HF 3180

as introduced - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026) Posted on 04/10/2025 02:29pm

A bill for an act
relating to public health; establishing an essential public health functions
contingency account; requiring a report; transferring money to the essential public
health functions contingency account; appropriating money in the account to the
commissioner of health in certain circumstances; proposing coding for new law
in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [144.4205] ESSENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH FUNCTIONS CONTINGENCY
ACCOUNT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Essential public health function. new text end

new text begin For purposes of this section, the
following activities are essential public health functions:
new text end

new text begin (1) activities to prevent or control health threats, including investigating diseases,
identifying sources of disease outbreaks, conducting laboratory testing, alerting the public
and health systems about health threats, and developing activities and guidelines to prevent
the spread of disease and curb disease outbreaks; and
new text end

new text begin (2) the prevention of and response to waterborne disease outbreaks, including support
for public water supplies to stop waterborne disease outbreaks.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Essential public health functions contingency account. new text end

new text begin An essential public
health functions contingency account is created in the special revenue fund in the state
treasury. Money in the essential public health functions contingency account does not cancel
and is appropriated to the commissioner of health for the purposes specified in subdivision
4 when the determination criteria in subdivision 3 and the notice and expenditure review
requirements in subdivision 5 are satisfied.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Determination criteria. new text end

new text begin The commissioner may make expenditures from the
essential public health functions contingency account only if the commissioner determines:
new text end

new text begin (1) on or after March 1, 2025, there was an unexpected, significant reduction in federal
funding or the unexpected elimination of federal funding for one or more essential public
health functions performed by the commissioner of health or funded in whole or in part
with federal funds distributed by the commissioner; and
new text end

new text begin (2) additional funding is necessary for these essential public health functions to continue
to be performed.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Uses of funds. new text end

new text begin When the determination criteria in subdivision 3 and the notice
and expenditure review requirements in subdivision 5 are satisfied, the commissioner may
make expenditures from the essential public health functions contingency account for the
essential public health functions for which federal funding was reduced or eliminated.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Notice and expenditure review. new text end

new text begin Prior to making an expenditure from the
essential public health functions contingency account, the commissioner must:
new text end

new text begin (1) provide written notice to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative
committees with jurisdiction over health and human services finance and policy regarding
the circumstances that necessitate making an expenditure from the account; and
new text end

new text begin (2) after providing notice under clause (1), seek review and recommendation from the
Legislative Advisory Commission according to the procedure in section 3.3005, subdivision
5, that would otherwise apply if the funds were federal funds. The commissioner is prohibited
from seeking review and recommendation for an expenditure for essential public health
functions that was made before the commissioner provided the notice required under clause
(1).
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin By January 15 of each year following a year in which the commissioner
made one or more expenditures from the essential public health functions contingency
account, the commissioner must submit a report on the expenditures to the chairs and ranking
minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health and human
services finance and policy. The report must include the following information for the
preceding year: the amount of federal funding for one or more essential public health
functions that was reduced or eliminated; the amount of each expenditure from the essential
public health functions contingency account; the purpose for which each expenditure was
used; and any additional information the commissioner determines is necessary to properly
document each expenditure. This report is exempt under section 144.05, subdivision 7.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin TRANSFER.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of management and budget must transfer $....... in fiscal year 2026
from the general fund to the essential public health functions contingency account under
Minnesota Statutes, section 144.4205. This is a onetime transfer.
new text end