Human services policy law balances fraud, waste and abuse with continuity of care

Ensuring continuity of care in human services programs while also combating fraud is at the core of the human services policy law.

Sponsored by Rep. Mohamud Noor (DFL-Mpls) and Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Maple Grove), here are some changes that took effect May 16, 2026, unless otherwise noted.

HF729/SF476*/CH95

Program integrity for Medicaid funded programs susceptible to fraud

Stronger enrollment requirements are created for Medicaid providers to detect and prevent fraudulent providers. The law also gives more authority to the Department of Human Services and clarifies its authority to reduce ambiguous language that has led to inconsistent enforcement measures.

For example, the law requires those enrolled or seeking enrollment as a Minnesota healthcare provider not have a lead agency contract or provider agreement discontinued because of a fraud conviction.

Protections for vulnerable adults experiencing mistreatment

The state will be in compliance with the federal Adult Protective Services Act, reforming and giving new duties to county investigative services in order to protect vulnerable adults.

The Department of Human Services is responsible for supervision of adult protective services administered by county social services agencies who must investigate allegations of abuse, waste, financial exploitation, caregiver neglect, and situations for which the county agency finds that a determination of responsibility of maltreatment may safeguard a vulnerable adult or prevent further maltreatment.

A court will be allowed to appoint an emergency guardian and/or an emergency conservator for a vulnerable adult in certain circumstances for a duration of up to 60 days.

Restraint usage

Effective Jan. 1, 2027, an assisted living facility must ensure that staff authorized to use manual restraints receive at least four hours of training in the use of manual restraints, including de-escalation techniques and prohibited restraint procedures. A two-hour refresher course is required annually thereafter.

However, the law prohibits the use of restraints except when immediate intervention is needed to protect the resident or others from imminent risk of physical harm and is the least restrictive intervention to address the risk. The resident's legal representative must be notified within 24 hours of an emergency use of a manual restraint and of the circumstances that prompted the use.

Optum report

Optum is prohibited from selling or disseminating any private data on individuals it received when working with the Department of Human Services.

The department is required to release the initial Optum report with limited redactions to specified members of the Legislature. Legislative members and staff are prohibited from disseminating or publishing any non-public data contained in the report

SF0476* / HF0729 / CH95