Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Here is an update from the Capitol.
House File 804
This week in the HHS Reform Committee, my bill House File 804 was heard. This legislation does several important things.
First, the bill expands the health professional education loan forgiveness program to include nurses who work in the housing with services and home care settings. This will help address the serious shortage of LPN and RNs, especially in rural areas as our population continues to age.
What’s more, to help attract and maintain more nurses at nursing home facilities, the bill would expand the nursing facility employee scholarships to include newly hired nurses, not only recent graduates. It would also appropriate money to a home and community-based services employee scholarship program. Both of these provisions would help recruit and retain needed staff in these professions.
Finally, the bill also allows an RN to delegate medication administration at a nursing facility to unlicensed personnel who have completed a nursing assistant training program and a standardized medication administration training program. This commonsense change means expanded responsibility for people who are trained on the job and it creates more flexibility at nursing facilities to better help patients.
Meetings and Constituent Visits
It was a busy week for constituent visits and meetings at the Capitol.
Early this week, I met with folks from the Minnesota Rural Electric Association. We talked about a number of important priorities including HF 234 which we passed in the House last week. The bill clarifies the regulation of consumer-owned utilities like our rural electric co-ops and gives ratepayer/members more power over setting rates.
Also, this week I had the privilege of speaking before the Alzheimer’s Association. Researching, curing and helping caregivers and those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s is an issue I am passionate about, and it was great to talk with folks dedicated to finding a cure for this serious disease.
Finally this week, I also attended the Emerging Leadership Program breakfast where I met with folks from Northwest Minnesota who are working to address regional and rural issues in our community.
Thanks to everyone who came down and visited with me at the Capitol this week!
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If I can ever assist you or your family on a matter of state government, please don’t hesitate to contact my office. I am here to serve you!
Deb
**Encourage your neighbors and friends to sign up for my email updates at www.house.mn/01B