County cost-share requirements modification for economically distressed counties

A bill for an act

relating to human services; modifying county cost-share requirements for

economically distressed counties; modifying opiate epidemic response fund

appropriation; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 246.54, subdivision 2;

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, sections 254B.03, subdivision 4; 256.043,

subdivision 3.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 246.54, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Exceptions.

new text begin
(a)
new text end
Regardless of the facility to which the client is committed,

subdivisions 1, 1a, 1b, and 1c, do not apply to the following individuals:

(1) clients who are committed as sexual psychopathic personalities under section
253D.02,

subdivision 15
; and

(2) clients who are committed as sexually dangerous persons under section
253D.02,

subdivision 16
.

new text begin

(b) A county that is classified as economically distressed is not responsible for the costs

of care under this section. The executive board must classify a county as economically

distressed if:

new text end

new text begin

(1) more than 15 percent of the county's population is living in poverty, according to

the most recent data published by the United States Census Bureau; and

new text end

new text begin

(2) more than 70 percent of the total acreage in the county is exempt from property

taxation under chapter 272.

new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 254B.03, subdivision 4, is amended

to read:

Subd. 4.

Division of costs.

(a) Except for services provided by a county under section

254B.09, subdivision 1
, or services provided under section
256B.69
, the county shall, out

of local money, pay the state for 22.95 percent of the cost of substance use disorder services,

except for those services provided to persons enrolled in medical assistance under chapter

256B and room and board services under section
254B.0505, subdivision 1
. Counties may

use the indigent hospitalization levy for treatment and hospital payments made under this

section.

(b) 22.95 percent of any state collections from private or third-party pay, less 15 percent

for the cost of payment and collections, must be distributed to the county that paid for a

portion of the treatment under this section.

new text begin

(c) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (b), a county that is classified as economically

distressed is not responsible for the county share of the cost of substance use disorder

services. The commissioner must classify a county as economically distressed if:

new text end

new text begin

(1) more than 15 percent of the county's population is living in poverty, according to

the most recent data published by the United States Census Bureau; and

new text end

new text begin

(2) more than 70 percent of the total acreage in the county is exempt from property

taxation under chapter 272.

new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 256.043, subdivision 3, is amended

to read:

Subd. 3.

Appropriations from registration and license fee account.

(a) The

appropriations in paragraphs (b) to (n) shall be made from the registration and license fee

account on a fiscal year basis in the order specified.

(b) The appropriations specified in Laws 2019, chapter 63, article 3, section 1, paragraphs

(b), (f), (g), and (h), as amended by Laws 2020, chapter 115, article 3, section 35, shall be

made accordingly.

(c) $100,000 is appropriated to the commissioner of human services for grants for opiate

antagonist distribution. Grantees may utilize funds for opioid overdose prevention,

community asset mapping, education, and opiate antagonist distribution.

(d) $2,000,000 is appropriated to the commissioner of human services for direct payments

to Tribal nations and five urban Indian communities for traditional healing practices for

American Indians and to increase the capacity of culturally specific providers in the

behavioral health workforce. Any evaluations of practices under this paragraph must be

designed cooperatively by the commissioner and Tribal nations or urban Indian communities.

The commissioner must not require recipients to provide the details of specific ceremonies

or identities of healers.

(e) $400,000 is appropriated to the commissioner of human services for competitive

grants for opioid-focused Project ECHO programs.

(f) $277,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $321,000 each year thereafter is appropriated to the

commissioner of human services to administer the funding distribution and reporting

requirements in paragraph (o).

(g) $3,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 and
deleted text begin
$3,000,000
deleted text end
new text begin
$2,000,000
new text end
each year thereafter is

appropriated to the commissioner of human services for safe recovery sites start-up and

capacity building grants under section
254B.18
.

(h) $395,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $415,000 each year thereafter is appropriated to

the commissioner of human services for the opioid overdose surge alert system under section

245.891
.

(i) $300,000 is appropriated to the commissioner of management and budget for

evaluation activities under section
256.042, subdivision 1
, paragraph (c).

(j) $261,000 is appropriated to the commissioner of human services for the provision of

administrative services to the Opiate Epidemic Response Advisory Council and for the

administration of the grants awarded under paragraph (n).

(k) $126,000 is appropriated to the Board of Pharmacy for the collection of the registration

fees under section
151.066
.

(l) $672,000 is appropriated to the commissioner of public safety for the Bureau of

Criminal Apprehension. Of this amount, $384,000 is for drug scientists and lab supplies

and $288,000 is for special agent positions focused on drug interdiction and drug trafficking.

(m) After the appropriations in paragraphs (b) to (l) are made, 50 percent of the remaining

amount is appropriated to the commissioner of children, youth, and families for distribution

to county social service agencies and Tribal social service agency initiative projects

authorized under section
256.01, subdivision 14b
, to provide prevention and child protection

services to children and families who are affected by addiction. The commissioner shall

distribute this money proportionally to county social service agencies and Tribal social

service agency initiative projects through a formula based on intake data from the previous

three calendar years related to substance use and out-of-home placement episodes where

parental drug abuse is a reason for the out-of-home placement. County social service agencies

and Tribal social service agency initiative projects receiving funds from the opiate epidemic

response fund must annually report to the commissioner on how the funds were used to

provide prevention and child protection services, including measurable outcomes, as

determined by the commissioner. County social service agencies and Tribal social service

agency initiative projects must not use funds received under this paragraph to supplant

current state or local funding received for child protection services for children and families

who are affected by addiction.

(n) After the appropriations in paragraphs (b) to (m) are made, the remaining amount in

the account is appropriated to the commissioner of human services to award grants as

specified by the Opiate Epidemic Response Advisory Council in accordance with section

256.042
, unless otherwise appropriated by the legislature.

(o) Beginning in fiscal year 2022 and each year thereafter, funds for county social service

agencies and Tribal social service agency initiative projects under paragraph (m) and grant

funds specified by the Opiate Epidemic Response Advisory Council under paragraph (n)

may be distributed on a calendar year basis.

(p) Notwithstanding section
16A.28, subdivision 3
, funds appropriated in paragraphs

(c), (d), (e), (g), (m), and (n) are available for three years after the funds are appropriated.

new text begin

EFFECTIVE DATE.

new text end

new text begin

This section is effective the day following final enactment.

new text end