Senate committee advances bill to create a statewide health care workforce advisory council

Senate File 23-22, carried by Senator Erin Wicklund, would establish a Health Care Workforce Advisory Council to coordinate data, research and planning for Minnesota’s health care workforce. The author said the proposal grew from the University of Minnesota’s Academic Health Center task force and is intended to give the Legislature a consolidated, neutral source of evidence and recommendations for workforce investment priorities.

Niddhika Moibi of the Minnesota Department of Health’s Office of Rural Health and Primary Care told the committee that planners reviewed other states’ councils and recommended a 16‑member body: four legislators, two executive‑branch agency members and about ten gubernatorial appointees with relevant expertise. The proposal would empower the council to convene stakeholders, develop priority-setting processes and produce regular reports to the Legislature.

Committee members debated several amendments. Senator Wicklund presented an oral amendment to adjust membership numbers and remove a data‑access subdivision after the Department of Health advised that council staff would use MDH staff to access protected datasets; that change was adopted. Senator Drazkowski moved an amendment to add a federal agency appointee; that amendment failed on a roll call. After additional amendments were adopted and debated, the committee recommended the bill, as amended, and referred it to the Senate Rules Committee for further consideration.

Supporters said a centralized, data‑driven council would help target scarce resources to priority workforce areas and avoid duplicated efforts. Opponents warned against adding advisory bodies and questioned whether the council would increase bureaucracy.

The committee’s action advances the bill to the Rules Committee where it will be available for potential floor consideration and further amendment.