Senate committee advances bill to fund SEIU tentative home‑care contract, adds training and matching services

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Senate Human Services Committee on Wednesday voted to advance legislation that would pay for a tentative contract agreement covering thousands of home‑care workers and add several programs intended to shore up the home‑care workforce.

Senator Aaron Mayquade, the bill’s author, told the committee Senate File 2640 "invests $70,000,000 this biennium to fund the tentative contract agreement for these SEIU home care workers." Mayquade said that of that biennium total, "$30,000,000 is one‑time funding" and that there is "about $55,000,000 in the tails." He said the bill would extend the rate increase to nonunion providers outside the SEIU bargaining unit so the same funding change applies across related programs.

The bill covers four programs and the workers who provide those services: PCA Choice, the Community First Services and Supports (CFSS) budget model, Consumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS) and the Consumer Support Grant. Mayquade said the contract would cover "over 38,000 workers" across the programs.

Nut graf: Advocates and committee members said the…