Proposed omnibus human services policy bill focuses on areas of consensus

The omnibus human services policy bill aims to do “as much good as possible … without appropriating a single dollar of state funds,” Rep. Rena Moran (DFL-St. Paul) told the House Health and Human Services Policy Committee during a remote meeting Wednesday.

She sponsors HF3104, as amended, which received an informational hearing. No action was taken, as the division is expected to vote on it next week, Moran said.

A companion, SF3322, sponsored by Sen. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka), was approved, as amended, by the Senate Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee April 15.

The bill is specific to human services policy and does not touch on issues like public health, scope of practice, insurance, or health care, which would be addressed in a separate piece of legislation, said Moran – the division chair.

The effort has been “overwhelmingly bipartisan,” with House and Senate versions of the bill closely aligned. After the bill moves to the House Floor, legislators hope to resolve any remaining differences before taking a final vote, thereby avoiding a conference committee, she said.

The bill would require students in foster care to be enrolled in school within seven school days of foster home placement, and allow them to remain enrolled in a district even if their foster home placement is located elsewhere.

It also calls for all children entering foster care to receive prenatal alcohol exposure screenings and would require agencies to arrange phone calls between parents and foster parents, to better improve coordination of care.

Other notable provisions include language that would:

• require that direct support staff working with people with disabilities receive sexual violence prevention training during orientation;
• eliminate a sunset for the Cultural and Ethnic Communities Leadership Council;
• remove reporting requirements for physicians providing prenatal care to a patient struggling with substance abuse;
• allow cars to be considered “assets” for participants in the Minnesota family assets for independence initiative;
• extend an exception to the adult foster care moratorium that allows certain facilities to have a fifth bed;
• modify service planning meeting requirements for people entering home and community-based services;
• update the law to better reflect how civil commitments work;
• modify the per diem rate for psychiatric residential treatment facilities to be per provider rather than a statewide average rate;
• expand the number of children eligible to receive respite care grants;
• permit any minor living apart from their parent or legal guardian to consent to receive homeless youth and sexually exploited youth services;
• allow tribes and counties to enter into written agreements that will clarify their responsibilities in handling maltreatment reports involving American Indian children;
• make a wide range of conforming and technical changes, update terminology and definitions; and
• adjust the Medical Assistance spenddown standard that will take effect July 1, 2022, for persons who are age 65 or older, blind, or have disabilities, though this will not, on its own, increase the standard.

What’s in the bill?

The following are selected bills that have been incorporated in part, or completely, into the omnibus human services policy bill.

• HF771 (Moran)
• HF1732 (Kresha)
• HF1883 (Kotyza-Witthuhn)
• HF1892 (Morrison)
• HF2898 (Edelson)
• HF3104 (Moran)
• HF3159 (Richardson)
• HF3206 (Acomb)
• HF3276 (Moran)
• HF3336 (Moller)
• HF3359 (Moller)
• HF3445 (Morrison)
• HF3632 (Moran)
• HF3801 (Freiberg)
• HF3812 (Noor)
• HF3866 (Schultz)
• HF3880 (Pryor)
• HF3972 (Moran)
• HF4204 (Jordan)
• HF4277 (Jordan)