'Real reforms' in human services policy bill that passes House with bipartisan support

There was little debate Monday as the House easily passed the omnibus human services policy bill.

Sponsored by House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee Co-chair Rep. Joe Schomacker (R-Luverne), HF2115, as amended, would prohibit county governments from charging for emergency services provided to clients experiencing an emotional crisis or mental illness and would codify the school district behavioral health grant program. It would also create new penalties for kickbacks and establish criminal violations for human services programs.

“Minnesota can’t afford to keep losing money to waste and fraud,” Schomacker said in a statement that also referenced passage of the omnibus human services finance bill. “These bills deliver real reforms.”

Following the 121-13 vote, the bill heads to the Senate.

[MORE: House committee approves human services policy bill]

“This bill is a broad reaching policy that impacts most vulnerable members in our community from homes to children in mental health crisis and those who are waiting for the forensic placement in our state,” said Rep. Mohamud Noor (DFL-Mpls), also a committee co-chair.

The bill would also:

• establish a review process upon notice of agency denial, reduction, suspension, or termination of long-term services and supports;
• exempt assisted living providers from direct care staff compensation requirements under the Disability Waiver Rate System;
• provide residents of long-term care facilities with the right to a designated support person;
• replace a required special review board hearing with a judicial appeal panel hearing and review when committed individuals in the Minnesota Sex Offender Program petition for a reduction in custody;
• add post-traumatic stress disorder to serious and persistent mental illness for purposes of case management and community support services;
• specify that co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles do not apply to mobile crisis intervention or crisis assessment services;
• expand definition of “child” to include individuals up to age 21 receiving children’s mental health targeted case management services;
• exclude weekends and holidays from a mental health diagnostic assessment 10-day timeline;
• expand the Health Care Bill of Rights to include patients in children’s residential and nonresidential substance use disorder treatment, intensive residential treatment services or residential crisis stabilization, and withdrawal management programs; and
• require peer recovery support services to be provided one-on-one and face-to-face, including via the internet.

An amendment successfully offered by Rep. Dave Baker (R-Willmar) would set the state up to receive money from a opioid settlement agreement.