2025 Illinois Partners Policy and Advocacy Agenda

We are leading efforts to fund health and human services, so all Illinoisans can reach their potential and have access to a sector that is equitable, sustainable, and speaks with a collective voice. 

Long Term Commitment: We will advocate for continual, increased state funding of human services, year over year. We will push for equitable policies that address the needs of the sector and promote community well-being.

Short Term Targets:

• Work in partnership with ISAC to successfully launch and distribute the totality of the Human Service Professional Loan Repayment Program appropriation ($5.25M).
• Secure renewed appropriations to sustain the Human Services Professional Loan repayment program.
• Reintroduce the Equitable Pay Act with a focus on positions within IDHS.
• Build additional partnerships within the Health & Human Services Coalition to ensure the full human services sector and their priorities are represented.
• Release a report that builds on previous research and provides foundational data to promote the need for a higher state de minimis rate for indirect costs and more funding overall.
• Launch a campaign that raises awareness of the chronic underfunding and low wages facing health and human service workers in Illinois.

COMMUNITY PARTNER FAIR CONTRACTING ACT (SB1778/HB2746)​
Reduce Administrative Burden and Improve Timely Payments to Human Service Providers.

In partnership with the Health and Human Service Coalition of Illinois, The Community Partner Fair Contracting Act will address the undue administrative burden health and human service providers face when contracting with the state of Illinois. An abridged version of this bill was passed and added to HB817 as Senate Amendment 3 during lame duck session. The reintroduction of this omnibus bill will more expansively address issues related to administrative burden in state contracts. This includes addressing timely contracts and payments to providers, expanding and clarifying advanced payment eligibility, covering the full cost of delivering services, as well as expediting and simplifying the Court of Claims process.
Fact sheet

HUMAN SERVICES PROFESSIONAL LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM (SB1306​/HB2588​)
Secure renewed appropriations for PA 102-1089 to address the Human Service Workforce Crisis.

The Illinois General Assembly passed SB3925 (PA 102-1089) unanimously, to address the human service workforce crisis that directly impacts communities across Illinois. In FY25, the program received $5.25 M in appropriations that will support more than 500 human service workers at community-based organizations. Without continued and increased appropriations, however, many who apply may not be able to receive repayment. Human service can providers use the HSPLRP to attract and sustain their workforces, and without it they are often unable to effectively reduce the debt burdens of their workforce enough to keep people in the sector. In partnership with ICOY, we are asking for $7.5 M in appropriations to fund at least an additional1,500 repayments for community-based human service professionals.
Fact sheet

HUMAN SERVICES EQUITABLE PAY ACT​ (HB2695)
Advance pay equity for the Human Service Sector in Illinois.

State contracts with community-based human service providers often reflect vastly lower rates of pay when compared to state employees performing similar work. The Human Services Equitable Pay Act (HSEPA) will commission a study that analyses wage and benefit provisions across different educational levels that compares compensation for Illinois Department of Human Services employees, community-based human service providers, and for-profit private sector employees with similar roles and titles. The study will also disaggregate wage and benefit levels based on the race/ethnicity of the executive director of the institution to examine the role that systemic racial inequity has in state funding. It is time for the state to be transparent about the inequities that it has exacerbated so that ALL human service workers can have a thriving wage, regardless of where they work.
Fact sheet

Living Wages, Thriving Communities: Fair Pay for Human Services Now!

Illinois Partners is excited to launch a statewide campaign that calls for increased state funding for human services contracts and advocates for wage increases for workers in the sector. Our campaign will engage frontline workers, human services organizations, coalition partners, legislators, and the public to push the State to responsibly invest in the well-being of all Illinoisans by fairly funding the health and human services workforce.

While the campaign will be a long-term initiative that work towards better pay for workers at community-based human service organizations, this year’s focus will be on ensuring that the Illinois State Legislature is committed to prioritizing the human services sector by making no cuts, passing our bills as previously described, and co-sponsoring the Living Wages, Thriving Communities Resolution.

Endorse the campaign here and learn more at livingwageil.org

Illinois Partners for Human Service works with associations and coalitions across the state to address systemic issues addressing the long term, equitable funding for the Human Service sector and our workforce. Illinois Partners represents the sector in the following coalitions: