Omnibus human services policy bill heads to House Floor

The House Health and Human Services Policy Committee approved its omnibus human services policy bill Wednesday with no dissension.

HF3104, as amended, now heads to the House Floor.

Bill sponsor and committee chair Rep. Rena Moran (DFL-St. Paul) said that the committee plans to consider another policy bill that focuses on health policy. HF3104 does not touch on issues like public health, scope of practice, insurance, or health care.

Additional amendments adopted include a series of early childhood policy provisions that would – among other things – allow military child care providers to receive funding from the state’s child care assistance program, and extend an exception that allows families to participate in “the first three years of life demonstration project” without being financially penalized.

Other adopted amendments would:

• not require “comfort calls” for children in foster care if those phone calls would endanger children or their foster parents;
• require the Minnesota Board on Aging to consult with area agencies and community caregiver stakeholders regarding the administration of self-directed caregiver grants;
• reduce a five-year extension to the adult foster care moratorium — which allows certain facilities to have a fifth bed – to a one-year extension; and
• address a range of clarifications, technical corrections, and consistency issues.

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 not expected to go to conference committee.