Bill Text: IL SB2883 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates the Human Services Workforce Sustainability Act. Requires the Departments of Human Services, Children and Family Services, Juvenile Justice, and Public Health, and other specified State agencies, to complete, by June 30, 2027, a look-back calculation for each contracted human services organization that compares the funding amount awarded to the human services organization in State fiscal years 2026 and 2021 in order to identify the percentage change in funding, if any, to the human services organization between those fiscal years. Provides that based on the look-back calculations, each State agency shall identify the total aggregate amount of additional appropriations needed to ensure that grant amounts awarded by the State agency in State Fiscal Year 2028 are at least 25% more than the grant amounts awarded to grantees in State Fiscal Year 2021. Contains provisions concerning implementation of increased grant funding, subject to appropriation; additional percentage increases in grants amounts beginning in State Fiscal Year 2029; expenditure and certification requirements on contracted human services organizations that receive increased grant funding; oversight by the Department of Central Management Services; the adoption of administrative rules; and other matters. Effective July 1, 2026.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2026-05-22 - Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments [SB2883 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-SB2883-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026SB2883 Introduced 1/16/2026, by Sen. Graciela Guzm�n SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act
Creates the Human Services Workforce Sustainability Act. Requires the Departments of Human Services, Children and Family Services, Juvenile Justice, and Public Health, and other specified State agencies, to complete, by June 30, 2027, a look-back calculation for each contracted human services organization that compares the funding amount awarded to the human services organization in State fiscal years 2026 and 2021 in order to identify the percentage change in funding, if any, to the human services organization between those fiscal years. Provides that based on the look-back calculations, each State agency shall identify the total aggregate amount of additional appropriations needed to ensure that grant amounts awarded by the State agency in State Fiscal Year 2028 are at least 25% more than the grant amounts awarded to grantees in State Fiscal Year 2021. Contains provisions concerning implementation of increased grant funding, subject to appropriation; additional percentage increases in grants amounts beginning in State Fiscal Year 2029; expenditure and certification requirements on contracted human services organizations that receive increased grant funding; oversight by the Department of Central Management Services; the adoption of administrative rules; and other matters. Effective July 1, 2026.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning State government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Human
Services Workforce Sustainability Act.
Section 5. Findings and purpose. The purpose of this Act
is to invest in community-based human service providers so
they can pay fair, competitive wages to their workers.
Building on House Resolution 151 of the 104th General
Assembly, this Act supports the more than 350,000 historically
underpaid human service workers who provide vital services to
all communities across Illinois. Research conducted by
Illinois Partners for Human Service found that 82% of
frontline human service workers self-report not making a
living wage. Providers overwhelmingly report that these low
wages are a result of low reimbursement rates and insufficient
State contracts that do not keep up with the cost of doing
business. Further research from the Illinois Partners'
"Essential Expenses" report found that the actual cost of
overhead expenses is on average 29% of their organizational
budgets, leaving organizations to not only face low-wage
opportunities for their workers but also key administrative
costs hanging in the balance. As reported by the U.S. Bureau of

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Labor Statistics, the inflation rate of the Consumer Price
Index between July 2020 and July 2025 is 24.7%, situating
community-based providers in an environment where their
funding today needs to be at least 25% more than what it was in
2020 to grow and sustain the human services workforce. This
Act honors their contributions and helps ensure they can
thrive in the communities they serve.
Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
"Consumer Price Index" or "CPI" means the index published
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States
Department of Labor that measures the average change in prices
of goods and services purchased by all urban consumers, United
States city average, all items, 1982-84 = 100.
"Grantee" or "subgrantee" means an eligible human services
organization that receives grant funding or reimbursements,
including those reimbursed via rate-based structures, from an
eligible State agency.
"Human services organization" means a private nonprofit
organization that primarily operates for the purposes of
providing direct or indirect services in the areas of child
care and early education services, community-integrated living
arrangements, domestic violence prevention and recovery,
foster care services, health care and wellness services,
homeless and supportive housing services, immigrant supportive
services, intellectual or developmental disability services,

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mobile crisis response, older adult services, workforce
development, youth services, mental services, and behavioral
health and substance use services. "Human services
organizations" may also include any nonprofit organizations
not captured in the fields listed in the previous sentence
that provide services that ensure individuals have the
essential elements to build and maintain physical, emotional,
and economic well-being at every phase of life, as indicated
by providing examples of current or completed successful
programs that satisfy this definition. "Human services
organization" does not include colleges and universities,
local government agencies, correctional centers and county
jails, non-safety net hospitals, State police or municipal
police departments, or any public or private preschools,
elementary schools, or high schools.
"Human services professional" means any individual
employed by a human services organization that contracts with,
receives funding from, or is grant-funded by a State agency
for the purposes of providing direct or indirect services that
ensure that individuals have the essential elements to build
and maintain physical, emotional, and economic well-being at
every phase of life.
"State agency" means the Department of Human Services, the
Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of
Juvenile Justice, the Department on Aging, the Department of
Public Health, the Department of Commerce and Economic

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Opportunity, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information
Authority, the Department of Early Childhood, and the Illinois
State Board of Education.
Section 15. Establishing minimum grant levels.
(a) By June 30, 2027, each State agency must complete a
look-back calculation for each grantee and subgrantee that
compares the funding amount awarded to the grantee or
subgrantee in State fiscal years 2026 and 2021 in order to
identify the percentage change in funding, if any, to the
grantee or subgrantee between those fiscal years.
(b) Based on the look-back calculations required under
subsection (a), each State agency shall identify the total
aggregate amount of additional appropriations needed to ensure
that grant amounts awarded by the State agency in State Fiscal
Year 2028 are at least 25% more than the grant amounts awarded
to grantees and subgrantees in State Fiscal Year 2021.
(c) By October 1, 2027, each State agency shall make
available to the public, upon request, the look-back
calculations and additional appropriation amounts identified
in subsections (a) and (b).
Section 20. Implementation.
(a) The calculations and findings under Section 15 shall
inform each State agency on the percentage increase in funding
each grantee and subgrantee must receive in State Fiscal Year

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2028 to ensure the total grant amount a grantee or subgrantee
receives is (i) at least 25% higher than the grant amount
awarded to the grantee or subgrantee in State Fiscal Year 2021
and (ii) no less than the grant amount awarded to the grantee
or subgrantee in State Fiscal Year 2027.
(b) Beginning in State Fiscal Year 2029, and in each State
fiscal year thereafter, all grantees and subgrantees shall
receive the same grant amount it received in the previous
State fiscal year, plus the greater of:
(1) a 3% increase; or
(2) the percentage increase in the Consumer Price
Index during the 12-month calendar year preceding the
grant year.
(c) Nothing in this Section prohibits a State agency from
increasing a grantee's or subgrantee's grant amount for State
Fiscal Year 2027, and every State fiscal year thereafter,
above the 25% minimum grant increase required under subsection
(b) of Section 15 and subsection (a) of this Section.
(d) Implementation of the grant increases required under
this Act is contingent on the availability of appropriations.
Section 25. Limitations. Grantees and subgrantees shall
expend a minimum of 70% of any increased grant funding they
receive directly to improve the wages and benefits of their
workers. For purposes of this subsection, benefits may include
health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, life and

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disability insurance, tuition reimbursement offerings,
childcare assistance, commuter benefits, and mental health
support and other wellness programs. Any remaining funds at
30% or less may be used at the discretion of the grantees and
subgrantees.
Section 30. Certification. State agencies shall require
each grantee and subgrantee to certify in accordance with
existing budget review and reporting processes that the
grantee or subgrantee used any increased grant funding it
received in accordance with this Act to improve the wages and
benefits of human service professionals employed by the
grantee or subgrantee.
Section 35. Oversight. The Department of Central
Management Services shall hire by June 30, 2027 a full-time
Director of Human Services Wage Equity to:
(1) provide oversight to the implementation of this
Act;
(2) support the State agencies in identifying the
funding amounts necessary to comply with the requirements
of Section 20; and
(3) monitor the State agencies to ensure continued
compliance and implementation of the funding increases
described under Section 20.

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Section 40. Administration. Each State agency shall adopt
rules, not inconsistent with this Act, to implement the
provisions of this Act.
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2026.