[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6623118,"mediaKeyId","2776933-ffdbdf83649b8d20cf09611922cd5dce","parentId",2776933,"title","Committee pushes DHS on child-care licensing modernization; lawmakers adopt amendments and press for timeline and provider protections","audioSeconds",4385,"startMs",1312000,"endMs",5697000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2776933-ffdbdf83649b8d20cf09611922cd5dce&start=1312&end=5697","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2776933-ffdbdf83649b8d20cf09611922cd5dce/thumbnail_1312000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6623118/Minnesota/Committee-pushes-DHS-on-child-care-licensing-modernization-lawmakers-adopt-amendments-and-press-for-timeline-and-provider-protections","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623118-e7784fa028089356d3058a257e5579b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1773330236&Signature=K7iV9opvFobXqVsRbS4Qc~OwNwWw1hnQ2WjDH~olStfjebFUPO00Hnzurtuu1K18EiuCbYPVJWECea7ypCoVnnyu-XyBvt9lfBgg0FTP40cumUN3SMZ9TsZ4xzRRkFzSafrwwkkSlS-ksHeq2Qd8NyO6uTQP2aWPQ1JpwhbfBt1bNb5eniJSd7b9sTNh78QnCPtIisZo~r6NMVI9ZRCvYPrsiyBsFDaISvu-BHsMUw3UopOoungNuexu6bFEj1zlr0v53pKejWShQCblrccgJgYG05xpUbWkK7zn70~fkwmnLb0xG96Y6eDzy6ZIqWh-vnbWsWh1fvWPEryMQlh-rw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Legislature","date","2025-03-26T15:47:18.887Z","article","The Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard a status update on Minnesota’s child-care regulation modernization project and then considered related bills and amendments on March 26, 2025.

DHS presentation and draft changes: Larry Hausch of the Office of Inspector General (DHS) summarized draft 2 of revised licensing standards. He said the modernization project — created by 2021 legislation — has three parts: a risk‑based, tiered violation system; a key-indicator system to allow abbreviated inspections; and revised licensing standards. Draft 2 removed some prescriptive cleaning frequencies, rescinded a blanket ban on scents and aerosols in response to provider concerns, clarified language about pets and pest documentation, removed a requirement to test exposed soils for lead (citing cost and implementation impracticality), retained a radon-testing requirement while seeking flexibility on mitigation costs, and reduced specificity around fall-zone materials for family child care. The draft also proposed new family‑child‑care license classes (a B3 allowing up to 10 children with two adults, and a C3 allowing up to 18 with two adults, contingent on additional training) and a department-developed “child care basics” onboarding training for centers.

Stakeholder engagement and data: Hausch told the committee the department held 23 in-person listening sessions with roughly 950 participants and received more than 2,500 comments; an online survey drew about 1,600 responses. He said follow-up outreach on draft 2 would continue — including regional sessions with Minnesota Initiative Foundations — and that DHS planned a draft 3 for legislative consideration in 2026.

Provider and legislator pushback: Several senators and family‑child‑care providers said draft 1 had been interpreted by many providers and county licensors as overly prescriptive and in places impractical. Senator Lisky described dramatic provider reactions to draft 1; Sen. Abler urged the department to reject overly detailed rules and focus regulation on real safety risks. Family‑child‑care provider Cindy Cunningham testified that many providers were “horrified” by the first draft, that engagement had been reactive rather than proactive, and that providers who do not speak English needed targeted outreach and translated materials.

Legislative action: Senator Wicklund introduced Senate File 12 32, a bill with amendments aimed at altering the modernization process. The committee adopted an author's amendment (A4) that (among other changes) replaces the statutory phrase “grounded in national regulatory best practices” with language that requires updated family‑child‑care licensing standards to “protect the health and safety of children and be child‑centered, family‑friendly, and fair to providers.” The A4 amendment also added specific requirements for continuing engagement with family‑child‑care providers (including evening sessions) and moved a statutory deadline so that DHS must deliver a report and proposed legislation by Dec. 1, 2025 rather than early February 2026.

The committee also adopted two additional amendments: A3 (changes governing how DHS posts licensing correspondence and complaints on public lookup pages — aimed at redacting detailed certified letters that contain investigatory allegations and replacing them with short public summaries) and A5 (clarifying how family childcare providers may care for their own children while also serving paying families, removing ambiguity that providers said had led to inconsistent licensor guidance). After testimony and amendment votes, the committee laid SF 1232 over for possible inclusion.

Parallel reform bill: Senator Bolden presented Senate File 21 35, a broader reform measure supported by several provider groups. SF 21 35 would narrow the scope of state licensing to core physical health and safety standards, rely on national or industry accreditation for quality-assurance measures, and create technical-assistance teams that emphasize support rather than punitive enforcement. Think Small and nonprofit and center directors told the committee that current licensing often conflates facility safety with educational quality and requires time-consuming compliance efforts that reduce time available for child development activities. The committee adopted an author's amendment to SF 21 35 and laid it over for possible inclusion.

Access-focused proposal: Senator Bolden also introduced Senate File 16 29 to explore allowing an unrelated caregiver (a nanny) to provide care for two unrelated families in rural areas without being treated as a licensed family‑child‑care home. Legislators described the measure as a work in progress: the bill was laid over to allow further stakeholder work and does not change current statewide licensing rules.

What the committee asked DHS to do: lawmakers pressed DHS to make translations and evening engagement an explicit part of the process, deliver a clearer implementation timeline, and produce practical guidance items (for example: model supervision plans for unfenced play areas) rather than only detailed prescriptive rules. Several members also urged DHS to prioritize policy choices that will arrest the continuing decline in licensed family‑child‑care slots and to propose incentives to encourage new providers to enter the field.

Next steps: DHS said it will continue stakeholder engagement on draft 2, prepare draft 3 for 2026 legislative consideration, and respond to the committee’s requested clarifications; SF 1232, SF 21 35, and SF 16 29 were laid over for possible inclusion after amendment votes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Health and Human Services - 03/26/25","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard an update from the Department of Human Services on its child‑care licensing modernization project and adopted amendments to a bill that would set engagement, translation and implementation timelines for revised family‑child‑care standards.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"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},6623111,"Committee lays over technical updates to occupational therapy practice act and interstate compact implementation",96,8117000,8213000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2776933-ffdbdf83649b8d20cf09611922cd5dce&start=8117&end=8213","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2776933-ffdbdf83649b8d20cf09611922cd5dce/thumbnail_8117000.jpg","/articles/6623111/Minnesota/Committee-lays-over-technical-updates-to-occupational-therapy-practice-act-and-interstate-compact-implementation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623111-d304e01ee243d0a5ba8a6fb2ba378e55/orig.mp4?Expires=1773330236&Signature=hiEhpTdZsIRTKJCkzVhPc5mxAKYAZDmDPt79C-WQJ90KsNhvD3~b59TkJ1jTGInyk6pBqBGJ12dIOgtNxOWO0D3Rm1abKb8Ssxx~9ACU-9hkR0GYMAG-mmFBZdiUZAyNjcTaoyDuRIMNhVJ~PPpaXeDPvAAoEee6FySMei9uQZi6lkZ13TCsrj41FPVzyL2woPCnqCPTo3xO0q1WN47BMs1CzsG3iZZfXxg5l6Iz8xgSdnJ9XEMxaBBp9haR-06C9ioALzsPw030A7T2tjuncQGRd89Dwf5xyuNfQBAHxMZTAdhepDgyODXZbsjrWj1QL-tym6mI~fFPlLsTd7~HWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. Kupak presented Senate file 2571 to the committee on March 26, 2025. The bill updates Minnesota’s Occupational Therapy Practice Act with conforming and technical changes related to the newly enacted Occupational Therapy Interstate Compact and the board’s administrative functions.

What the bill does: the proposed changes include updated definitions consistent with current occupational‑therapy practice, an increase in the number of board members, technical corrections to fee statutes, and authorization for the board to administer jurisprudence examinations. The bill is primarily conforming language to reflect the board’s operational needs after organizational changes and to ensure the state can participate in the interstate compact.

Testimony: Christina Borland, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Occupational Therapy Practice, told the committee the changes are largely housekeeping and were developed after the board’s transition from the Department of Health in 2018. She said the provisions modernize statutory language and support compact implementation.

Outcome: With no substantive objections and no additional amendments offered at the hearing, the committee laid Senate file 2571 over for possible inclusion.","Senate file 2571, technical revisions to Minnesota’s Occupational Therapy Practice Act tied to interstate compact participation, was presented to the committee and laid over for further consideration.",{"_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},6623113,"Dentists urge caution as committee weighs transition to single dental administrator for public programs",865,7200000,8065000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2776933-ffdbdf83649b8d20cf09611922cd5dce&start=7200&end=8065","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2776933-ffdbdf83649b8d20cf09611922cd5dce/thumbnail_7200000.jpg","/articles/6623113/Minnesota/Dentists-urge-caution-as-committee-weighs-transition-to-single-dental-administrator-for-public-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623113-9b1efd15d6e5f05fc4b7df07d9810006/orig.mp4?Expires=1773330236&Signature=O0W9RkpW0SiFQ1E60o5Fw1qts2g355sLWHuY3g9ZvXQxPSWYiWC0xZse3awOFLnfqgpxHaTPQ3A0lrapCnhsBspmxk2cO18k8UWM8pbiRFVf-acABiAfKgPFI2rbDOVsaSIzKvKX0e6tEphuUpznPggmdmdNSDMhbb-UG5mdqcysYE-2ub2~h87O3RAoTfjPzwj9~SUDNAlp2uvzVZsuQI8D8ukHItBVmo57se4dSKg0zZxW2B7VVOcNC9DL8DxLYYV4uPregcOZm8cpfZlBC86zBfMiElSq-O~8jUBV0wT6YY1UWawRoJfpXPs7qBlQQE4x2XZyxoG~b1tqAbac6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee heard testimony about Senate file 1896, a bill intended to prepare Minnesota for a statutory transition to a single dental administrator for Medical Assistance (MA) and MinnesotaCare dental services.

Background: Legislation passed in 2021 directs the commissioner to contract with a single dental administrator if managed-care and county‑based purchasing plans do not reach a statutory access benchmark (55 percent) by coverage year 2024. The law’s automatic trigger would move dental claims to a single administrator on Jan. 1, 2026 if the benchmark is not met.

Provider concerns and working-group proposal: Representatives of critical‑access dental clinics (CAD Minnesota) and the Minnesota Dental Association told the committee that the sudden switch could cause severe reimbursement reductions for clinics that rely on higher managed‑care payments and on grants from managed‑care organizations to support clinic infrastructure, workforce development and outreach. Dr. Sheila Riggs, chair of primary dental care at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and president of CAD Minnesota, told the committee CAD providers perform the majority of MA dental visits and warned that defaulting to fee‑for‑service Medicaid rates could mean a 4–44% reimbursement cut for some clinics, threatening clinic viability and access in rural and specialty settings.

What the bill does: SF 1896 (as discussed at the hearing) would establish a stakeholder working group to craft key elements needed for a successful transition: a rate structure that accounts for rural, specialty and integrated models; an infrastructure funding strategy (grants and loans) to preserve clinic capabilities; a definition of dental service settings that count toward the 55% benchmark; and procedures to coordinate dental and medical care for complex patients. The bill provides a process and timetable to determine whether the state can implement a single administrator by Jan. 1, 2026 and, if the working group does not complete specified deliverables, to delay the switch by two years to allow planning.

Committee action and next steps: The bill’s sponsor withdrew a proposed late amendment during the hearing to allow more stakeholder discussion; after testimony the committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion. Dental groups said they would keep working with legislative staff and the administration to align reimbursement, provider participation, and infrastructure supports ahead of any contract transition.

Why it matters: Dental providers said the transition threatens a fragile network that many rural and critical‑access clinics depend on to serve MA and MinnesotaCare patients; they urged lawmakers to ensure reimbursement and infrastructure funding are set to maintain access before a single‑administrator model goes live.","Dental providers and associations told the Senate Health and Human Services Committee that Minnesota should set rates, infrastructure funding and access protections before automatically switching Medicaid and MinnesotaCare dental claims to a single administrator.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6623123,"Senate bill would back Rotary–school pilot expanding preschool seats in St. Cloud",892,416000,1308000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2776933-ffdbdf83649b8d20cf09611922cd5dce&start=416&end=1308","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2776933-ffdbdf83649b8d20cf09611922cd5dce/thumbnail_416000.jpg","/articles/6623123/Minnesota/Senate-bill-would-back-Rotaryschool-pilot-expanding-preschool-seats-in-St-Cloud","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6623123-00129d5b68011c6470d4c45d2de09e50/orig.mp4?Expires=1773330236&Signature=beJURJi30xBK~7VzfZIOW0mfZ4o3jfFBkSSY~N7KyCeSdIy~IcY0WZ4nd7swYiMPF0jvChvjhDT4rKBbYUXvkcz9bawFiRgO-BYXSwkdrzoY3k~CGW~~DiIPOzaWAz1LhApM-Q2vy~MjVueg2s27PlBYumPNHFckKLg9OpXYoG2e1-f9M6jQE-LiqZMlyWCZcVWwoKirmIGy-Hy4m0i-aUrmTB4j9lul~-kUfY-tbHruroNJDRvJHbLvR04PJ8xsPYKDs-nBcjvvcCIcW63VJLHH3j0tE-8bQgA7NbdOh4xkIe-uJHRERZqWn8rmCO7YZ1j-HzrOfTyNPy6312R3vQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. Putnam brought Senate file 328 to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on March 26, 2025, asking lawmakers to support a pilot program that would encourage local public–private partnerships to expand preschool access.

The measure grew out of a volunteer effort in St. Cloud. Amy Tremblay, a Rotarian and vice president for community at Initiative Foundation, told the committee the Rotary and local funders raised about $289,000 to add preschool slots in partnership with the St. Cloud Area School District. “For every dollar invested into early childhood programming, you get a $16 return on investment,” Tremblay said, citing research she referenced in her packet.

Why it matters: supporters told the committee early learning can narrow gaps in school readiness and later achievement. Laurie Putnam, superintendent of St. Cloud Area Schools, said the district began the program in the 2021–22 school year and has expanded it since; this school year the district served 96 children through the program. Putnam said the district still has a waiting list for preschool seats — she said hundreds of children sought slots earlier in the effort — and that district funding for the program has come from the general fund and from district–Rotary cost sharing.

Committee discussion focused on funding source and scalability. Sen. Crean asked where the district and Rotary dollars came from; Superintendent Putnam said the district has used its general fund while Rotary philanthropy has matched district contributions roughly 50–50. Some members urged lawmakers to consider state policy that could help other school districts replicate the model.

Outcome: After testimony and questions, the chair said the committee would “lay over” Senate file 328 for possible inclusion in a later package. The committee did not vote to adopt the bill in the hearing; the official action was that the bill was laid over for possible inclusion.

What remains unclear: the bill as presented did not specify statewide cost estimates, an exact formula for state matching, or a uniform eligibility test for districts seeking to replicate St. Cloud’s partnership. Supporters said the bill is a pilot and intended to be replicated by other districts working with local philanthropies and service organizations.

Looking ahead: supporters asked legislators to consider ways to help districts that are already subsidizing local preschool pilots from operating budgets and to explore whether targeted state support could expand capacity in communities that lack active philanthropies.","Senate file 328, presented by Sen. Putnam, would support a pilot modeled on a St. Cloud public–private partnership in which the Rotary Club helped expand preschool seats; lawmakers heard data on academic gains and a persistent waiting list before the bill was laid over for possible inclusion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee pushes DHS on child-care licensing modernization; lawmakers adopt amendments and press for timeline and provider protections

Committee lays over technical updates to occupational therapy practice act and interstate compact implementation

Dentists urge caution as committee weighs transition to single dental administrator for public programs

Senate bill would back Rotary–school pilot expanding preschool seats in St. Cloud