[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6341676,"mediaKeyId","2256396-afc86c4a9d642cced0b7272015d426aa","parentId",2256396,"title","Committee lays over bill to codify Integrated Community Supports, require DHS reporting and impose 2‑year moratorium on new setting applications","audioSeconds",2309,"startMs",140961,"endMs",2450220,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2256396-afc86c4a9d642cced0b7272015d426aa&start=140&end=2450","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2256396-afc86c4a9d642cced0b7272015d426aa/thumbnail_140961.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6341676/Minnesota/Committee-lays-over-bill-to-codify-Integrated-Community-Supports-require-DHS-reporting-and-impose-2year-moratorium-on-new-setting-applications","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6341676-5652e25d88f641425bf13b01b83801f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1775228835&Signature=T57HRx4C7hvxGVUxcym55nUfI7iOog26UeqlK5cjWnn4xS9ZXLTJ65UjNJRO5TDvkz-lUB5EjggtTHB4A9hgAR1M-skGGqEuxEJDt3FH6EBHhNj3LCsNRvXzz~2wg-kLZW9TqqTtP8GS9I8wr~AYyeanDuGKXkOFrXXnKB3ZWXfj5D6xntjN7GeY0AgOu92YzH3FN6VpOlTlbpF9HLl0yBfphu82xVqhjW2JGYkvnB4nNxHs735QDMqrVbIpfilBsB2lIVImbVo~Hqha~4w~vV4Utugu~oJuAlDj-RCi4zLxrRR-1QgzqMpGN50CksPCqck8RXmbl99qnFq5D2S9Uw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author"," Minnesota Senate","date","2025-02-07T23:23:54Z","article","Senate File 813, as amended, would direct the Minnesota Department of Human Services to draft statutory language codifying the Integrated Community Supports (ICS) program, require quarterly public reporting on setting utilization and licensing review timelines, ask DHS to propose a temporary or provisional approval process, and impose a two‑year moratorium on new ICS setting applications to allow the department to work through a backlog.

Supporters said the bill is intended to add transparency and predictability to a program that was created through federal waiver amendments rather than state statute. Zania Harout, board president of the Residential Providers Association of Minnesota (RPMN), told the committee that RPMN represents roughly 200 small residential providers, many BIPOC‑owned, who serve people with disabilities accessing Medicaid services through the CADI and brain injury (BI) waivers. She and other testifiers said providers have waited months to more than a year for setting approvals and are often required to pay for housing they cannot yet bill for while waiting for DHS review.

Josh Berg, who identified himself as representing ASI, said ICS was approved in waiver amendments effective Jan. 1, 2021, and that the program’s rules currently are spread across a 500‑page waiver amendment, DHS policy, memos and the CMS guidance manual. Berg told senators that DHS paused some application processing in early 2024 for regions it determined had high service capacity; he said providers interpret that pause as applying to Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington counties and that the department’s last published update for some metro region processing dates to Oct. 18, 2023.

The amendment before the committee would require DHS to publish, on a quarterly basis, (a) the number of approved ICS beds, (b) average utilization for those beds in the prior quarter, (c) the number of setting applications in review and (d) the average review wait time for the prior quarter. It would place a two‑year moratorium on submitting new setting applications, with exceptions similar to other statutory moratoriums, to allow DHS to process the existing backlog. The amendment also directs DHS to prepare a legislative proposal for how a temporary or provisional license process could operate so providers could obtain preliminary approval before incurring major facility costs.

Sponsors and testifiers gave multiple provider examples of how the backlog affects clients. Berg described one case in August 2024 where a person ready to leave an acute care setting could not move into an affordable accessible apartment because the provider’s ICS setting was at capacity and DHS would not prioritize a one‑unit capacity increase. Berg and Harout said the backlog and capacity limits force some people to remain in institutional care longer than they or their providers want.

Committee members expressed support for greater transparency but repeatedly said they did not want DHS to unilaterally draft final statutory language without stakeholder and legislative input. Several senators asked that legislators, advocates and providers participate in drafting any statute; one senator said the bill should be a starting point for a broader conversation rather than the final language.

Disposition: the chair laid Senate File 813, as amended, over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill. The committee did not record a roll‑call vote in the hearing transcript but the motion to lay the bill over was announced and accepted on the record.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Human Services - 02/10/25","oneSentenceSummary","Senate File 813, as amended, would direct the Minnesota Department of Human Services to codify the Integrated Community Supports program in statute, require quarterly reporting on setting utilization and review timelines, ask DHS to propose provisional approvals and impose a two‑year moratorium on new setting applications while DHS works through its backlog.","taxTitle","Human Services, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Minnesota","taxId",15809,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6341670,"Committee recommends passage of bill allowing providers to secure county housing‑support contracts for eligible residents and sends it to Health and Human Servi",1672,3052700,4725030,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2256396-afc86c4a9d642cced0b7272015d426aa&start=3052&end=4725","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2256396-afc86c4a9d642cced0b7272015d426aa/thumbnail_3052700.jpg","/articles/6341670/Minnesota/Committee-recommends-passage-of-bill-allowing-providers-to-secure-county-housingsupport-contracts-for-eligible-residents-and-sends-it-to-Health-and-HumanServi","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6341670-cad95de76465cd3ec03afa7ea32739c9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775228835&Signature=J3XGBDKQfrmbKRIPe2l90ezuXy7hA1-OjO6jnPUPp4poSmp99QiYVhPS88kvthbqGLCMAGJZNp5a9czMjojldmw9YMyX52k34IThLq1uAQkb9O6IeHa3XJpUZZ~am8-3Ncn2VOCwBe4vZcQoTMxtf9ScM9~u4mwaMZTP2erAxWGsGUP--heaFevbElfdAsaywRFY~a3H5E~1~mOQdVGndXTNBvF2HDsRk9LCBN8z7rKXpjwJGcSdlbwr4PzMkK2wmzJ82lIxGwofqcbm2jDCxY3QBtGfpNX8jpo1B8XVjo0irw6nJ5Eu~Lqvyjg8w9aW0g4dxqbr1VkGzC4A3pkmWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate File 814 would require counties to allow housing‑support contracts with licensed provider‑controlled residential settings so eligible residents could apply housing‑support dollars toward room and board in those settings. Sponsors and witnesses said the change is intended to reduce county‑level gatekeeping and increase financial stability for both residents and small providers.

Zania Harout of the Residential Providers Association of Minnesota told senators that housing support (formerly known as GRH) helps pay rent and food for low‑income seniors and adults with disabilities. She said access depends on whether a county chooses to contract with a provider; some metro counties have imposed informal moratoria or declined to contract with providers using single‑family homes or particular facility types. Harout and other witnesses urged a statutory change so providers licensed by DHS or MDH could more reliably obtain housing‑support contracts for eligible residents.

Amanda Vikstrom, executive director of the Minnesota Elder Justice Center, testified in support and said the committee’s coalition has observed counties acting as gatekeepers. Vikstrom and other advocates said they are seeking clarification that counties may not categorically refuse contracts for certain licensed residential settings without limited, specified reasons.

Matthew Bergeron, legislative counsel to RPMN, clarified that the bill’s language would not override municipal zoning codes. He said it would prevent a county from using zoning classification as the sole reason to deny a housing‑support contract when the provider is otherwise legally permitted to operate in that zone. Bergeron noted that state law treats residential facilities of six or fewer as a permitted use in many zones and that the bill aims to address administrative county practices rather than change local zoning law.

Witnesses told the committee that more than 20,000 Minnesotans receive housing support each month. Committee members asked about fraud risk and program integrity; witnesses distinguished this housing‑support discussion from federal reports about fraud in other housing or enrollment programs and said counties sometimes cite budget concerns for restrictive contracting practices. The Governor’s budget proposal was referenced as including a separate approach to allow certain certified recovery residences to enroll directly with DHS; witnesses said they would like a similar option for provider‑controlled settings licensed by MDH or DHS.

Disposition: the committee recommended Senate File 814 be referred to the Health and Human Services Committee for further consideration and asked staff to obtain a fiscal note where appropriate.","Senate File 814 would require counties to allow contracts with licensed provider‑controlled residential settings so eligible residents can use housing support (formerly GRH) toward room and board; the committee recommended passage and referred the bill to the Health and Human Services Committee.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6341671,"Panel lays over bill to extend customized‑living rate framework to disability waivers",529,2450805,2979974,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2256396-afc86c4a9d642cced0b7272015d426aa&start=2450&end=2979","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2256396-afc86c4a9d642cced0b7272015d426aa/thumbnail_2450805.jpg","/articles/6341671/Minnesota/Panel-lays-over-bill-to-extend-customizedliving-rate-framework-to-disability-waivers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6341671-b0c0e81e7dbda6eb1269d3bbab46f99e/orig.mp4?Expires=1775228835&Signature=X-zgBkOOOFgun7D2sUU8QZinGUSl9-rcYPjR8ss~iL~Rc7jXyJBi863psUILc6OdwUEN4MRmpIpCNisKDrx1l2MEuab3gpm6BQP6gBSqRmHpC9aKAVkoqJxLzavoDxGGBowvQte0JboWE8CzzH-ML1FmH-91MziIGzi~7PF93xEgSCMKEVVs8kaxT70IqcluyPOS620hMP0gCXEiMNO2X4IzWchzTsSO3Cj8fi2-QjLFRnvcqrm6HLsGwvmyTzQCVZnb0axNPKfw3DfSZKxSFOWx~HzpB3dc06ybO5IGb3kCqPU1KX9pwbfUljVMHyiGM-sWXIT4nt1t2XzWOLR5yQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate File 812 would expand Minnesota’s customized living reimbursement framework so that providers serving people on the Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI) and brain injury (BI) waivers receive reimbursement under the same full rate framework that was phased in for elderly‑waiver residents. The bill’s A1 amendment directs the commissioners of the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services to consult with stakeholders to draft legislation better aligning assisted‑living licensing requirements with the reimbursement framework.

Zania Harout, board president of the Residential Providers Association of Minnesota, told the committee the legislature and DHS separated reimbursement systems in 2021 and that in 2023 the legislature fully phased in the new rate framework for elderly‑waiver providers but did not fully implement the same phase‑in for CADI and BI providers. Harout and other witnesses said the result is that identical services in the same building can be reimbursed at a materially lower rate for people on disability waivers than for elderly waiver beneficiaries.

Committee discussion recounted the prior phased approach. DHS staff explained the initial partial phase‑in was driven by fiscal considerations and that the phase‑in is frozen until the legislature changes it. Senators acknowledged a cost implication to broadening the framework and asked for fiscal analyses. The chair and sponsor said the legislation is a starting point to continue stakeholder work and to resolve inconsistencies between assisted‑living licensing requirements and cost components recognized in the customized living framework.

Disposition: the committee laid Senate File 812, as amended, over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill and signaled that fiscal notes will be requested as the proposal advances.","Senate File 812 would expand the customized living reimbursement framework so providers serving people on the CADI and brain‑injury (BI) waivers receive rate treatment more comparable to elderly‑waiver providers and direct MDH and DHS to consult stakeholders on aligning licensing and reimbursement.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee lays over bill to codify Integrated Community Supports, require DHS reporting and impose 2‑year moratorium on new setting applications

Committee recommends passage of bill allowing providers to secure county housing‑support contracts for eligible residents and sends it to Health and Human Servi

Panel lays over bill to extend customized‑living rate framework to disability waivers