St. Paul, MN - Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Conference Committee Report on Senate File 5335, the Human Services Supplemental Budget. The bill, authored by State Representative Mohamud Noor (DFL - Minneapolis), passed on a vote of 68-0. Having already passed the Minnesota Senate, the bill now heads to Governor Walz.
“Our supplemental budget continues our efforts to look after our most vulnerable Minnesotans, as well as those who care for them,” said Rep. Noor, who serves as Chair of the House Human Services Finance Committee. “We’re doubling down on our work to address substance use disorders, improve resources for those with disabilities, provide additional funding for food security, and overall ensure that the services Minnesotans rely on are there for them when needed.”
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 Human Services Finance Supplemental Budget builds on efforts 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 $24.8 million for expanding access to state-operated treatment programs, $18.8 million for reducing recidivism and preventing overdoses, $7.1 million for Acute Care Transitions, $5 million in additional funding for food security, and $4.8 million for Personal Care Assistant services provided by a parent or spouse.
A spreadsheet of the investments in the Human Services Supplemental Budget can be found here. Video of today’s floor debate can be found on the House Public Information YouTube channel.
###