Minnesota Department of Health
July 2011
2011 Special Session Summary
A number of budget bills passed in the Special
Session and signed by Governor Dayton affect
MDH. Here is a list of those budget and policy
provisions:
HHS Budget Bill (HF25*/SF10)
Budget Changes
Statewide Health Improvement Program
(SHIP). ($15 million for 2012-13 biennium)
This funding will allow MDH to continue its
efforts to curb obesity and tobacco use.
Local Public Health Grant Shift. The local
public health grant payment shift was
continued through FY 2014. The shift delays
the April quarter payment until July for
calendar years 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder Grants
(FASD). ($2 million per year) Grant funding to
prevent FASD and support individuals and
their families with FASD was increased by
$340,000 per year.
Comprehensive Advanced Life Support
(CALS). ($408,000 per year) The CALS
program received an increase of $31,000 in
its funding moving forward. This will allow
the program to expand efforts in training
rural medical personnel to anticipate,
recognize and treat life threatening
emergencies before serious injury or cardiac
arrest occurs.
Health Care Reform. ($1.5 million FY 2013)
This is a continuation of funding for health care
reform activities provided with funding from
the health care access fund.
Commissioner's Office
625 Robert Street North
St. Paul, MN 55155
www.health.state.mn.us
White Earth Urban Clinic Needs
Assessment. ($100,000 in FY12) MDH is
appropriated funds for the commissioner to
conduct a needs assessment for a clinic or
other health care needs of the White Earth
Tribe in the metro area.
Well Fees. Various fees related to wells
(application, notification, permits, certification,
etc.) were increased to reflect the actual cost of
running the well programs.
Operating Reductions. MDH received a
$1,903,000 general fund operating reduction.
Of this:
$1,000,000 of this reduction was the
elimination of an increase. The balance
represents about a 5% reduction to the
non-rent general fund operating base.
$213,000 was a health care access fund
operating reduction. This represents
about a 2% reduction of the health care
access fund operating base.
$20,000 was a TANF operating reduction
tied to the consolidation of evaluation
and training efforts for the Family Home
Visiting Program.
Federal Health Information Technology
Fund Transfer. $2.8 million in unused state
match funds from the federal Health
Information Technology for Economic and
Clinical Health Act are transferred to the
health care access fund.
Grant Reductions/Eliminations. Various
grants were either eliminated or reduced by
the budget bill.
Donated Dental grants – Eliminated.
Federally Qualified Health Centers
(FQHCs) – Reduced by $250,000/yr or
10%.
2011 Special Session Summary – page 2
Health and Long Term Care Careers
grants – Eliminated.
Health Professional Loan Forgiveness
Program grants – Reduced by
$155,000/yr or 17%. 43% reduction
including expiration of temporary funds.
Migrant grants – Eliminated.
Summer Health Interns – Funding
eliminated for 2012-13 biennium.
Medical Education and Research Costs
(MERC). The MERC program was changed
substantially from its previous structure. The
program will continue to assist medical
education organizations with the financial
difficulties of medical teaching. The new law:
Transfers $9.8 million carryover fund
balance in MERC.
Eliminates MERC direct grants ($5.35
million).
Changes MERC grant formula.
MERC general distribution formula
reduced by $24 million per year.
Other Funding Changes. Other funding
changes include:
$121,000 for data collection and analysis
of Alzheimer’s.
$92,000 transferred to Minnesota
Management and Budget to convene a
working group to consolidate and/or
eliminate health care reporting to
Commerce, MDH and DHS.
Policy Changes
Statewide Health Improvement Program
(SHIP). The Statewide Health Improvement
Program has a few significant policy
changes:
The commissioner may focus SHIP
activities geographically or on either
tobacco or obesity.
The commissioner has the authority to
use tobacco and health disparities grants
to support SHIP activities. The
commissioner will work with hospitals
and health plans to develop a plan to
incorporate SHIP activities into
community benefit and collaboration
plans. The commissioner shall
implement the plan by July 1, 2012.
Requires the commissioners of MMB,
DHS and MDH to complete a report of
estimated savings to public health care
programs from SHIP beginning in
February 2013.
Article 2
Cost Containment Duties. Removes
references to repealed statutory sections.
Expenditure Reporting. Certain annual
reporting requirements for physician clinics
related to major spending commitments are
removed.
MERC. Training sites with a grant level less
than $1,000 are ineligible for funds. Removes
direct payments of MERC funds.
Alzheimer's Prevalence and Screening
Measures. Beginning July 1, 2012, MDH must
review quality measures and make
recommendations for future measurements for
improving assessment and care related to
Alzheimer's. A progress report is due to the
legislature by January 15, 2013.
“Designated Rural Area” Definition.
Restricts the definition of "designated rural
area" for purposes of the health professionals
loan forgiveness program, to small rural and
isolated rural areas as described by the Rural
Urban Commuting Area system.
Long-term Care Waiver. Requires MDH to
work with long-term care providers and request
federal waivers to:
Allow issuance of federal survey form
electronically.
Eliminate requirement for written plans of
correction.
2011 Special Session Summary – page 3
Nursing Assistant Registry. MDH must
accept electronic submission of documentation
for the nursing assistant registry.
Prehospital Care Data. The Emergency
Medical Services Regulatory Board is required
to convene a working group to redesign the
board’s policies related to collection of data
from licenses.
Family Home Visiting. Local public health
family home visiting programs are required to
obtain permission from the family to share
information with other family service providers
for the purposes of selecting a lead
coordinating agency.
Limited Food Establishment. A “limited food
establishment” is created as a type of food and
beverage establishment. Sets equipment
requirements and allows for plumbing
variances.
Variance Requests. A variance may be
requested from certain sections of Minnesota
Rules, chapter 4626.
HHS Regulatory Evaluation. The
commissioners of health and human services
are required to evaluate and recommend
options for reorganizing a variety of regulatory
responsibilities. The recommendations must be
submitted to the Legislature by February 15,
2012.
Minnesota Task Force on Prematurity. A
task force is created to evaluate and make
recommendations on methods to reduce
prematurity and improve premature infant
health care. The commissioner is required to
convene the first meeting by July 31, 2011. The
task force must complete a report on the current
state of prematurity by November 30, 2011,
and a final report by January 15, 2013.
Nursing Home Regulatory Efficiency. The
commissioner is required to work with
stakeholders to review, implement, and make
recommendations related to efficiency for
nursing home licensure.
Repealer. Repeals statute and rules related to
reports MDH is no longer required to complete
and for grants that were eliminated.
Article 6
Removal of Legislative Commission on
Health Care Access. Various provisions and
requirements to send information to the
Legislative Commission on Health Care Access
have been changed to send the information to
the Legislature’s health committees.
Provider Peer Grouping. Clarification on
when provider peer grouping data may be used.
Alternative models and waivers of
requirements. Commissioner must waive
health care home certification requirements for
applicants if those requirements are a financial
hardship or not feasible and the applicant can
establish an alternative way to meet the
objective of the requirement.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Demonstration Project. MDH is directed to
consult on a DHS demonstration project
regarding complementary and alternative
medicine for medical assistance enrollees with
back and neck problems.
Reduction of State Mandated
Administrative Reports. The commissioner of
MMB is required to convene a working group
to consolidate and/or eliminate health care
reporting to Commerce, MDH and DHS.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Task Force. The
commissioner must appoint one member of this
task force. The task force will develop a
strategic plan surrounding awareness, detection
and treatment of autism spectrum disorder
issues.
2011 Special Session Summary – page 4
Article 7
Legacy Bill (HF6/SF6*)
Nursing Facility Pilot. The commissioner of
DHS is required in consultation with the
Commissioner of Health to provide
recommendations on how to develop a pilot
project for a new approach to caring for
individuals in nursing facilities.
Budget Changes
Environment Bill (HF5/SF3*)
Budget Changes
Biomonitoring. ($268,000 in FY12 and
$268,000 FY13) Funding allows for the
completion of the environmental health
tracking and biomonitoring analysis related to
perfluorochemicals and mercury monitoring in
Lake Superior and to disseminate the results.
(Transfer from PCA to MDH)
SAC Funding. ($252,000 in FY12 and
$252,000 in FY13) Funding provided for
private water supply monitoring, health
assessment costs and public information
activities. (Transfer from PCA to MDH)
Toxic Free Children’s Products. ($57,000 in
FY12 and $57,000 in FY13) Funding provided
for duties related to research and reporting on
toxic children’s products. (Transfer from PCA
to MDH)
Policy Changes
Advisory Committee for Technology
Standards for Accessibility and Usability.
The commissioner, or his designee, is a
member of this advisory committee tasked with
working on standards for making technology
more accessible to those with disabilities.
Water Management Evaluation. MDH must
work in conjunction with the Pollution Control
Agency (PCA) to evaluate water-related
statutes, rules, and governing structures so the
PCA may compile a report by January 15,
2013.
County Well Index. ($303,000 in FY12 and
$365,000 in FY13) Funding allows for the
expansion of the county well index program.
Drinking Water Contaminants. ($1,020,000
FY12 and $1,020,000 in FY13) Funding for
continuing the department’s Clean Water
Legacy Fund activity addressing public health
concerns related to contaminants found in
Minnesota drinking water for which no healthbased drinking water standard exists.
Drinking Water Source Protection.
($1,415,000 FY12 and $1,415,000
FY13) Funding provided for the protection of
drinking water sources as part of the
department’s Clean Water Legacy Fund
activities.
Sealing Unused Wells. ($250,000 in FY12 and
$250,000 in FY13) Funding provided for costshare assistance to public and private well
owners for up to 50 percent of the cost of
sealing unused wells.
Policy Changes
Clean Water Council. The commissioner shall
appoint one non-voting member of the Clean
Water Council.
State Government Finance Bill
(HF27/SF12*)
Policy Changes
2012-2013 Appropriations. All appropriations
are retroactive from July 1, 2011, and
supersede funding authorized by the court
order.
2011 Special Session Summary – page 5
Employees Laid Off During the Shutdown
Retirement Credit. Service credit in the
retirement system is maintained for employees
laid off during the shutdown.
E-verify. Vendors and any subcontractors with
contracts of $50,000 or more are required to
provide certification that they have
implemented the federal E-Verify program for
all newly hired employees performing work on
behalf of Minnesota.
Fee/Penalty Waiver. Agencies may waive late
fees or penalties for renewals of a license,
permit, or registration, if the lateness was due
in whole or part to the shutdown.
Payment for 2011 Shutdown. Prohibits
appropriations from being used to pay or settle
judgments for damages by contractors or third
parties arising from the shutdown. The
prohibition does not apply to vendors with
contracts that explicitly provide for the
payment for measures or activities undertaken
by the contractor or third parties arising from or
caused by shutdowns.
Sunset Commission. Establishes a legislative
commission to review all state agencies and
make recommendations on the abolition,
continuation, or reorganization of each agency
and its advisory committees.
Agencies are reviewed by the commission
on a 12 year cycle.
MDH, as part of “Group 2” shall submit its
first report for review before September 1,
2013.