HF 4531

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 03/23/2022 10:39am

A bill for an act
relating to health; providing for research on health disparities of African-born
immigrants; establishing a task force; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin HEALTH DISPARITIES EXPERIENCED BY AFRICAN-BORN
IMMIGRANTS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Grant. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of health shall issue a grant to an individual
or organization to conduct research on health disparities experienced by African-born
immigrants in Minnesota. The grant recipient must:
new text end

new text begin (1) conduct research to identify health disparities experienced by African-born immigrants
in Minnesota, the causes of those disparities, and barriers experienced by African-born
immigrants in accessing health care, using data that is public or publicly available and
disaggregating this data as necessary;
new text end

new text begin (2) evaluate existing state agency practices for collecting and disseminating data on
health disparities and recommend changes to these practices to allow the collection and
dissemination of data that is disaggregated into more specific racial or ethnic groups; and
new text end

new text begin (3) report on the research, evaluation, and recommendations to the commissioner and
to the task force established under subdivision 2.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Task force. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of health shall establish a task force to
provide input on the research conducted under subdivision 1, evaluate the results of the
research, and provide recommendations on further actions to take at the state and local levels
to address health disparities and barriers to accessing health care experienced by African-born
immigrants. The task force must include individuals who are African-born immigrants living
in Minnesota, representatives of organizations that provide health services and social services
to African-born immigrants, individuals with knowledge of health disparities, individuals
with data expertise, and representatives of the Department of Health and the Department
of Human Services.
new text end

new text begin (b) Compensation and reimbursement for expenses for task force members shall be
governed by Minnesota Statutes, section 15.059, subdivision 6.
new text end

new text begin (c) The commissioner of health shall provide administrative support and meeting space
for the task force.
new text end

new text begin (d) Upon completion of the research under subdivision 1 and evaluation of the results,
the task force may provide a report to the commissioner of health and to the chairs and
ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health care
and data practices:
new text end

new text begin (1) providing recommendations for changes to the collection of health data by state
agencies so that the data collected may be disaggregated to accurately measure health
disparities experienced by specific racial or ethnic groups in Minnesota; and
new text end

new text begin (2) based on the research conducted under subdivision 1, describing the health disparities
experienced by African-born immigrants in Minnesota, causes of the disparities, and barriers
to accessing health care, and providing recommendations to address the disparities and
barriers identified.
new text end

new text begin (e) The task force shall expire June 30, 2025.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; HEALTH DISPARITIES EXPERIENCED BY
AFRICAN-BORN IMMIGRANTS.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2023 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of
health for research on health disparities experienced by African-born immigrants and for
the task force on health disparities experienced by African-born immigrants. This
appropriation is available until June 30, 2025.
new text end