DiDomenico’s Essential Employee Premium Pay Amendment included in Senate’s ARPA spending bill

  During the Massachusetts Senate’s recent debate of its $3.82 billion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) spending bill – An Act relative to immediate COVID-19 recovery needs – State Senator Sal DiDomenico successfully negotiated the inclusion of nursing facility representation on the Essential Employee Premium Pay advisory panel proposed under the Senate bill. This massive spending package includes $500 million for bonuses for essential employees who served during the pandemic, and it tasks an advisory panel with determining who would be eligible for these bonuses. Recognizing that there was inadequate representation of eldercare providers on the proposed Premium Pay panel, DiDomenico filed an amendment to the Senate bill that added a member of the Massachusetts Senior Care Association to represent nursing facility employees on the advisory panel.

  The overwhelming majority of staff within the nursing facility community worked overtime to ensure adequate care coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect their residents. The nursing facility community’s perspective on the establishment of the essential employee pay program is necessary to reflect the key role of these workers.

  “Massachusetts elder-care nurses have been working overtime on the frontlines all throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said DiDomenico. “The adoption of this amendment is crucial to providing the nursing facility community with a voice on this panel, especially given all of their hard work and dedication to keeping their residents safe and healthy.”

  The ARPA spending bill was unanimously passed by the Senate on November 10 and directs federal ARPA funding to assist the Commonwealth’s ongoing recovery. It particularly focuses on making equitable investments and ensuring that communities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are prioritized. Using this framework, the bill delivers targeted, transformational supports to critical sectors, such as health care, mental and behavioral health, housing security, environment and workforce development.

  On November 15, the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate appointed a Conference Committee to reconcile their respective versions of the ARPA spending bill before it can be sent to Governor Charlie Baker for his review and signature.