Tracking The Legislature

The following chart shows the current Ligeslative Bills and a brief summary of each. For more information go to www.leg.state.mn.us. If you are without internet access: For assistance in finding your representative or senator, meeting and schedules and other information call: House information 651-296-2146 or 1-800-657-3550 TTY 651-296-9896, Senate information 651-296-0504 or 651-296-2887. To determine the status of a bill call house index at 651-296-6646 or senate index at 651-296-5560

HF1006 (Boudreau) 05/14/2003 Bill was passed as amended 83-47		HF1703 (Lipman) 02/09/2004 Committee report, to pass as amended and re-refer to State Government Finance
SF0986 (Wiger) 02/02/2004 Withdrawn and re-referred to Elections.  Now HF1006 in Senate		SF1666 (Sparks) SF1666 - recommended to pass and re-referred to Finances
Help America Vote Act of 2002 conformity provided, complaint process created, penalty imposed		Help America Vote - Voting system; uniform statewide voting system acquisition provided through appropriation of remaining funds in the Help America Vote Act account. Comment: Provides that after December 31, 2005, each polling place must have a voting system that provides privacy and independence for visually impaired voters.
HF1681 (Bradley) 2-26-04 recommended to pass and re-referred to Governmental Operations and Veterans Affairs		HF2280 (Huntley) 02/19/2004 Referred to Health and Human Services Finance
SF1915 (Fischbach) 02/12/2004 Referred to Health and Family Security		SF1760 (Berglin) 2/05/2004 Referred to Health and Family Security
Health care malpractice, administrative, and health plan competition reform provided. Comment: This bill aims to reduce healthcare mandates, creates plan that allows for small employers to opt out of mandated benefit laws and the Minnesota Human Rights Act, mandates a medical savings account option for state employees, permits for profit HMOs, limits malpractice claims, limits state health care programs expansion, requires a study of cost shifting to private sector payers, permits ‘file and use’ health plan forms, not requiring prior approval before selling a health plan.		Health care cost containment provisions; electronic medical record system; health professionals loan forgiveness and medical assistance, general assistance medical care and MinnesotaCare programs provisions modifications. Comments: This bill abolishes the $500 cap on MA dental services and co-payments under GAMS; it reinstates dental services and repels the limited benefit set for adults without children on MinnesotaCare and it repeals the MA co-payments.
HF1882 (Rukavina) 02/05/2004 Referred to Health and Human Services Policy		HF2172 (Otremba) 02/16/2004 referred to Health and Human Services Finance
SF1857 (Berglin) recommended to pass and re-referred to Finance		SF1699 (Lourey) 02/05/2004 Referred to Health and Family Security
Eliminates the requirement for county social service agencies to refer prescription drug program applicants or enrollees to the prescription drug assistance program for certain drugs limited benefit set for adults without children on MinnesotaCare and it repeals the MA co-payments.		Medical assistance estate recovery provisions modified, alternative care cost recoveries eliminated, life estate and joint tenant interest liens removed, and money appropriated.
HF0097 (Strachan) ] replaced by SF0058 in the House, referred to State Government Finance		SF1991 (Berglin) 02/12/2004 Referred to Health and Family Security
SF0058 (Foley) 02/12/2004 Third reading Passed 48-18		HF2108 (Paymar) 02/16/2004 Referred to Health and Human Services Finance
DWI; alcohol concentration level reduced to .08 for impairment offenses involving a motor vehicle, criminal vehicular homicide, operating recreational vehicles, hunting, and operating military vehicles.  Comment: The Brain Injury Association, due to the number of alcohol-related accidents causing injuries, supports this bill.		Services for persons with mental retardation provisions modified, medical assistance estate recovery modified, alternative-care costs recoveries eliminated, liens against life estates removed. Comment: This bill modifies the parental fees under the MA TEFRA program and repeals the provision placing liens on property of persons on the alternative care program.
HF1768 (Bradley) 02-02-1904 Referred to Health and Human Services Policy		SF1602 (LeClair) 02/09/2004 Committee report: No recommendation, re-refer to Finance
No Senate Companion		HF1976 (Wilkin) 02/09/2004 Referred to Taxes
Counties require to process medical assistance applications within established timelines.  Comment: This bill would require counties to process MA applications within 60 days for people with a disability and within 45 days for people age 65 and older, allows some exceptions but does not consider staffing shortages a a reason to delay processing the application.		Provides for Federal modernization act of 2003 state income tax Medicare prescription drug, improvement and partial conformity. Comments: Provides the necessary changes in statute relating to health savings accounts as authorized in the Federal Medicare bill.
HF1742 (Knoblach) 02-02-2004 Referred to Taxes		HF1827 (Kohls) 02/05/2004 Referred to Taxes
SF1773 (Reiter) 02/05/2004 Referred to Taxes		SF  No Senate Companion
Income tax provisions conformity to federal tax changes for health savings accounts		Long-term care insurance tax credit increased, employer provided long-term care insurance tax credit created, long-term care credit availability publicized
HF2102 (Vandeveer) 02/12/2004 Referred to Health and Human Services Policy		HF1943 (Johnson, S.) 2/09/2004 Referred to Commerce, Jobs and Economic Development
SF1757 (Bachmann) 02/05/2004 Referred to Health and Family Security		SF1627 (Higgins) 02/02/2004 Referred to Health and Family Security
Adult foster care and family adult day care licensure conditions modifications.  Comments: An adult day care provider may admit up to seven individuals for day care services and one individual for respite care services, if a second caregiver is present whenever six or more clients are being served.		Prohibiting certain medical (health care) providers conflicts of interest including kickbacks, bribes or rebates in return for referrals or purchases, exceptions; prescribing criminal penalties and civil remedies for violation and granting the  commissioner of health and attorney general certain investigative authority; authorizing the commissioner to audit referral patterns of providers qualifying for certain exceptions, requiring reporting to the legislature of audits revealing patterns of referrals to entities with a financial relationship to the provider
HF1882 (Rukavina) 02/05/2004 Referred to Health and Human Services Policy		HF1936 (Finstad) 02/09/2004 Referred to Health and Human Services Policy
SF1857 (Berglin) 2/09/2004 Referred to Health and Family Security		SF1671 (Moua) 02/05/2004 Referred to Health and Family Security
Prescription drug program applicant referral requirement eliminated; eliminates the requirement that prescription drug program applicants and enrollees be referred to the prescription drug assistance program		Assisted living facility term designated in statute as a formal means of referring to registered housing with services establishments
HF2172 (Otremba) 2/16/2004 Referred to Health and Human Services Finance		HF1923 (Abler) 02/09/2004 Referred to Health and Human Services Finance
SF1699 (Lourey) 02/05/2004 Referred to Health and Family Security		SF1947 (Berglin) 02/12/2004 Referred to Health and Family Security
Modifying certain medical assistance (MA) estate recovery provisions (claims against estates); removing liens against life estates and joint tenant interests in real property; eliminating recoveries for alternative care costs; appropriating money to the commissioner of human services for the modifications		Children with mental retardation service cost parental contribution modified.  Comment: This bill would change the parental fee structure under the MA TEFERA program from 10% of gross income to a sliding fee starting at 7.5% of adjusted gross income (AGI) for an income of 600% of the federal poverty guideline (FPG) up to 10% of AGI that is at 975% of FPG..
SF2012 (Berglin) 02/16/2004Referred to Health and Family Security		HF1858 (Erickson) 02/05/2004 Introduction and first reading, referred to Education Finance
HF No House Companion as of 02-23-2004		SF1608 (Sparks) 02/02/2004 Referred to Finance
Modifying certain medical assistance (MA) estate recovery (claims against estates) provisions, eliminating the requirement to recover alternative care costs; repealing alternative care liens		Public libraries capital improvement grants, bond issue and appropriation.  Comment: There are accessibility requirements with these grants
HF2035 (Sertich) 02/12/2004 referred to Commerce, Jobs and Economic Development		SF1721 (Sams) 02/16/2004 Committee report: To pass and re-referred to Finance
SF1946 (Stumpf) 02/12/2004Referred to Jobs, Energy and Community Development		HF No House Companion
Providing certain alternatives to qualify as supported employment for vocational rehabilitation regulation purposes.  This bill expands the definition of supported employment to include a job 1) for which the person is paid wages at or above minimum wage; (2) at a business where individuals without disabilities are also employed; and (3) the person has the opportunity for social interaction with individuals without disabilities who are not paid caregivers.		Minnesota Health Plan Contracting Act; health care services prior authorization requests regulation; network shadow contracting provisions modifications and profiling data release restrictions. Comment: Requires health plans to enable providers to submit prior authorization requests without unreasonable delay.
HF2142 (Abler) 02/16/2004 Referred to Education Finance		HF2042 (Olson, M.) 02/12/2004 Referred to Education Policy
SF2140 (Rest) 02/19/2004 Referred to Finance		SF1921 (Bachmann) 02/12/2004Referred to Education
Restoring the program growth factors for special education and special education excess cost aids; increasing a certain prior appropriation to the commissioner of education for payment of the aids.  Comment: This bill restores the cut in growth factor for special education that was made in 2003.		Requiring legislative affirmation of implementation of the federal no child left behind act to avoid nullification and revocation by the commissioner of education of the consolidated state plan for implementation of the act
HF2063 (Hilty) 02/12/2004 Referred to Health and Human Services Policy		HF2121 (Finstad) 02/16/2004 Referred to Health and Human Services Policy
SF1670 (Lourey) 02/05/2004 Referred to Health and Family Security		SF2057 (Solon) 02/16/2004 Referred to Health and Family Security
Relating to human services; reinstating the children with special health care needs program, providing for purchase by the commissioner of health of health care coverage for eligible children		Creating an office of mental health within the department of health to promote access to mental health services
SF1521 (Sams) 4/28/2003 Referred to Health and Family Security See SS HF6, Art.4,Sc.24(a), Art.6,Sc.9,55&57 & Art.11,Sc.12(a)		HF2112 (Powell) 02/16/2004 Referred to Health and Human Services Finance
HF No House Companion as of 02-23-2004		SF2053 (Berglin) 02/16/2004 Referred to Finance
County human services initiatives implementation. Comment: This is the Remembering with Dignity bill, provides for grave markers at former state hospitals.		Appropriating money to the commissioner of administration and authorizing the issuance of state bonds for a grant to Hennepin county to renovate and expand the acute psychiatric service at Hennepin county medical center (HCMC), match requirement.  Comment: The amount is $1,400,000 from bonding.
HF2287) Abler) 02/19/2004 Referred to Education Policy		HF2214 (Pugh) 02/19/2004 Referred to Health and Human Services Policy
SF2202 (Ranum) 02/19/2004 Referred to Education		SF2138 (Scheid) 02/18/2004 Referred to Commerce
Relating to education; providing for the use of seclusion under aversive and deprivation procedures, modifying the definition of emergency and defining seclusion for aversive and deprivation procedures use purposes; requiring the commissioner of education to amend certain rules governing the use of the procedures, requiring the commissioner to require school districts to report the use of emergency procedures, to register rooms used for seclusion and to establish oversight committees to review the efficacy of behavior support plans including the use of the procedures; requiring the rules to also restrict the use of seclusion.		Requiring health carriers offering individual coverage to provide certain information to individuals losing group continuation coverage relating to coverage differences and eligibility for coverage under the comprehensive health insurance plan of the Minnesota comprehensive health association (MCHA).  Comment: The health plan would be required to inform persons that COBRA coverage may not be the same as their coverage under their group plan and that they may be eligible to obtain coverage through the Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association (MCHA) without a pre-existing condition limitation.
SF0831 (Chaudhary) 03/13/2003 Referred to Education		HF1982 (Sykora) 02/12/2004 Referred to Education Finance
HF0329 (Tingelstad) 02/06/2003 Referred to Education Policy		SF2003 (Scheid) 02/16/2004 Referred to Finance
Bullying and intimidation policy required of school boards, and existing harassment and violence policies required to be consistent.		Restoring funding for school district basic community education programs
HF1744 (Westrom) 02/02/2004 Referred to Transportation Finance		SF1649 (Solon) 02/02/2004Referred to Health and Family Security
SF No Senate Companion as of 02-23-2004		HF2509 (Huntley) 2-26-04 introduced and referred to Health and Human Services Finance
Metro Mobility taxi fare subsidy expenditure required. Comments: This bill directs the Met Council to expend 10% of its money authorized for Metro Mobility in fiscal year 2005 for users to use taxis as an alternative.		Expands the benefits provided under the MinnesotaCare program limited benefits set for certain single adults and households without children; modifying the definition of covered health services; requiring a copay for eyeglasses; expanding the definition of visit to ambulatory services provided by chiropractors, podiatrists, nurse midwives, advance practice nurses, audiologists, opticians and optometrists
HF1753 (Bradley) 02/02/2004 Referred to Health and Human Services Finance
SF2255 (LeClair) 2/23/2004 Referred to Health and Family Security
Nursing facility private pay resident rates modified.  Comments: Allows for annual increases in payments by private payers over the next several years.