Bill Text: NJ A4339 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Increases pay for direct support professionals; makes appropriation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-10 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee [A4339 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A4339-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Assemblyman REGINALD W. ATKINS
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Increases pay for direct support professionals; makes appropriation.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning direct support professionals and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Department of Human Services shall establish a direct support professional funding program to distribute monies to employers of direct support professionals in an amount that is necessary to address direct support professional staffing challenges in this State, as determined by the Commissioner of Human Services. The monies shall be used by the employers to increase the pay of existing or new employees who are direct support professionals. The Commissioner of Human Services shall establish an application process, guidelines, and compliance standards for the direct support professional funding program.
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Human Services such funds as are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the distribution of funds appropriated pursuant to section 2 of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill increases pay for direct support professionals and makes and appropriation.
Under the bill, the Department of Human Services is to establish a direct support professional funding program to distribute monies to employers of direct support professionals in an amount that is necessary to address direct support professional staffing challenges in this State, as determined by the Commissioner of Human Services. The monies are to be used by the employers to increase the pay of existing or new employees who are direct support professionals. The Commissioner of Human Services is to establish an application process, guidelines, and compliance standards for the direct support professional funding program.
Direct support professionals provide critical services and support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Direct support professionals support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their own homes, family homes, provider-managed residences and programs, in the community, and workplaces. They support individuals with the activities related to daily living, including personal care, health and well-being, behavioral and mental health, relationship building, home and community participation, achievement of goals, and a variety of other individual needs. An increase in pay for direct support professionals is well-deserved and will help to address staffing challenges for employers who are struggling to hire and retain direct support professionals.
