(ST. PAUL, Minn.) – The Minnesota Senate passed the Human Services Budget in a vote of 35 – 32 and the Human Services Policy Bill in a vote of 35 – 32 Wednesday.
The bills, authored by Senator John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin), take a balanced approach during challenging budget circumstances to preserve care and services while reducing spending.
“We faced difficult choices this year, but it is our shared responsibility to pass a budget that preserves core services and essential care while reckoning with our financial challenges,” said Sen. Hoffman. “Our budget strived to find the right balance between investments and reductions, and I think the Senate has. Most importantly, our budget does not pit one community against another, and instead reaffirms our shared responsibility to the integrity of our whole human services system.”
During a time of economic insecurity, threats to Medicaid funding, and the dismantling of the disability support systems at the federal level, every budget provision was weighed against the impact on seniors and people with disabilities, not corporations or business entities. The budget invests in the people who work in this industry, and most importantly, it centers the people who access disability and aging services.
The budget reduces spending growth by addressing program integrity issues, using data, and creating a new Disability and Waiver Services formula while connecting the Nursing Home rate formula to quality of care. The budget continues support for the Critical Access Nursing Facility Program, and increases rates for Personal Care Attendants and Community First Services and Supports staff.
The Senate approach regarding unsustainable costs in nursing home rates is data-driven. The changes fall in line with projected inflation rates and connect funding to the quality of care to ensure taxpayer money is focused on the people living in the facilities. The budget also fixes the Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS) formula to ensure responsible growth.
The Human Services Budget also includes provisional licensure surrounding Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) providers. This will serve as a temporary measure until robust licensing standards development with community input are passed by the legislature.
“Our bill represents the partnerships that exist in our Human Services Committee to protect our most vulnerable, reduce red tape, and ensure that our workforce is supported,” said Sen. Hoffman. “We’ve worked with advocates, providers, and bipartisan partners to make changes that matter in people’s daily lives.”
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