Sen. Alice Mann

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a licensing system for music therapists in Minnesota. It requires applicants to pass background checks (effective January 2026) and establishes definitions for "practice of music therapy" and "licensed professional music therapist" (effective July 2025). The law creates a Music Therapy Advisory Council to advise the health commissioner on licensure standards and enforcement. It directly affects individuals seeking to practice music therapy, requiring them to meet new state licensing requirements to use the protected title "Licensed Professional Music Therapist."

Maddy summaryThis bill requires health care entities - including hospitals, clinics, insurers, and pharmacy benefit managers - to report detailed ownership and control information to the Minnesota Commissioner of Health. It mandates annual public reports of this data and authorizes penalties for noncompliance. The law defines "health care entity" broadly and specifies that control is presumed if any entity owns 10% or more of another entity’s voting securities. These provisions aim to increase transparency about ownership structures within Minnesota’s health care system.

Maddy summaryThis bill appropriates funds for the Minnesota Department of Human Services to modernize two critical computer systems: MAXIS, which manages public assistance casework, and MMIS, which processes Medicaid health care claims and payments. The money must be used specifically to create and implement a replacement plan for these systems, with input from counties, Tribal Nations, and health plans to ensure improvements directly benefit workers and services. The appropriation is a one-time allocation for fiscal year 2026 and cannot be used for unrelated IT projects or other departmental systems. The bill takes effect the day after it is signed into law.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Minnesota's requirements for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) handling state employee health plan (SEGIP) pharmacy contracts. It prohibits PBMs from using "spread pricing" (charging health plans more than they pay pharmacies for drugs) and increases license application fees from $8,500 to a minimum of $15,000. The bill also imposes new fiduciary duties on PBMs, requiring them to act in good faith and disclose conflicts of interest. These changes apply specifically to PBMs operating under SEGIP pharmacy benefit contracts in Minnesota.

Maddy summarySF 1109 requires Minnesota insurance companies to accept an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead of a Social Security Number (SSN) on new insurance applications. This directly affects insurance companies operating in Minnesota and new customers who do not have an SSN but possess an ITIN, such as certain immigrants or non-citizens. The bill amends Minnesota Statutes by adding a provision stating that if an insurer requires an SSN, it must accept an ITIN and clearly indicate this on the application. The requirement takes effect January 1, 2026, applying to all new coverage offered, issued, or renewed on or after that date.

Maddy summaryThis bill would ban the use of personal electronic devices like tablets and smartphones by children in Minnesota's publicly funded preschool and kindergarten programs. The restriction applies only when children are at school and does not allow device use without teacher or peer engagement. Schools must still permit device access for students with individualized education plans, family service plans, or 504 plans. The law would take effect on July 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all health insurance plans in Minnesota to cover pap tests and any necessary follow-up diagnostic services without cost-sharing (like copays or deductibles) for enrollees. It prohibits health plans from imposing referral requirements, utilization reviews, or quantity limits on these services. The state commissioner of commerce will reimburse insurers for the costs of this coverage starting in 2028, funded through annual appropriations from the general fund. The requirement applies to all health plans offered on or after January 1, 2027, directly affecting insurers and patients needing preventive cervical cancer screening.

Maddy summaryMinnesota's SF 4061 establishes the Minnesota Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (MNSNAP) to maintain food assistance for Minnesotans who lost federal SNAP benefits due to new restrictions after July 1, 2025. It directly affects vulnerable groups like veterans, seniors, people experiencing homelessness, foster youth aging out, and working parents who lost jobs. Key provisions require counties to conduct face-to-face assessments within 30 days of enrollment to identify barriers to federal SNAP eligibility, and transition participants back to federal benefits when they qualify. The bill also mandates a moratorium on terminating benefits for those without medical or behavioral health assessments by July 2026, ensuring continuity of support.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies procedures for medication repositories in Minnesota that collect and distribute donated drugs. It requires pharmacists to inspect all donated medications for safety and proper labeling before dispensing, stores donated items separately from non-donated stock under appropriate conditions, and updates recall protocols - mandating immediate destruction of recalled drugs and detailed records of disposal. Repositories must also document controlled substance donations and notify recipients if recalled drugs were already distributed. These changes directly affect central and local medication repositories handling donated medications, ensuring safer distribution and clearer accountability for donated pharmaceuticals.

Maddy summaryMinnesota Senate File 2071 prohibits health insurance plans from requiring step therapy protocols for prescription insulin drugs used to treat diabetes. This law directly affects diabetes patients (including those with type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes) and their health insurance providers. The key provision bans health plans from mandating that patients try less expensive insulin options before covering prescribed insulin, ensuring coverage isn't delayed or denied based on cost-saving protocols. The bill takes effect January 1, 2027, applying to all health plans offered, issued, or renewed after that date.