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Bill would require counties to meet with waiver recipients within 10 days of notices of action, sponsors say it will prevent needless hearings
Summary
House File 257 would require counties to contact or meet with people or their legal representatives within 10 days after issuing a notice of action that suspends, reduces or terminates long‑term supports and services; sponsors and advocates said the change would reduce costly appeals and protect continuity of services.
The committee heard House File 257, offered by Representative Hansen, which would require counties to speak with or meet with service participants or their legal representatives within 10 days of issuing a notice of action that suspends, denies, reduces or terminates long‑term supports and services (including waivers and personal care assistance).
Hansen told the committee the current notice form is lengthy and often difficult to understand, frequently arrives only in English, and can trigger appeals that might have been avoided by a timely phone call. “House file 2 57 would require counties to speak with or meet with service participants and or their legal representatives within 10 days of issuing a notice of action,” Hansen said. Supporters argued the proposal would reduce unnecessary hearings, speed corrections for errors and reduce the period during which services are interrupted.
Legal Aid’s Disability Law Center (DLC) and individual clients described multiple examples in which counties did not return calls, lost paperwork or declined to engage before appeals. Ellen Smart, a staff attorney with the Disability Law Center, described a case where the county corrected a denial only at a hearing after ignoring multiple calls and emails; Smart said the hearing could have been avoided if county staff had engaged earlier.
Jillian Nelson, policy director at the Autism Society of Minnesota, recounted her personal experience of repeated appeals after administrative errors and said those hearings waste state and local resources and cause hardship for service recipients.
The committee adopted a DE1 amendment to get the bill into the author's preferred form; the amendment was adopted by voice vote. With the amendment in place the committee laid House File 257 over for possible inclusion. Testimony to the committee stressed consistent access, translated notices and better county responsiveness as ways to protect continuity of services while reducing administrative cost and client stress.
Ending: Bill was laid over with DE1; sponsors said they will continue technical work with counties to ensure practicable implementation.
