Minnesota House Approves Human Services Supplemental Budget

St. Paul, MN - Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed Senate File 5335/House File 5280, the Human Services Supplemental Budget. The bill, authored by State Representative Mohamud Noor (DFL - Minneapolis), passed on a vote of 70-59.

“Our Human Services Supplemental Budget capitalizes on the work we’ve already done - it’s a smaller budget, but it has a huge impact,” said Rep. Noor, Chair of the House Human Services Finance Committee. “We’re addressing key issues by expanding access to the care needed by Minnesotans with substance use disorders, and further supporting disability services. We’re continuing our efforts to not only look out for our most vulnerable Minnesotans, but for those who care for them.”

Last session, DFLers built their Human Services budget around the increase in funding received by Minnesota’s nursing homes. With an automatically adjusted reimbursement rate, these crucial facilities were forecasted to receive an additional $847 million over the next four years, the largest increase in nursing home funding in state history. Additional investments in the two-year budget included over $2 billion in rate increases for the wages of caregivers, and over $25.2 million in safe recovery sites to combat the opioid epidemic. 

This year, the House Human Services Finance Committee builds upon the state’s budget by taking meaningful action to improve services for Minnesotans with disabilities and ensure quality treatment for individuals who are struggling with substance use disorders. The supplemental budget also puts Minnesota on the path toward obtaining a federal re-entry waiver to provide health care and coordination services that connect to community-based services for individuals nearing release from correctional facilities.

Significant investments include $21.6 million for expanding access to state-operated treatment programs, $19.1 million for reducing recidivism and preventing overdoses, $7.7 million for long-term services and supports, and $4.8 million for Personal Care Assistant services provided by a parent or spouse. 

A differing version having passed the Senate, the bill now heads to a conference committee. A summary of SF 5335 can be found here. A spreadsheet of the bill’s investments can be found here. Video of today’s floor debate can be found on the House Public Information YouTube channel. 

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