May 26, 2022
On May 22, both chambers passed HF2725 which provides more than $10 million each year for several programs to provide mental health services.
The bill allocates $9.6 million over two years to expand the use of mobile crisis service teams. These teams are made up of mental health professionals and practitioners who provide psychiatric services to individuals within their own homes and at other sites outside the traditional clinical setting.
The bill would also provide $2 million for school-linked mental health grants to increase accessibility for children and youth who are uninsured or underinsured and would improve the identification of mental health issues for children and youth. The bill would appropriate money for resources for mental health services in schools and includes incentives to encourage and ease barriers to entering the mental health profession.
Additionally, the bill includes $1 million in grants to establish or expand programs focused on improving the mental health of healthcare professionals. The grants are available for healthcare systems, hospitals, nursing facilities, community health clinics, federally qualified health centers, or health professional associations.
It also allocates $1.6 million over three years for a pilot program in Ramsey County to establish mental health urgency rooms for patients under the age of 26 as an alternative to the use of emergency rooms. The entity must be able to perform a medical evaluation of the youth and accommodate the patient for up to 14 days.
The mental health package was sent to the governor for signature.
May 15, 2025
The House passed its version of the Health and Human Services (HHS) omnibus budget bill on May 12, and the Senate passed its version two days later. The bills differed greatly but both bodies were able to come to an agreement on May 15.
May 15, 2025
Legislative leaders from both bodies have been meeting regularly with Gov. Tim Walz to reach an overall agreement on the size of the state budget for the next two-year period. On May 15, Walz and legislative leaders held a press conference to announce they have reached an agreement on overall spending levels for the next biennium.
May 15, 2025
Registration is now open for the 2025-2026 cohort of the MMA’s Minnesota Physician Leadership Institute (MNPLI).