Sen. Liz Boldon

Maddy summaryThis bill (SF 3705) extends a requirement for Minnesota health insurance companies to credential and contract with specific mental health providers. It directly affects health plan companies and mental health service providers, particularly those serving underserved communities or rural areas. Key provisions include: requiring health plans to maintain contracts with providers from certified mental health clinics, waiving non-care-related credentialing barriers to improve access, and prohibiting refusal to contract based on perceived provider network capacity. The law ensures health plans must accept new providers meeting standard requirements, including fair payment rates and availability for new patients.

Maddy summaryHF 3516 updates Minnesota's dental licensure rules to modernize definitions and requirements. It replaces terms like "school of dentistry" with "dental education program" and clarifies that foreign-trained dentists cannot be denied exams solely based on training if equivalent to U.S. standards. The bill directly affects dentists, dental students, and dental education programs by modifying practice definitions (e.g., what constitutes "dentistry"), scope of practice exemptions for students, and disciplinary standards. Key changes include aligning licensing with current accreditation standards and ensuring foreign-trained dentists are evaluated fairly.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires mining applicants to disclose if they or their key personnel (including ownership details and leadership) have had environmental violations or corruption charges in the last 15 years. It prohibits state agencies from issuing permits, conducting environmental reviews, or renewing approvals for applicants with such records. The disclosure must include specific details about past violations of environmental laws, bribery, or related settlements. It directly affects companies seeking permits for nonferrous sulfide ore mining, which poses significant environmental risks like acid mine drainage. The law blocks permits for entities with recent regulatory misconduct, focusing on transparency and accountability.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Minnesota's medical assistance program (similar to Medicaid) to cover the Psychiatric Collaborative Care Model for eligible patients starting July 1, 2025. The model involves primary care teams (including a primary care provider, care manager, and psychiatric consultant) delivering integrated mental health care using specific evidence-based methods. Coverage applies when providers use designated billing codes (99492, 99493, 99494, G2214, G0512). It directly affects Medicaid patients in Minnesota seeking mental health services through this coordinated care approach.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health insurance plans in Minnesota to cover all FDA-approved medical services and prescription medications used to treat or slow the progression of dementia, including diagnostic tests to evaluate their effectiveness. To ensure patients can access these treatments without unnecessary hurdles, the law prohibits insurers from using step therapy protocols, which typically require trying cheaper or less effective options first, before approving coverage for dementia care. The legislation also modifies rules on prior authorization for other drugs, mandating public comment periods and streamlined processes for specific medications, such as those used by patients with enteral feeding tubes. These changes are set to take effect on January 1, 2027, applying to health plans that are offered, issued, or renewed on or after that date.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes increasing reimbursement rates for specific mental health services, such as psychological and neuropsychological testing, to match 100 percent of the Medicare payment rate starting in 2027. It directly affects providers of these services and managed care organizations operating in Minnesota by requiring them to pay at least the same amount as the fee-for-service rate. The legislation also repeals an older rule that capped payments to masters-prepared mental health professionals at 80 percent of the rate paid to doctoral-level professionals. Additionally, the bill includes a provision to adjust managed care contracts if federal approval for the new rates is delayed, ensuring that any rate increases are not lost to the system.

Maddy summarySF 5060 provides supplemental budget funding to the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency for the 2026 and 2027 fiscal years to support housing programs. The bill allocates $100 million total, with specific amounts designated for family homeless prevention, home ownership assistance, and supportive housing initiatives. Key provisions allow the agency to adjust grant procedures for homeless prevention and require the collection of voluntary demographic data to address disparities in homeownership rates.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's housing assistance programs by clarifying eligibility rules, adjusting income calculations, and extending deadlines for spending certain housing funds. It defines who cannot receive housing grants or loans by specifying restrictions on individuals and businesses that have previously received tax credits for housing investments. The legislation also exempts income earned from lived-experience engagement work from counting toward public assistance eligibility limits, allowing people to participate in housing program review and feedback without losing benefits. Additionally, the bill updates the maximum bond limitation for residential rental projects and makes technical corrections to existing housing statutes.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new grant program to fund early childhood mental health consultation services for children five years old and younger, primarily benefiting child care providers, mental health clinics, and community service organizations. The grants will support activities such as diagnosing mental health conditions in young children, training clinicians in evidence-based practices, and providing consultation to child care professionals who work with children experiencing significant mental health needs. Additionally, the legislation modifies existing requirements for home and community-based services and day treatment programs to better align with mental health care standards. The bill requires recipients to seek available third-party funding sources and mandates reporting to track how grant funds are utilized.

Maddy summarySF 3650 would ban prescription drug manufacturers from advertising their products on television to consumers in Minnesota. The bill defines "television advertisement" to include over-the-air broadcasts and internet streams of those broadcasts, and specifies that the prohibition applies to ads promoting prescription drugs sold directly to consumers. If enacted, the law would require drug manufacturers to stop running such TV ads, with enforcement handled by the attorney general under existing law. The bill is currently in committee review after its introduction in February 2026.