1st Engrossment - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 04/09/2024 09:31am
A bill for an act
relating to higher education; requiring submission of information to the legislature
prior to the introduction of a bill appropriating money to the Board of Regents of
the University Minnesota; requiring annual reporting; directing the commissioner
of health to provide recommendations for a health professions workforce advisory
council; appropriating money for the academic health system at the University of
Minnesota; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 137.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
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Prior to the introduction of a bill proposing to appropriate
money to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota to benefit the University of
Minnesota's health sciences programs, the proponents of the bill must submit a written
report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with
jurisdiction over higher education and health and human services policy and finance setting
out the information required by this section. The University of Minnesota's health sciences
programs include the schools of medicine, nursing, public health
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, pharmacy, dentistry, and
veterinary medicine.
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The report required under this section must include the
following information as specifically as possible:
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(1) the dollar amount requested;
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(2) how the requested dollar amount was calculated;
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(3) the necessity for the appropriation's purpose to be funded by public funds;
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(4) a funds flow analysis supporting the necessity analysis required by clause (3);
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(5) University of Minnesota budgeting considerations and decisions impacting the
necessity analysis required by clause (3);
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(6) all goals, outcomes, and purposes of the appropriation;
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(7) performance measures the University of Minnesota will utilize to ensure the funds
are dedicated to the successful achievement of the goals, outcomes, and purposes identified
in clause (6); and
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(8) the extent to which the appropriation advances recruitment from, and training for,
health professionals in greater Minnesota and from underserved communities in metropolitan
areas.
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A report submitted under this section
must include, in addition to the information listed in subdivision 2, a certification, by a duly
authorized agent of the University of Minnesota who is anticipated to exercise control over
the appropriation, that:
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(1) the appropriation will not be used to cover academic health clinical revenue deficits;
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(2) the goals, outcomes, and purposes of the appropriation are aligned with state goals
for population health improvement; and
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(3) the appropriation is aligned with the University of Minnesota's strategic plan for its
health sciences programs, including but not limited to shared goals and strategies for the
health professional schools.
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The chair of a standing committee in either house of the
legislature may request and obtain the reports required under this section from the chair of
a legislative committee with jurisdiction over higher education or health and human services
policy and finance.
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This section is effective July 1, 2024.
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By December 15, 2025, and every year thereafter, the Board of Regents of the University
of Minnesota must submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the
legislative committees with primary jurisdiction over higher education and health and human
services policy and finance on the use of all appropriations for the benefit of the University
of Minnesota's health sciences programs, including:
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(1) material changes to the funds flow analysis required by Minnesota Statutes, section
137.095, subdivision 2, clause (4);
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(2) changes to the University of Minnesota's anticipated uses of each appropriation;
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(3) the results of the performance measures required by Minnesota Statutes, section
137.095, subdivision 2, clause (7); and
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(4) current and anticipated achievement of the goals, outcomes, and purposes of each
appropriation.
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This section is effective July 1, 2024.
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(a) The commissioner
of health, in consultation with the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State
HealthForce Center of Excellence, shall provide recommendations to the legislature for the
creation of a health professions workforce advisory council to:
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(1) research and advise the legislature and Minnesota Office of Higher Education on the
status and needs of the health workforce who are in training;
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(2) provide information and analysis on health workforce issues, upon request, to the
legislature, any state department, or any other entity the advisory council deems appropriate;
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(3) review and comment on legislation relevant to Minnesota's health workforce; and
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(4) study and provide recommendations regarding the following:
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(i) health workforce supply, including:
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(A) employment trends and demand;
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(B) strategies that entities in Minnesota are using or may use to address health workforce
shortages, recruitment, and retention; and
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(C) future investments to increase the supply of health care professionals, with particular
focus on critical areas of need within Minnesota;
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(ii) options for training and educating the health workforce, including:
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(A) increasing the diversity of health professions workers to reflect Minnesota's
communities;
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(B) addressing the maldistribution of primary, mental health, nursing, and dental providers
in greater Minnesota and in underserved communities in metropolitan areas;
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(C) increasing interprofessional training and clinical practice; and
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(D) addressing the need for increased quality faculty to train an increased workforce;
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(iii) increasing funding for strategies to diversify and address gaps in the health workforce,
including:
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(A) increasing access to financing for graduate medical education;
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(B) expanding pathway programs to increase awareness of the health care professions
among high school, undergraduate, and community college students, and engaging the
current health workforce in those programs;
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(C) reducing or eliminating tuition for entry-level health care positions that offer
opportunities for future advancement in high-demand settings, and expanding other existing
financial support programs such as loan forgiveness and scholarship programs;
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(D) incentivizing recruitment from greater Minnesota, and recruitment and retention for
providers practicing in greater Minnesota and in underserved communities in metropolitan
areas; and
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(E) expanding existing programs, or investing in new programs, that provide wraparound
support services to existing health care workforce, especially people of color and
professionals from other underrepresented identities, to acquire training and advance within
the health care workforce; and
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(iv) other Minnesota health workforce priorities as determined by the advisory council.
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On or before December 31, 2024, the commissioner
of health shall submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative
committees with jurisdiction over health and human services and higher education finance
and policy with recommendations for the creation of a health professions workforce advisory
council as described in subdivision 1. The report must include recommendations regarding:
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(1) membership of the advisory council;
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(2) funding sources and estimated costs for the advisory council;
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(3) existing sources of workforce data for the advisory council to perform its duties;
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(4) necessity for and options to obtain new data for the advisory council to perform its
duties;
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(5) additional duties of the advisory council;
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(6) proposed legislation to establish the advisory council;
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(7) similar health workforce advisory councils in other states; and
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(8) advisory council reporting requirements.
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$....... in fiscal year 2025 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of
health to study and provide recommendations to the legislature for a health professions
workforce advisory council. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until December
31, 2024.
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$25,000,000 is appropriated in fiscal year
2025 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota to
establish up to four new medical discovery teams. The medical discovery teams should:
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(1) encourage multidisciplinary faculty and discovery in critical areas impacting health
care in Minnesota, including mental health, infectious disease, cancer, cardiovascular
programs, and population health;
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(2) promote faculty, physician, and interdisciplinary recruitments;
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(3) achieve significant impacts, including new cures and treatments delivered by
world-class providers; and
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(4) provide new training and research opportunities for Minnesota students.
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$20,000,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2025
from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota to maintain
and expand health care in underserved communities. This expansion of health care should
include:
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(1) investments in the Community University Hospital Clinic, mobile health partnership
with Hennepin County, and University of Minnesota Physicians primary care clinics;
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(2) serving more patients in underserved areas in culturally appropriate ways; and
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(3) training more students in primary care and health equity.
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$15,000,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2025 from
the general fund to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota to expand education
and workforce development opportunities, including through the development of new career
pathways for health care professionals. This expansion should seek to train more health
care professionals, and to identify Minnesota-specific needs and targets. The University of
Minnesota's six academic health science programs should be utilized to provide unique
opportunities to:
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(1) develop and expand workforce development opportunities to create additional
openings for medical students;
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(2) promote new programming in high-need areas such as mental health, respiratory
therapy, and advanced dental therapy programs;
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(3) expand addiction fellowships, and addiction and mental health tracks in residencies;
and
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(4) design pathways and partnerships for high-need professions with Minnesota state
colleges and private colleges in Minnesota.
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$10,000,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2025
from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota to transform
primary care. The transformation should improve access to primary care and specialists
around Minnesota, and increase support for physicians in rural and underserved communities.
Such access may be achieved through:
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(1) increasing and improving electronic consultations between providers and patients;
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(2) increasing and improving online medical consultations for primary care providers
to seek a specialist's opinion regarding a patient's diagnosis and treatment;
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(3) building physician networks;
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(4) promoting continuing medical education; and
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(5) providing advanced telehealth.
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$5,000,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2025 from
the general fund to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota to support the
Center for Learning Health Systems Sciences. Such support should be utilized to achieve
better outcomes, cost efficiencies, and the ability to share best practices in health care
delivery across health systems.
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$4,750,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2025 from
the general fund to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota to develop and
implement solutions to common health care challenges across health care systems that
include partnership with one or more health care systems. This may be achieved by:
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(1) a prehospital care network;
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(2) a rural health clinical trials network;
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(3) strategies to address clinician burnout; or
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(4) addressing other areas identified in consultation with the Minnesota Department of
Health.
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(a) $250,000 is appropriated in
fiscal year 2025 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota
to support an analysis of opportunities for partnership between the state's
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public health care
delivery entities: the University of Minnesota; Hennepin Health; and the Veterans Affairs
hospitals. The purpose of this work is to determine the feasibility of shared facilities, common
ancillary services, shared research infrastructure, clinical collaboration, and other
interventions that drive cost efficiencies and enhance access for Minnesotans. The state
requests that the University of Minnesota convene all three organizations to determine the
scope of the work, select a vendor for the analysis, and oversee the project.
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(b) On or before December 31, 2024, the University of Minnesota must submit a report
to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction
over health and human services finance and policy outlining the findings, the next steps,
and the resources necessary to achieve the goals set forth in the report.
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