HB 05431 Summary

• Establishes a community health worker grant program operated by the Department of Social Services to provide grants to community action agencies employing community health workers serving persons adversely affected by COVID-19.

• Increases maximum grant amount per community health worker from $30,000 to $40,000 annually and raises total aggregate grant cap from $6 million to $8 million.

• Extends grant availability period from June 30, 2023 to June 30, 2024, and moves application start date to June 23, 2021.

• Requires grant applications to include strategies for integrating community health workers into care delivery teams and addressing health care and social services needs.

• Requires the Commissioner of Social Services to report program data by January 1, 2024 to legislative committees, including number of grants, recipient agencies, services provided, and community health worker employment numbers.

• Allocates $3,000,000 for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 from the American Rescue Plan Act funds, with Public Health Department transferring funds to Social Services Department.

• Extends deadline for Governor to submit American Rescue Plan allocations to legislature from April 26, 2021 to June 1, 2022.