HF 973

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 04/24/2025 04:55 p.m.

A bill for an act
relating to mental health; modifying emergency mental health services; eliminating
co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles for mobile crisis intervention;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 245.469;
256L.03, subdivision 5.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 245.469, is amended to read:

245.469 EMERGENCY SERVICES.

Subdivision 1.

Availability of emergency services.

(a) County boards must provide or
contract for enough emergency services within the county to meet the needs of adults,
children, and families in the county who are experiencing an emotional crisis or mental
illness. new text begin Clients must not be charged for services provided. new text end Emergency service providers
must deleted text begin not delay the timely provision of emergency services to a client because of the
unwillingness or inability of the client to pay for services deleted text end new text begin meet the qualifications under
section 256B.0624, subdivision 4 new text end . Emergency services must include assessment, crisis
intervention, and appropriate case disposition. Emergency services must:

(1) promote the safety and emotional stability of each client;

(2) minimize further deterioration of each client;

(3) help each client to obtain ongoing care and treatment;

(4) prevent placement in settings that are more intensive, costly, or restrictive than
necessary and appropriate to meet client needs; and

(5) provide support, psychoeducation, and referrals to each client's family members,
service providers, and other third parties on behalf of the client in need of emergency
services.

(b) If a county provides engagement services under section 253B.041, the county's
emergency service providers must refer clients to engagement services when the client
meets the criteria for engagement services.

Subd. 2.

Specific requirements.

(a) The county board shall require that all service
providers of emergency services to adults new text begin or children new text end with mental illness provide immediate
direct access to a mental health professional during regular business hours. For evenings,
weekends, and holidays, the service may be by direct toll-free telephone access to a mental
health professional, clinical trainee, or mental health practitioner.

(b) The commissioner may waive the requirement in paragraph (a) that the evening,
weekend, and holiday service be provided by a mental health professional, clinical trainee,
or mental health practitioner if the county documents that:

(1) mental health professionals, clinical trainees, or mental health practitioners are
unavailable to provide this service;

(2) services are provided by a designated person with training in human services who
receives treatment supervision from a mental health professional; and

(3) the service provider is not also the provider of fire and public safety emergency
services.

(c) The commissioner may waive the requirement in paragraph (b), clause (3), that the
evening, weekend, and holiday service not be provided by the provider of fire and public
safety emergency services if:

(1) every person who will be providing the first telephone contact has received at least
eight hours of training on emergency mental health services approved by the commissioner;

(2) every person who will be providing the first telephone contact will annually receive
at least four hours of continued training on emergency mental health services approved by
the commissioner;

(3) the local social service agency has provided public education about available
emergency mental health services and can assure potential users of emergency services that
their calls will be handled appropriately;

(4) the local social service agency agrees to provide the commissioner with accurate
data on the number of emergency mental health service calls received;

(5) the local social service agency agrees to monitor the frequency and quality of
emergency services; and

(6) the local social service agency describes how it will comply with paragraph (d).

(d) Whenever emergency service during nonbusiness hours is provided by anyone other
than a mental health professional, a mental health professional must be available on call for
an emergency assessment and crisis intervention services, and must be available for at least
telephone consultation within 30 minutes.

Subd. 3.

Mental health crisis services.

The commissioner of human services shall
increase access to mental health crisis services for children and adults. In order to increase
access, the commissioner must:

(1) deleted text begin develop a central phone number where calls can be routed to the appropriate crisis
services deleted text end new text begin promote the 988 Lifeline new text end ;

(2) provide telephone consultation 24 hours a day to mobile crisis teams who are serving
people with traumatic brain injury or intellectual disabilities who are experiencing a mental
health crisis;

(3) expand crisis services across the state, including rural areas of the state and examining
access per population;

(4) establish and implement state standards and requirements for crisis services as outlined
in section 256B.0624; and

(5) provide grants to adult mental health initiatives, counties, tribes, or community mental
health providers to establish new mental health crisis residential service capacity.

Priority will be given to regions that do not have a mental health crisis residential services
program, do not have an inpatient psychiatric unit within the region, do not have an inpatient
psychiatric unit within 90 miles, or have a demonstrated need based on the number of crisis
residential or intensive residential treatment beds available to meet the needs of the residents
in the region. At least 50 percent of the funds must be distributed to programs in rural
Minnesota. Grant funds may be used for start-up costs, including but not limited to
renovations, furnishings, and staff training. Grant applications shall provide details on how
the intended service will address identified needs and shall demonstrate collaboration with
crisis teams, other mental health providers, hospitals, and police.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 256L.03, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

Cost-sharing.

(a) Co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles do not apply to
children under the age of 21 and to American Indians as defined in Code of Federal
Regulations, title 42, section 600.5.

(b) The commissioner must adjust co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles for covered
services in a manner sufficient to maintain the actuarial value of the benefit to 94 percent.
The cost-sharing changes described in this paragraph do not apply to eligible recipients or
services exempt from cost-sharing under state law. The cost-sharing changes described in
this paragraph shall not be implemented prior to January 1, 2016.

(c) The cost-sharing changes authorized under paragraph (b) must satisfy the requirements
for cost-sharing under the Basic Health Program as set forth in Code of Federal Regulations,
title 42, sections 600.510 and 600.520.

(d) Cost-sharing for prescription drugs and related medical supplies to treat chronic
disease must comply with the requirements of section 62Q.481.

(e) Co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles do not apply to additional diagnostic
services or testing that a health care provider determines an enrollee requires after a
mammogram, as specified under section 62A.30, subdivision 5.

(f) Cost-sharing must not apply to drugs used for tobacco and nicotine cessation or to
tobacco and nicotine cessation services covered under section 256B.0625, subdivision 68.

(g) Co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles do not apply to pre-exposure prophylaxis
(PrEP) and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) medications when used for the prevention or
treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

new text begin (h) Co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles do not apply to mobile crisis intervention,
as defined in section 256B.0624, subdivision 2, paragraph (d).
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective January 1, 2026, or upon federal approval,
whichever is later. The commissioner of human services shall notify the revisor of statutes
when federal approval is obtained.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATION; MOBILE CRISIS GRANTS.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2026 and $....... in fiscal year 2027 are appropriated from the general
fund to the commissioner of human services for mobile crisis grants under Minnesota
Statutes, section 245.4661, subdivision 9, paragraph (b), clause (15). Funds may be used
by mobile crisis teams to purchase and renovate vehicles to provide protected transport
under Minnesota Statutes, section 256B.0625, subdivision 17, paragraph (l), clause (6).
new text end