Legislature Gears Up for Its Final Month

April 25, 2024

State lawmakers have 25 days before they are required to adjourn the 2024 legislative session.  

Within the time left, both the House and Senate are expected to pass respective omnibus bills and form a conference committee to finalize a joint bill, before sending the agreed upon package to the governor for his signature.    

Last week, the House and Senate released their omnibus health and human services bills, which are currently making their way through their respective finance committees and then to a floor vote. Two MMA priorities are included - one in the House version and the other in the Senate version. 

The House omnibus bill includes a scaled-back version of the MMA’s prior authorization language. The Senate bill only includes language to expand current prior authorization law to public programs. The Senate omnibus bill includes the MMA’s physician wellness legislation.  

The bills have some identical pieces. Both bills require public and private insurance to cover abortion services, gender-affirming care, expanded maternity and post-partum care, wigs for cancer patients, and orthotic and prosthetic devices. Mandated coverage for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) services was not included in either bill. Both bills include a new surcharge on teaching hospitals to maximize federal and state funding for graduate medical education, which is intended to significantly increase funding for residency programs. Both bills also require Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) to be non-profit entities, as they were prior to 2017. In addition, both bills include language authorizing pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to administer vaccinations to children over 6. 

Given these pieces are identical in both bills, it is likely they will be adopted when the omnibus bill goes to a conference committee. 

Both omnibus bills are expected to go to the floor for a vote as soon as next week, prior to the appointment of the 10-member conference committee to develop the final package. 

Recent developments regarding Sen. Nicole Mitchell (DFL – Woodbury), who was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary earlier this week, raise questions on how the session will end. Currently, the DFL has a one-vote majority. If Mitchell is not allowed to vote on key issues, the Senate will not be able to pass bills without bipartisan support. Mitchell’s attorney said she intends to participate in the final weeks of the legislative session, despite Republicans calling for her resignation. An ethics complaint was filed and must be acted on within 30 days.