Committee amends and lays over $500,000 one‑time request for Minnesota nursing workforce center
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Summary
Lawmakers amended House File 3167 to include a one‑time $500,000 appropriation for the Center for Nursing Equity and Excellence and approved technical reporting changes; testimony warned the center could close without funding and members laid the bill over for further consideration.
Representative Zalesnikar presented House File 3167 and explained the A1 and A2 amendments: removing an annual reporting requirement when there is no funding, and adding a one‑time $500,000 appropriation in FY27 for the Center for Nursing Equity and Excellence (CNEE). The committee approved both amendments.
Elaine Vandenberg, interim executive director for Minnesota State's HealthForce Center of Excellence, testified the CNEE is Minnesota's nursing workforce coordination body and that without dedicated funding the center risks closure; she said a $500,000 appropriation would sustain statewide data systems and partnerships that help address a worsening nursing shortage. "Without this funding the center is at risk for closure," Vandenberg told the committee.
Members discussed whether the funding should be ongoing or one‑time and whether the work should be supported via competitive grants or an identified appropriation. The bill as amended was laid over for further consideration and technical cleanup to clarify funding language.
