Health and Human Services

The following write-ups are produced and maintained by Minnesota House Research Department, with some links provided to other sources.

Legislative Activity

• 2025 Act Summary - 1st Special Session, Chapter 3: Health/Children and Families Finance Bill
• 2025 Act Summary - 1st Special Session, Chapter 9: Human Services Finance Bill
• 2024 Act Summary - Chapter 127: Health (Articles 54-67) and Human Services (Articles 46-53)
• 2024 Act Summary - Chapter 125: Department of Human Services Supplemental Budget Bill

General Health and Human Services

• Children and Families Overview
  Presentation to members. January 2025
• Children and Families Commonly Used Acronyms
• Department of Children, Youth, and Families Statute Recodification
  A 89-page publication that shows the new organization of statutes governing the programs, services, and functions of state government that are transferred to the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families, created by the 2023 Legislature. August 2024.
• Health and Human Services Commonly Used Acronyms
• Health Overview
  Presentation to members. January 2025
• Human Services Overview
  Presentation to members. January 2025
• Human Services Programs: Federal, State, and Local Governments

Child Care

• Child Care Assistance: An Overview
• The Child Care Assistance Program
  A 15-page publication that explains the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which is a federal-state program that subsidizes child care expenses for low-income families. December 2024.
• Child Care Grant Program for Postsecondary Students
• Child Care Licensing
  A 5-page brief that explains the types of child care licenses, licensing requirements, roles of government in the licensing process, monitoring and enforcement, exclusions from licensure, and licensing studies. July 2024.
• Federal Changes for CCAP
  A 6-page publication providing an orientation to a federal rule that modifies regulations governing child care subsidy programs, like the child care assistance program. December 2024.
• Parent Aware

Child Support

• Child Support: Basic Questions
• Minnesota's Child Support Laws: An Overview
  A 21-page overview of the state laws setting, modifying, paying, enforcing, and terminating child support. December 2024.

Health Care Programs

• Integrated Health Partnerships Program
  A 14-page brief that describes the Integrated Health Partnerships Program, which is a direct contracting program between the state and healthcare providers for services provided to MA and MinnesotaCare enrollees. January 2024.
• Public Program Dental Reimbursement and Other Changes: 2021 Session
  A 6-page brief that describes changes made by the 2021 Legislature regarding reimbursement for dental care under the Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare programs. October 2021.
• Publicly Provided Mental Health Services in Minnesota
  A 26-page brief that explains how the publicly provided mental health system works and provides information on the range of available services, eligibility requirements, how the services are delivered, and how the services are funded. November 2023.
• Utilization Review of Health Care Services
  A 12-page publication summarizing state laws governing utilization review and the regulation of utilization review organizations. June 2024.

Health Professions

• Long-Term Care Workforce Incentives
  A 13-page publication that provides information on workforce shortages in the area of long-term care and summarizes the various ways the legislature has addressed the issue. April 2024.
• Medical Education and Research Costs (MERC): Funding Mechanisms
• State Regulation of Health-Related Occupations
  A 5-page publication that provides information on the way the state regulates health-related occupations; these occupations are overseen by a health-related licensing board, the Minnesota Department of Health, or the Office of Emergency Medical Services. September 2024.

HHS Facilities

• Corporate Foster Care Moratorium
• Direct Care and Treatment
• Direct Care and Treatment Recodification
  A 10-page publication that shows the new organization of statutes governing the programs, services, and functions of the Department of Human Services that are being transferred to the new Direct Care and Treatment agency. June 2024.
• Long-Term Care Consultation Services Recodification
  A table showing how long-term care consultation services were recodified in 2022.
• Minnesota's Hospital Construction Moratorium
  A 20-page publication that explains the moratorium on construction of new hospitals in Minnesota and the exceptions to the moratorium. January 2023.
• Nursing Facility Reimbursement
  An overview. October 2025.
• Nursing Facility Reimbursement and Regulation
  A 12-page information brief that explains how nursing facilities in Minnesota are reimbursed and regulated. April 2026.
• Regulation of Health and Human Services Facilities
  A 26-page guidebook describing how residential support service facilities are regulated, operated, and reimbursed. December 2021.

Income Assistance Programs

• Basics of Emergency General Assistance
• Cash Assistance in Minnesota
  An 11-page publication that describes the government-administered programs that provide cash assistance in Minnesota: the Minnesota Family Investment Program and General Assistance. December 2022.
• Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT)
• General Assistance
  A 9-page publication that describes the state program that provides cash assistance to needy persons. Part of the Public Assistance Programs series. October 2024.
• General Assistance: An Overview
• Minnesota Supplemental Aid
  A 9-page publication that describes the state program that provides supplemental cash assistance to people who are aged, blind, or disabled. Part of the Public Assistance Programs series. October 2024.
• Housing Support Program
  A 9-page publication that describes the Housing Support Program (formerly Group Residential Housing), a state program that provides payments for room and board and related housing support for eligible people. Part of the Public Assistance Programs series. November 2024.
• Nutrition Assistance Programs
  A 17-page publication that describes nutrition assistance programs, including federal Food Support and state-funded food assistance programs. Part of the Public Assistance Programs series. November 2024.
• Programs and Services for People Experiencing Homelessness
  A 10-page brief explaining the state programs and services that are designed to support people experiencing homelessness. February 2024.
• Supplemental Security Income
  An 8-page publication that describes the federal program that provides cash assistance to people who are aged, blind, or disabled. Part of the Public Assistance Programs series. October 2024.
• State-Funded Minnesota Housing Finance Agency Programs
  An 10-page summary of the MHFA programs that promote affordable housing throughout the state. May 2022.

Public Assistance Programs

A series of publications that describe state and federal programs that provide assistance in the form of health care, income, food, housing, and child care

• Overview of Public Assistance Programs
  A 13-page publication that provides a broad overview of the programs that provide health coverage, financial assistance, and other benefits to Minnesotans. Part of the Public Assistance Programs series. November 2024.
• General Assistance
  A 9-page publication that describes the state program that provides cash assistance to needy persons. Part of the Public Assistance Programs series. October 2024.
• Minnesota Family Investment Program
  A 29-page publication that describes MFIP, an income assistance program for eligible low-income families. January 2025.
• Minnesota Supplemental Aid
  A 9-page publication that describes the state program that provides supplemental cash assistance to people who are aged, blind, or disabled. Part of the Public Assistance Programs series. October 2024.
• Supplemental Security Income
  An 8-page publication that describes the federal program that provides cash assistance to people who are aged, blind, or disabled. Part of the Public Assistance Programs series. October 2024.
• Medical Assistance
  A 26-page publication that describes Medical Assistance, including its eligibility requirements, benefits, and funding and expenditures. October 2025.
• MinnesotaCare
  A 14-page publication explaining eligibility requirements, covered services, and other aspects of the program. November 2025.
• The Child Care Assistance Program
  A 15-page publication that explains the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which is a federal-state program that subsidizes child care expenses for low-income families. December 2024.
• Housing Support Program
  A 9-page publication that describes the Housing Support Program (formerly Group Residential Housing), a state program that provides payments for room and board and related housing support for eligible people. Part of the Public Assistance Programs series. November 2024.
• Nutrition Assistance Programs
  A 17-page publication that describes nutrition assistance programs, including federal Food Support and state-funded food assistance programs. Part of the Public Assistance Programs series. November 2024.

Public Health

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
• Food Safety System: An Overview
• Immunization Laws
  A 10-page publication that explains Minnesota laws on immunizations for those enrolled in a child care facility, school-based early childhood program, school, or postsecondary educational institution. December 2024.
• Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act
• The Minnesota Newborn Screening Programs
• Minnesota's All-Payer Claims Database
• Public Health Response Contingency Account
  A 4-page publication the describes the public health response contingency account, which is an account in the special revenue fund that pays for activities to plan for or respond to pandemic influenza or other communicable diseases. October 2025.
• Regulation of Electronic Cigarettes

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities

• Community First Services and Supports (CFSS)
• Disability Determinations for Public Assistance and Health Care
• Disability Waiver Rate System
• Long-term Care Services for Seniors
  A 27-page publication that describes various federal and state programs that provide health care and other services for seniors.. December 2024.
• Home and Community-Based Services Standards
  An 8-page publication that describes the standards that govern service providers for those providing care for people with disabilities and over the age of 65. November 2025.
• Home and Community-Based Services Licensure Requirements
  A 16-page brief that explains the licensure requirements for services provided under the Medical Assistance home and community-based waiver services programs. February 2026.
• Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Waiver Programs
  An 11-page information brief that provides background information on the Medicaid home- and community-based waiver programs and provides details on the five Minnesota-specific waivers. September 2022.
• Overview of Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Waivered Services
  An overview of the programs. September 2025.
• Medicaid Long-Term Care Costs
• The Minnesota Vulnerable Adults Act
  A 29-page publication that provides an overview the vulnerable adults act, whose purpose is to ensure that vulnerable adults are safe in their living environments and in the receipt of health care and supportive services. November 2022.
• Overview of Programs for People with Disabilities
  A 33-page information brief that provides information on the federal and state programs that provide health services for people with disabilities, including expenditures and cost comparisons. November 2022.

Youth & Minors' Rights

• Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy
• Minors' Consent for Health Care
• Reporting Maltreatment of Minors
  A 17-page overview of reporting maltreatment of minors as established in the Maltreatment of Minors Act. The act establishes a system for reporting possible child abuse and neglect, and its related laws and rules. July 2022.
• Youth and the Law
  A 143-page guidebook explaining state law and court cases that establish rights, responsibilities, and protections for youth, including information on economic protection, education, health and social services, and criminal justice. April 2026.