CT HB06486

Establishes the Personal Care Attendant Quality Home Care Workforce Council, a 13-member council composed of state commissioners, the Healthcare Advocate, and 10 consumers or surrogates appointed by legislative leaders, effective July 1, 2011.

Council shall study recruitment, retention, and adequacy of personal care attendants and develop recommendations including training programs, registries to match attendants with consumers, and employment standards for wages and benefits.

Personal care attendants become state employees solely for collective bargaining purposes under Connecticut labor law, allowing them to designate an exclusive bargaining representative to negotiate wages, benefits, and working conditions with the council.

Consumers and surrogates retain the right to hire, supervise, direct, and terminate personal care attendants regardless of council referrals, and personal care attendants cannot strike.

Department of Social Services shall compile and maintain a monthly-updated list of personal care attendants paid through state-funded programs and provide it to the council and State Board of Labor Relations for organizing and monitoring purposes.