Extends wage parity for home care workers in upstate New York

This bill (S 5540) sets a new minimum hourly wage rate for home care workers in upstate New York counties, excluding New York City boroughs and Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties. It requires the cash portion of their minimum wage to be the existing regional rate plus an additional $3.22 per hour, effective October 1, 2025. The policy directly affects home care aides working in these specified upstate counties. It extends existing wage parity protections by adding a fixed hourly supplement to regional wage rates.