Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan released a one-page supplemental budget proposal earlier this week. And it was disappointing. There is no additional direct funding for our community mental health system. There was funding included for:

The House, Senate, and Governor released budget targets on Friday. This means they have decided how much money will be allocated to each finance committee for the 2024-25 fiscal year and the following year.

The agreement reached between all three bodies does the following:

Most of the mental health system budget requests go through the health and human services committee. SUD and state operated services go through human services. These amounts are small and this will make it difficult to address the mental health crisis facing our state including increasing rates and funds for important targeted grants such as voluntary engagement, mobile crisis services and school-linked.

We are asking you to reach out to your senator now and ask them to oppose this provision in the Omnibus licensing bill. NAMI does not believe that a PA has enough education and training to be diagnosing and developing treatment plans for children or adults with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, complex trauma, or schizoaffective disorders. We have offered a compromise that would require them to undergo additional coursework and training - along with taking the national PA exam on mental health but they are not interested.

The Mental Health Legislative Network has published its 2024 Blue Book! Every year we give a blue book to each legislator to keep them up to date on our priorities. You can read an electric copy here.

Click below to read summaries of all the mental health related-bills that were introduced last week here. You can also scroll to the bottom of this email. You may have to click a button that says "View entire email" if you scroll down.

Friday was the first deadline for bills this year. The Legislature sets deadlines for when bills must be heard by or acted on, to keep the process moving. There are usually three deadlines, but this year leadership decided the usual first and second deadlines would both be due on the same day. This means policy bills needed to have been heard in the House and Senate by the end of Friday in order to be "alive." Thanks to your advocacy, the Mental Health Legislative Network (MHLN) has had a very successful session so far and most of our priorities are still alive!

We did see several committees put together "omnibus" or "minibus" bills. These bills are like one big container for lots of smaller bills. These big bills represent the priorities of each committee. Now the various finance committees will put together their omnibus finance bills based on the dollar amounts given to them (see first article). From there they will negotiate with the other body and the Governor for what ends up in the final bills.

If you have been following one bill number, it's likely that the number is now irrelevant, and the bill has been put into an omnibus bill with a new number. For example, the MHLN's adult and workforce bills are now in the larger mental health omnibus bill, HF3495. We will provide updates and action alerts for all the issues that we have been advocating for all year, so it may be helpful to look for the issues bolded.

There is also a break at the Legislature from March 28 - April 1. This means that many legislators from outside the metro area will be back in their home districts. If you see your legislator or attend a town hall, let them know that the Legislature needs to fund mental health this year! Thank you for your advocacy, it really does make a difference.

On Wednesday, the House Human Services Policy committee heard HF3495, the Comprehensive Solutions to Mental Health Act. This bill, authored by Rep Fischer, includes sections from several bills from the Mental Health Legislative Network including: HF3495, HF4563, HF3743, and HF3865. This includes workforce, voluntary engagement, changes to ACT, adding OTs to ARMHS, rate increases for mental health services, addressing children’s mental health areas, medical assistance eligibility treatment for substance use disorders, and other provisions. Read the full list here.

Sue Abderholden, from NAMI Minnesota, testified in support of the bill. She spoke about the mental health crisis happening in Minnesota and the workforce shortage in the mental health sector. She stated, “This bill recognizes there’s no one easy answer to addressing the crisis. There are multiple actions that need to be taken to help Minnesotans struggling with their mental health. We need to go upstream. We can’t keep waiting until someone is in crisis, a danger to themselves or others.”

Other people testifying in favor of the bill were

This bill was re-referred to the Health Finance and Policy Committee.

On Monday the House Human Services Policy Committee heard the workforce MHLN bill, HF4563, authored by Rep. Vang. The bill would establish the Mental Health and SUD Education Center to focus on building our workforce, clarifies that the supervision grant program also targets rural areas, creates the Youth Care Professional Training Program, and clarifies that a clinical trainee includes someone who has finished their supervision hours but has not yet taken or received the results from a national test. Sue Abderholden from NAMI Minnesota testified in favor of the bill stating that "we know people are waiting months to access therapy...and beds are being taken off line due to staffing shortages." Rep. Baker spoke in favor of the MH and SUD Education Center and Rep. Edelson expressed support for eliminating the gap in the clinical trainee language. Read more here.

On Tuesday, the House Human Services Policy Committee heard MHLN’s Children’s Mental Health Building Blocks Bill, HF4671, authored by Rep. Fischer. This bill addresses the lack of mental health services available for children by funding effective direct services, residential crisis stabilization, respite, group home care, transitional interventions, family-centered home services, and a training program for youth care workers. NAMI wrote a letter of support.

Rep. Hicks stated, “The children who need services don’t go away just because we aren’t paying an appropriate rate in certain areas.” Leslie Yunker from Dakota County representing the Minnesota Intercounty Association testified in support of the bill. Specifically, she highlighted the Children’s Residential Crisis Stabilization and the Bridging Services and how this would further support children in meeting their mental health needs. Lastly, Michelle Murray from Nexus Family Healing mentioned in her testimony that it is crucial for there to be family-centered in-home models and to equip parents with the skills to meet their children’s needs. The bill was largely included in the omnibus bill.

The committee also heard HF1683, authored by Rep. Bierman, is MHLN’s Cost-Based Rates bill. The bill would now require MNCare to cover room and board expenses for residential services for adults. It would require service providers to report estimated additional direct care and staffing costs and include direct care and capital improvement costs in reimbursement rates. Ellie Skelton, from Touchstone Mental Health, testified that she strongly supports the bill as it touches on barriers organizations like them face. This bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill. 

MHLN’s Medical Assistance Rates Bill, HF4981, was heard in the committee as well. This bill addresses the gaps in mental health services by increasing Medicaid rates for mental health services, in-patient mental health services, and other related provisions. NAMI wrote a letter of support.

Jessica Bissbois from Children’s Minnesota testified in support of the bill. She said, “Last year, over 250 kids collectively spent more than 1,600 days stuck at Children’s Minnesota because the appropriate treatment setting was not available to them.” Barriers such as long waits have prevented children from receiving the help that they need. Trevor Johnson of Tasks Unlimited said providing care without the necessary resources is “increasingly heartbreaking, demoralizing, and traumatizing” and that “both long-term providers and newcomers are leaving community mental healthcare at rates I have not seen in 20 years in the field.”

Bill author Rep. Her stated that this is a matter that relates to vulnerable individuals who are facing challenges in other aspects of their lives and emphasized how important it is to be working on this bill. The bill was referred to the Health Finance and Policy Committee.

The committee also heard HF4692, authored by Rep Noor, which establishes the new Direct Care and Treatment agency. HF 4568 was heard which allows a direct referral to the Dept of Human Services for disability determination from a social worker from a hospital or community clinic.

On Wednesday morning the House Health Finance and Policy Committee took up the omnibus licensing bill. Sue Abderholden from NAMI testified against the provision in the bill that removes the limitation on PAs diagnosing and treating children and adults with serious mental illnesses. She stated that "We fully understand the dire need to increase access to mental health care and to build our workforce. We must take great care not to compromise on the quality of care...One class and one rotation does not qualify you to diagnose and treat people with serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and other diagnosis that involve psychosis. Schizophrenia is one of the most disabling conditions in the world, PAs are simply not qualified to diagnose or develop a treatment plan for this serious illness or others...Before you vote I ask that you pause and remember that the very people the PAs want to treat, don’t want this law repealed. The people who are actually trained to diagnose and treat people with serious mental illnesses – psychiatrists, psychologists, MH professionals – don’t want this law repealed. " Tom Lehman, the lobbyist for the PAs testified in favor of the bill citing the current workforce crisis. While several legislators expressed concern, the bill did pass. Read more here.

The House Workforce Development Finance and Policy Committee heard the Mental Health Legislative Network’s IPS bill (HF4131) on Wednesday, authored by Rep. Sencer-Mura. Individual Placement and Support, or IPS, is an evidenced-based model of supported employment for people with serious mental illnesses. The bill would shift IPS funding from one-time appropriations in the general fund to the ongoing funding in the workforce development fund, so it will be sustained and dependable. Robert Reedy, Senior Director Vocational Services, and Sam Monson, employment specialist from RISE testified in favor of the bill. Samantha, a client at Rise, shared her story of the benefit of IPS and how she has a job she loves and will be working full time soon.

NAMI member Mary Kay Delvo also testified in favor of the bill. Her adult son experienced his first episode of psychosis last year and lost his job. Mary Kay explained she has had to scale back her work at her own business so her son would not spend too much time alone, which she wouldn’t have to do if he had supported employment. She concluded “stability is the key to recovery. Rep Hassan spoke strongly in favor of the bill, along with Rep. Nelson. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

The House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee heard the Disability Insurance Parity Bill (HF3836) on Wednesday. The bill’s author, Rep. Kraft, introduced an amendment which removed the mandate for long-term disability insurance plans cover disabilities caused by mental illness the same way they cover disability caused by physical illness or injury. The bill now requires that disability insurance companies make a written disclosure before any employer or individual buys a plan to inform them that mental illness and substance use disorder coverage will be limited.

Attorney Sally Mermelstein testified that limitations on the duration of claims based on mental illness treat them like “illnesses of lesser dignity,” the limitations are ambiguous and hard to understand, and encourage people to hide their comorbid mental illnesses.

Rep. Kraft concluded that parity between mental health and physical health was ultimately the right way to approach disability insurance, but that requiring disclosures is a good first step. The bill passed the committee unanimously and was added to the general register.

The House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee met on Thursday and heard the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Omnibus bill, which included a provision by Rep. Feist that would hold guardians legally and monetarily liable for “reckless​ or willful misconduct, or gross negligence” and also grants guardians the ability to resign even if they have not found someone to take their place. The bill passed through the committee and was sent to the general register for a full House vote.

HF4100, was heard which is a bill that protects people with medical debt in many ways including preventing medical providers from refusing to administer care due to unpaid bills, removing legal liability for spouse’s medical debt, increasing transparency and honesty in debt collection and contestation, and allowing everyone to have up to $4,000 in their bank account which cannot be garnished to pay off medical debt. The bill passed through the committee and was referred to the Taxes Committee.

HF3591, the Landlord/Tenant Omnibus Bill, which includes MHLN’s right to emergency calls bill, was heard. It adds a provision that makes source of income discrimination by landlords illegal, meaning landlords will not be allowed to differentiate between income from employment and investments or vouchers and public assistance. Other components of the amended bill include creating penalties that are substantial enough to prevent landlords from breaking the law, requiring landlords to make an effort to find a new tenant when a tenant moves out midlease, and protect tenants’ right to organize. The new version of the bill prevailed and was sent to the general register. NAMI sent a letter of support.

This bill includes provisions to require space in schools for students doing telehealth appointments, and a requirement that school districts have a cell phone policy. This bill also includes the requirement that schools provide mental health education.

This bill includes provisions to require space in schools for students doing telehealth appointments, and a requirement that school districts have a cell phone policy. This bill also includes eating disorder resources for high school coaches, and a requirement that schools and parents/guardians create readmission plans when students are suspended.

On Monday night the Senate Judiciary committee heard SF 3979, authored by Sen Pha. This bill ensures that people who call 911 for a health or mental health emergency are not evicted. Sue Abderholden, from NAMI, testified in favor of the bill stating that no one should be afraid to call 911 because they may lose their housing. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion.

On Friday, the House passed its omnibus policy bill HF4077. NAMI submitted a letter. This bill includes our provision to require transparency on disability insurance. This bill also includes our provision to remove dated language from life insurance policies (such as "sane" ), thank you to Rep. Brad Tabke for offering this amendment! This bill also includes a requirement that health insurance cover gender-affirming care.

The House Public Safety committee passed the public safety omnibus bill which includes a provision banning the use of "excited delirium" in police training. NAMI submitted a letter. "Excited delirium" is not a real diagnosis, and training on it can give law enforcement misinformation about how to respond to people in crisis.

Thiss bill passed last week and includes a provision that would allow psychologists in other states under an interstate compact to be court examiners.

The House Human Services Policy Committee heard HF4392, the human services policy bill. Committee members debated and introduced several amendments. One of which included, Rep. Finke’s amendment that ensures people with disabilities culturally specific and most appropriate care. This would reduce administrative burden and create the ability for people to choose which provider they work with. Several people came to testify in support of the provision in the bill requiring competitive wages, including Beth Davis who shared how her daughter has struggled with employment. She said, “We need to have something. We need to have some kind of different criteria for work in our communities.” Rep. Edelson stated she shares how her daughter has struggled with employment and she stated, “We need to have something. We need to have some kind of different criteria for work in our communities.” This bill was re-referred to the Ways and Means Committee.

This bill includes the MHLN's substance use disorder provisions led by Minnesota Association of Resources for Recovery and Chemical Health (MARRCH). It also includes a requirement that sober homes allow prescribed medication. This bill also changes the assessment for Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) from every 6 months to once a year.

Governor Tim Walz signed two bills into law that will transfer programs from the Department of Human Services to new state agencies.

Chapter 80, House File 3646 codifies the Department of Children, Youth, and Families into statute. This will direct programs currently run by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Education, and Public Safety to come together to improve the effectiveness of services for children and families.

Chapter 79, House File 3987 transfers duties from Department of Human Services to Department of Direct Care and Treatment. This transfer will improve the agency’s ability to oversee and manage health care sites across the state.

(Governor's Press Release)

12:30 Senate Judiciary and Public Safety: SF4005 Diversion program in Beltrami County.

8:30 House Children and Families: HF5036 Emergency shelter for LGBTQIA+ youth experiencing homelessness needs analysis.

10:30 House Public Safety: HF3761 expanding visitation for incarcerated people, corrections and public safety budget and bonding presentations.

8:30 Senate Health and Human Services: SF2960 Ramsey County youth urgency room, and SF4986 CCBHCS

The Legislature is on break March 28 - April 1.

North Memorial announced last week it was closing its outpatient mental health clinic in August. This will impact over 3,400 people. The reasons they stated were low reimbursement rates. Read more here, watch the TV interview here. Volunteers of America also asked for specific funding for several of their mental health programs to keep them operating. The low Medicaid rates are hurting our providers. They need to be raised.

NAMI National celebrated this decision in a press statement, saying: “No matter where someone finds themselves in a crisis, they need to be connected to local resources and help. We applaud this much-needed step to better route 988 calls.”

NAMI continues to advocate for the Local 988 Response Act which seeks to ensure that everyone can access the local crisis care they need, when they need it. This is critical legislation that will help us fully realize the potential of 988 to be the life-saving resource that people in crisis need by better connecting people to local resources, while protecting callers’ privacy. To date Rep Omar has signed on as a co-author and Sen Klobuchar. Please contact your member of congress and encourage them to sign on to this bill. Take action here.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations wrote the last missing budget bill for 2024, which includes the funding for labor, health and human services, education, child care, and more. Highlights of the bill were $385 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, $153 million for Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training programs, and an $18 million increase in funding for the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Here is a link to the summary of the bill.

The bill passed.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations wrote the last missing budget bill for 2024, which includes the funding for labor, health and human services, education, child care, and more. Highlights of the bill were $385 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, $153 million for Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training programs, and an $18 million increase in funding for the 9-8-8 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 

The Senate and House must both pass the bill by Sunday to avoid shutting down those areas of the federal government.

HF4981 (Her)/SF5084 (Wiklund): Increases the reimbursement rates for mental health services. Referred to Health.

HF5088 (Bierman and Clardy) Creates a Medicaid benefit for residential crisis stabilization for children. Referred to Health.

HF5089 (Clardy and Bierman): Creates a Medicaid benefit for Collaborative Intensive Bridging Services (CIBS), this is a transitional service for children. Referred to Health.

HF 4563 (Vang): Creates a mental health and substance use disorder education center managed by the Department of Health. Expands access so that rural providers can apply for a grant to pay for clinical supervision. Creates a youth care professional training program for trauma-informed care in residential settings. Allows clinical trainees to bill during interim periods between school and licensure. Referred to Human Services Policy.

SF4664 (Mann)/HF4671 (Fischer): Expands respite care for families in crisis and clarifies that respite services must be provided regularly. Creates a youth care professional training program for staff in residential facilities. Continues funding to support children transitioning from residential facilities. Establishes Medicaid benefit for children's residential crisis stabilization. Funding:

Referred to Health and Human Services.

HF3743 (Edelson, Curran, Finke, Engen, Zeleznikar)/SF3701 (Morrison):

SF3451 (Boldon, Abeler, Mann, Nelson)/H. F. 3495 (Fischer, Curran, Kiel, Hill) Streamlines various licensing and provider provisions to increase access to mental health care. Referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services.

SF3552 (Boldon; Abeler; Mohamed, Mann)/HF3865 (Baker; Curran. Kiel): Expand access to assertive community treatment (ACT) by allowing first episode psychosis programs to determine eligibility for ACT team necessity. Eliminates county contract. Referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services.

HF3836 (Kraft, Feist, Howard, Acomb, Pérez-Vega, Bierman, Elkins, Hicks, Finke, Smith, Wolgamott, Edelson)/SF3606 (Xiong, Abeler, Hoffman, Mann): Requires disability income coverage to apply the same standards and provide the same benefits for disability due to mental illnesses and substance use disorders as for other medical disabilities. Referred to the Committee on Commerce Finance and Policy.

HF 3917 (Hassan, Reyer, Edelson)/SF3979 (Pha, Draheim, Boldon): Clarifies tenant’s cannot be evicted for contacting emergency services for mental health crises, and that the Attorney General may prosecute local ordinance violations. Referred to the Committee on Housing and Policy.

HF4084 (Tabke): Removes outdated and discriminatory language from life insurance suicide provisions. Referred to the Committee on Commerce Finance and Policy.

HF 4131 (Sencer-Mura)/SF4021 (Mohamed): Appropriates $2.5 million ongoing for the Individual Placement and Supports (IPS) program. IPS is a highly effective program to help people with serious mental illnesses obtain and maintain employment.

HF4145 (Bierman)/SF3650 (Boldon): Requires coverage of collaborative care under Medical Assistance. Referred to the Committee on Health Finance and Policy.

SF 4447 (Pappas): Directs the Commissioner of Human Services to cover accredited clubhouse services under medical assistance. The Director must submit a report on the benefit, submit a state plan amendment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and draft legislation on the benefit. Creates a pilot project to establish and expand clubhouses, with at least $300,000 per clubhouse given to at least three clubhouses. Provides $4,500,000 to create the medical assistance benefit and fund the pilot project. Referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services.

HF1683 (Bierman, Kiel, Fischer, Edelson, Engen, Frieberg, Myers)/SF1615(Gustafson, Abeler, Hoffman, Mann): Requires MNCare coverage of room and board in IRTS, and allows reporting and reimbursement of direct staffing costs and facility improvements.

HF4149 (Frederick, Baker, Fischer) /SF3489 (Abeler, Hoffman, Maye-Quade) and HF4190 (Baker, Frederick, Fischer, Howard, Curran)/SF4276: (Abler, Maye-Quade) Streamlines SUD policies and increases funding.

HF4959 (Pinto and Moller): Creates a Task Force on Holistic and Effective Responses to Illicit Drug Use. Referred to Human Services Policy.

HF5009 (Her and Keeler): Expands exemptions to countable income for people in board and lodge programs. Referred to Health.

HF5010 (Sencer-Mura and Noor): Appropriates $2.5 million in FY25 to maintain Volunteers of America of Minnesota children’s residential programs. Referred to Health.

HF5021 (Edelson) Eliminates the parental fees for out-of-home placements. Referred to Children and Families.

HF5022 (Lislegard): Allows school support personnel funding to pay retroactively for services in 2023 and 2024. Referred to Education Finance.

HF5036 (Finke and Keeler): Appropriates $200,000 for a contract for OurSpace MN to conduct a needs analysis of emergency shelters that serve LGBTQIA+ youth. Referred to Children and Family.

HF5110 (Edelson): Appropriates $5 million for a mental health pharmacogenomics pilot program. This is studying if certain medications are better for some people based on the genetics.

HF5135 (Wolgamott): Expands the capacity of state-operated services and lessens the burden of payment on counties. 

SF4965 (Hauschild): Allows school support personnel funding to pay retroactively for services in 2023 and 2024. Referred to Education Policy.

SF5024 (Seeberger): Modifies rules on seclusion in schools allowing seclusion if that is put in the students Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Referred to Judiciary.

SF5035 (Mohamed): Changes data practices for fire and police responding to mental health crises to limit the misuse of health data. Referred to the Committee on Judiciary Finance and Civil Law.

SF5042 (Mohamed): Temporarily allows licensed graduate social workers to engage in clinical practice without supervision of a mental health professional for providing crisis response services and to provide treatment supervision to individuals on crisis teams. Referred to Education Policy.

SF5043 (Mohamed): Requires training on identifying mental health crises for 911 answering points and provides penalties for non-compliance. Referred to Judiciary.

SF 5113 (Maye Quade): Creates a Medicaid benefit for Collaborative Intensive Bridging Services (CIBS), this is a transitional service for children. Referred to Health.

SF5114 (Maye Quade): Creates a Medicaid benefit for residential crisis stabilization for children. Referred to Health.

SF5126 (Maye Quade, Fateh, Mitchell): Eliminates the parental fees for out-of-home placements. Referred to Human Services.

SF5127 (Seeberger): Modifies rules on seclusion in schools allowing seclusion if that is put in the students Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and includes pre-kindergarten. Referred to Education Policy.

SF5129 (Oumou Verbeten): Creates a Task Force on Holistic and Effective Responses to Illicit Drug Use. Referred to Judiciary.

SF5130 (Oumou Verbeten): Clarifies definitions of healthcare in jails, requires body cameras for corrections officers, clarifies requirements for releases of information for people in jail, and provides funding for training for jail staff. Referred to Judiciary.

SF5138 (Lieske, Kupec, Coleman, Kreun, and Duckworth): Expands the definition of assaulting emergency medical personnel, and creates a felony charge for assaulting a healthcare worker. Referred to Judiciary.

SF5179 (Xiong): Expands exemptions to countable income for people in board and lodge programs. Referred to Human Services.

SF5205 (Dibble and Maye Quade): Appropriates $200,000 for a contract for OurSpace MN to conduct a needs analysis of emergency shelters that serve LGBTQIA+ youth. Referred to Health.

SF5225 (Mohamed): Appropriates $2.5 million in FY25 to maintain Volunteers of America of Minnesota children’s residential programs. Referred to Health.

The Legislative Committee helps to guide and lead NAMI's policy advocacy. It meets the second Tuesday of every month at 6:00 PM over Zoom. Email Sarah at policycoordinator@namimn.org for more information or to join us.

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