HF4899

Purpose

• Expand how state-operated human services, including Direct Care and Treatment (DCT), can manage gifts and funding.
• Update rules and funding to support facility operations, treatment capacity, and patient/client services.
• Establish a pilot program and advisory structures related to involuntary mental health treatments in county facilities.

Main Provisions

• Gifts to facilities (Sec. 1)

  • The commissioners of human services and corrections, along with the Direct Care and Treatment executive board, can by rule set procedures for accepting gifts from individuals or organizations.
  • Gifts must be accepted by the appropriate state officer or their designated representative and used only for the direct benefit of patients, clients, or inmates under their jurisdiction.

• Fees for ionizing radiation equipment (Sec. 2)

  • Sets a registration fee schedule for facilities with ionizing radiation-producing equipment, including per-device (x-ray tube) fees.
  • Fees cover medical/veterinary, dental, non-human equipment, and security screening systems.
  • Defines security screening systems as ionizing-radiation equipment used for screening people in correctional/detention facilities or secure treatment facilities to detect contraband.
  • Clarifies what counts as a correctional/detention facility and a secure treatment facility.
  • Requires the commissioner to adopt rules governing the use of security screening systems (rules do not expire).

• Exemption from examinations for screening system operators (Sec. 3)

  • Operators of security screening systems in correctional/detention or secure treatment facilities are exempt from certain examination requirements.
  • Those operators must meet variance requirements to specific Minnesota Rules, with a date-based expiration for the temporary provisions, after which permanent rules published in the State Register apply.

• Appropriations and program funding (Sec. 4)

  • One-time funding for several initiatives (all for fiscal year 2025 unless noted otherwise), with specific availability timelines:
  • Free communication services for patients and clients: $1,368,000 (fiscal year 2025), available through June 30, 2026.
  • Direct Care and Treatment Capacity – Miller Building: $1,796,000 (fiscal year 2025) to design a replacement facility at the Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center campus, available through June 30, 2027.
  • Direct Care and Treatment County Correctional Facility Support Pilot Program: $2,387,000 (fiscal year 2025) to establish a two-year pilot providing education, support for involuntary medications, and technical assistance to expand injectable psychotropic medications in county facilities, available through June 30, 2027.
  • Advisory Committee for Direct Care and Treatment: $482,000 (fiscal year 2025) for operations, available through June 30, 2027.
  • Base level adjustment: General fund base increased by $31,000 in fiscal year 2026 and no increase in fiscal year 2027.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Adds a formal mechanism for accepting gifts to benefit patients, clients, or inmates, with rules set by DHS and corrections officials.
• Updates the registration and fee structure for facilities that use ionizing radiation and security screening equipment, including explicit definitions of security screening systems and related facilities.
• Introduces exemptions and temporary variance provisions for operators of security screening systems to ease regulatory burden, with a pathway to permanent rules.
• Allocates targeted one-time funding to enhance patient services (free communications), facility planning (Miller Building redesign), treatment capacity and medication administration in county facilities, and advisory governance for DCT, signaling a broader push to expand and modernize DCT operations and oversight.

Notable Terms and Phrases from the Bill

• Direct Care and Treatment (DCT)
• Gifts (to patients, clients, or inmates)
• Ionizing radiation-producing equipment
• X-ray equipment
• Security screening system
• Correctional facility / detention facility
• Secure treatment facility
• Involuntary medications
• Injectable psychotropic medications
• Involuntary administration of medications
• Miller Building / Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center campus
• County correctional facility support pilot program
• Advisory Committee for Direct Care and Treatment
• One-time appropriation
• Base Level Adjustment
• Minnesota Rules parts 4732.0305, 4732.0565
• Minnesota Rules parts 4717.7000 to 4717.7050

Relevant Terms Direct Care and Treatment; gifts; ionizing radiation; x-ray equipment; security screening system; correctional facility; secure treatment facility; involuntary medications; injectable psychotropic medications; Miller Building; Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center; county correctional facility; advisory committee; one-time appropriation; base level adjustment; Minnesota Rules 4732.0305, 4732.0565, 4717.7000-4717.7050.