Use of nonopioid directives authorized, and immunity for certain acts or failures to act established.
HF 1379 creates a formal "nonopioid directive" process in Minnesota, allowing patients (or their health care agents) to submit written instructions stating they must not receive opioids from health professionals or prescribers. Health care providers must include these directives in patient records and follow them, except in emergency hospital settings where a prescriber deems opioid use medically necessary. The bill also grants legal immunity to health professionals, facilities, and emergency medical services providers who comply with these directives in good faith. The Minnesota Department of Health will develop a standard form for these directives and post it online. This directly affects patients seeking opioid avoidance and all healthcare providers interacting with patient records.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 24, 2025
Last action Mar 27, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
1st Engrossment
→
2nd Engrossment
·
3 edits
·
Mar 27, 2025
MINOR
The bill was updated from the 1st to the 2nd engrossment, reflecting a revision in the date it was posted. The substantive policy language regarding nonopioid directives and immunity for healthcare providers was also modified to clarify the specific circumstances under which opioids may be administered to patients with these directives, while maintaining protections against liability for good-faith actions.
Scope change
The scope of applicability for the immunity provision was refined to explicitly allow for the administration of opioids in specific emergency circumstances defined in the bill, whereas the previous version focused on inadvertent administration.
REQUIREMENT
The definition of when a patient is being treated in an emergency was rephrased to clarify that emergency circumstances can occur in both hospital and non-hospital settings.
ENFORCEMENT
The immunity clause was expanded to explicitly include the administration of opioids in specific emergency circumstances as a protected act, in addition to failing to prescribe opioids and inadvertent administration.
TECHNICAL
The posting date of the bill was updated from March 13, 2025, to March 27, 2025.
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
6
Key actions
2
Committee
2
Mar 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report, to adopt as amended and re-refer to Health Finance and Policy
lower
Mar 13, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report, to adopt as amended and re-refer to Judiciary Finance and Civil Law
lower
Feb 24, 2025
Introduced
Introduction and first reading, referred to Health Finance and Policy
lower
1 primary · 7 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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