CNA Pay Act

2017 Assembly Bills 755, 756, and 757

The CNA Pay Act would increase wages and expand access to training for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) working on the frontlines of long-term care and nursing facilities. With 11,500 currently vacant personal care worker positions and demand for CNAs in Wisconsin projected to grow exponentially due to growth in the aging population, immediate action is needed to address the workforce shortage.

According to a joint report by the Wisconsin Health Care Association, Wisconsin Center for Assisted Living, Wisconsin Assisted Living Association, LeadingAge Wisconsin, and Residential Services Association of Wisconsin, the median starting wage for personal caregivers in Wisconsin is $10.75 per hour. The same report indicates that the median wage paid by non-health care employers for unskilled, entry level workers is $1.25 more than the wage paid to caregivers. The rate of CNAs leaving the profession continues to increase as individuals leave the industry for jobs with higher wages and better benefits.

The CNA Pay Act includes three separate bills. The first bill would make training more affordable for prospective CNAs by providing tuition reimbursement in the form of a tax credit for those working as CNAs in the state for at least one year after completing a certification program. The second bill would make training more accessible by providing grants to technical colleges to expand training opportunities in underserved areas. Finally, the third bill would address CNA pay by increasing the Medicaid reimbursement rate for personal care services, contingent upon the increase going directly to increasing wages of frontline care workers.

Click here to view the status of AB 755.

Click here to view the status of AB 756.

Click here to view the status of AB 757.