ST. PAUL, MN – Yesterday, Governor Mark Dayton signed the Health and Human Services Policy Omnibus bill (House File 2402) into law.
House HHS Policy Committee Chair and chief author Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester) says the bill improves and protects the health of Minnesotans and saves lives. The public benefits of this legislation did not go unnoticed as the bill passed both the House and Senate with broad bipartisan support.
“This year we made Minnesota’s nation-leading public health system even better,” said Liebling. “A lot of the bill’s provisions are aimed at protecting health, such as protecting children from known and suspected carcinogens. These measures will save lives and reduce the cost of treating some serious diseases later in life.”
The Health and Human Services Policy Omnibus bill served as the capstone to one of the most public health minded legislative sessions in recent history. DFL majorities passed strong legislation to protect Minnesota’s newborn screening program, to curtail the scourge of synthetic drugs, and to reduce the number of opioid-related overdose deaths. The omnibus bill, HF 2402, went even further by reforming the local public health system, updating licensing statutes for numerous health professionals, and safeguarding the health of Minnesota’s children.
Smoke-Free Foster Care:
Rep. Liebling sponsored legislation, included in the omnibus bill, that protects foster children from secondhand smoke by requiring licensed foster homes to maintain a smoke-free environment. By prohibiting smoking indoors, in motor vehicles, and outdoors when a child is present and exposed to smoke, this legislation will help protect the health of thousands of vulnerable children who rely on the state for a safe and healthy environment.
Protection From Harmful Tanning Bed UV Exposure:
The omnibus policy bill also includes legislation sponsored by Rep. JoAnn Ward (DFL – Woodbury) that protects minors from ultraviolet radiation in tanning beds. In response to rising melanoma rates among Minnesota teens, HF 2402 prohibits children under 18 years old from using commercial tanning equipment. Supported by the American Cancer Society, these restrictions protect Minnesota children from a known carcinogen as dangerous as cigarette smoke.
E-Cigarettes:
The HHS Policy Omnibus bill also improves public health by prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes on public school property, in state and local government buildings, and in licensed health care facilities like hospitals and nursing homes as well as in buildings on the campuses of Minnesota’s public colleges and universities. Sponsored by Rep. Laurie Halverson (DFL – Eagan), with some provisions sponsored by Rep. Mike Freiberg (DFL – Golden Valley), the legislation also allows local governments to regulate e-cigarettes, makes selling e-cigarettes to minors a misdemeanor crime and requires child-resistant packaging for e-cigarette liquid.
Protection From Chemically Addicted Health Professionals:
In response to the Star Tribune’s fall 2013 series on chemically addicted nurses, HF 2402 strengthens professional health licensing boards’ oversight and authority over licensees who pose an imminent safety risk to patients. Under the new law, if a health licensing board believes that a health professional presents a risk of imminent public harm, the board must temporarily suspend the person’s license.
If a licensee participates in the Health Professional Services Program (HPSP)—which monitors the safe practice of impaired licensees—but does not comply with the program, the board can respond quickly to protect the public.