 
group to assist the department in developing a 5-year plan to expand the department's 
worker portability and advancement initiative to establish a standardized curriculum and 
training program for essential support workers.