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HF3521

Exceptions to the Ban on Building New Hospitals

Last scannedAug 22, 2026, 3:39 AM

In one sentence

This law creates specific situations where hospitals in Minnesota can build new facilities or add beds even though a general ban usually stops this work.

What it does

  • Allows national referral centers that treat more than 40 percent of their patients from outside Minnesota to expand construction projects.
  • Permits the addition of up to 35 psychiatric beds for adolescents in Rice County if most patients come from out of state.
  • Authorizes a new hospital with up to 300 beds in Maple Grove if city officials and health leaders approve it first.
  • Lets hospitals add specific numbers of beds in Beltrami, Otter Tail, Carver, Itasca, and Hennepin counties for special services like rehabilitation or mental health.
  • Allows the temporary moving of pediatric orthopedic beds to rebuild a new hospital on an existing site without increasing total bed counts.

Who it affects

  • Hospitals in Minnesota that want to build, expand, or move facilities
  • Specific hospitals located in Rice County, Beltrami County, Otter Tail County, Carver County, Itasca County, Hennepin County, and Maple Grove
  • National referral centers that treat patients from outside the state

Limits and unknowns

  • Many exceptions only allow bed increases if the total number of beds in that area or system does not go up.
  • Some projects require approval from city councils, state health commissioners, or specific dates before they can start.
  • The official text provided ends abruptly while listing requirements for the Maple Grove hospital project.

Plain language

Terms to know

Moratorium
A temporary official stop or ban on building new hospitals or adding beds.
Certificate of Need
Official approval required before a hospital can build or change its services, which some older projects already have.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textOfficial digestCurrent bill textStored full record

Official summary

Exception to the hospital construction moratorium provided.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. Presented to Governor 05/11/26House
  2. Presentment date 05/11/26Senate
  3. Returned from SenateHouse
  4. Special OrderSenate
  5. Comm report: Subst. for SF on General Orders SF3587Senate
  6. Received from HouseSenate
  7. AmendedHouse
  8. House rule 1.21, placed on Calendar for the Day Monday, May 4, 2026House
  9. Committee report, to adopt as amendedHouse
  10. Author added Johnson, W.House
  11. Introduction and first reading, referred to Health Finance and PolicyHouse