Rep. Bianca Virnig

Maddy summaryMinnesota's HF 1269 requires health insurance plans to cover all FDA-approved medical services and prescription medications for treating dementia, including diagnostic tests to assess treatment effectiveness. It also prohibits health plans from using "step therapy" (requiring patients to try cheaper drugs first) for dementia treatments. The bill modifies prior authorization rules for certain medications, ensuring automatic 60-day coverage for brand-name mental health drugs when generics become available, and streamlines approval for oral liquid drugs used with feeding tubes. These changes apply to health plans offered in Minnesota starting January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates $250,000 from the general fund for fiscal year 2026 to fund predesign and design work for a new community health and wellness center in western Duluth. The funds are specifically allocated to the Lake Superior Community Health Center to create a regional, multipurpose facility serving as a community hub for health programming and services. The appropriation is one-time and available until the project is completed or abandoned. It directly affects the Lake Superior Community Health Center and Duluth residents who will access the planned wellness center.

Maddy summaryHF 1417 provides $15 million annually in state funding for infrastructure improvements in manufactured home parks across Minnesota, starting in fiscal year 2026. The bill directs the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency to offer grants and loans to park owners (including private, cooperative, and municipal operators) for essential infrastructure like water, sewer, and roads. Park owners must apply for these funds under existing law (Minnesota Statutes § 462A.2035), with the agency required to report annually by January 15 on fund usage, including breakdowns by ownership type, average grant/loan amounts, and loan terms. This funding aims to address aging infrastructure in manufactured home communities without altering eligibility or creating new requirements for park residents.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies reimbursement rates for high-intensity residential substance use disorder services in Minnesota, directly affecting providers of these services and the state's human services funding system. Starting January 1, 2026, the state will pay 83 percent of a previously modeled rate for high-intensity residential services, while low-intensity services and treatment coordination will remain at 100 percent of that modeled rate. Beginning January 1, 2027, adolescent treatment programs providing high-intensity residential services will receive an additional 30 percent increase on top of the standard high-intensity rate. The changes apply to services delivered under the state's substance use disorder treatment program and are based on rates established in a 2021 legislative report.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $250,000 from the state's general fund in fiscal year 2027 to support young adults up to age 24 who are released from juvenile detention or prison. The funding will be used by the Office of Justice Programs to grant money to 180 Degrees' Great River Landing and Clifton Place programs for services including community outreach, mobile case management, family reunification, job assistance, and housing placement. These services aim to address resource gaps for young people reentering the community after incarceration. The appropriation is designated as a one-time funding measure and is intended to help these individuals through aftercare and follow-up support.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates policies and training requirements for assisted living facilities in Minnesota, directly affecting facility operators and unlicensed staff members who work there. It mandates that facilities maintain updated policies covering staff training, emergency procedures, infection control, and supervision of unlicensed personnel performing delegated tasks. The legislation also strengthens penalties for violations by allowing commissioners to assess investigation-related costs and increase fines for serious injuries or deaths caused by egregious conduct. Additionally, the bill requires facilities to ensure emergency-trained personnel are available 24 hours a day and to provide residents with clear information about their rights and facility procedures.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands how Minnesota school districts can use operating capital revenue to include utility service costs, such as electricity, water, and heating expenses. The change applies to school districts across the state and becomes effective starting in fiscal year 2027. Under the updated law, districts may now allocate these funds toward paying for utility services in addition to the existing permitted uses like building repairs, technology purchases, and safety improvements. The amendment modifies Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 126C.10, subdivision 14, to add this new category of allowable expenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides funding for Minnesota's Board of Public Defense, which supports public defenders representing low-income individuals who cannot afford legal representation. The legislation appropriates $6.9 million for fiscal year 2026 and $13.7 million for fiscal year 2027 from the state's general fund, with an additional base funding of $183.529 million starting in fiscal year 2028. These funds are intended to supplement existing appropriations and ensure continued financial support for the public defense system. The bill takes effect immediately upon final enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's senior nutrition programs to better support older adults living in the community by expanding transportation services, nutrition assistance, and food delivery options. It establishes a new Food Delivery Support Account to fund grants for nonprofit organizations that provide transportation for home-delivered meals, groceries, and purchased food to older adults with limited mobility or resources. The legislation also updates the list of allowable uses for nutrition support funds to include medically tailored meals, SNAP outreach, and partnerships with various community partners like schools and restaurants. Area agencies on aging will distribute these funds based on a state formula, with the requirement that grant money supplements rather than replaces existing state and federal funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows eligible former Minneapolis public works employees to purchase retirement service credit for two specific periods between 2017 and 2018 when the city failed to make required retirement contributions. The law requires the city to pay both the employee and employer portions of the missed contributions, plus interest, to the Public Employees Retirement Association. Once the city makes these payments, the employees can receive credit for those work periods toward their retirement benefits. The bill applies only to individuals who worked in the fleet services division from April 2016 through November 2022 and left their jobs in November 2022.