An Assembly/Senate bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther and Senator Robert Ortt bill passed both houses this session. It would have mandated OPWDD to do a study on recruitment and retention of direct care staff. However, the Governor vetoed the bill.
The veto message appears below. The Governor links this bill to the minimum wage, although there was no mention of the minimum wage in the bill – the bill did not ask OPWDD to “study the impact of the minimum wage” as the veto language states. It specifically asked that OPWDD create a “report shall include identification of resources necessary to attract and retain a quality workforce, and the fiscal resources necessary to maintain a quality workforce in sufficient number to assure the health and safety of individuals with developmental disabilities and to reverse the unacceptably high vacancy and turnover rates.” It also refers throughout to a “fair” wage, not a “minimum wage.”
The Governor also suggests that OPWDD already studied the issue and made a series of recommendations that have not been fully implemented.
We did request that OMH direct care staff be included in the bill next year, if it is re-introduced. We will include this in our advocacy work.
