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Lawmakers debate funding, timing and opioid language in MAP amendments as counties and advocates weigh in
Summary
House File 41‑25 amends the Minnesota African‑American Family Preservation Act (MAP) and related child‑welfare practices; testimony from counties, advocates and guardians highlighted funding needs, early positive results from pilots, and sharp disagreement over a proposed delay and a proposed rebuttable presumption when synthetic opioids are present.
Representative Budge presented House File 41‑25, changes to the Minnesota African‑American Family Preservation Act (MAP) and related disproportionality and case‑review provisions. The A4 author’s amendment was adopted to clarify definitions, narrow the scope of cases for state review, phase the case‑review function to the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), and include an open appropriation to support county implementation.
County officials and community advocates gave the committee detailed testimony. Ramsey County Commissioner Rena Moran said moving case reviews to the state aligns with other program models and urged funding and an extension of an implementation appropriation through Dec. 31, 2026. Hennepin County Chair Irene Fernando said Hennepin’s phased pilot is already showing promising results, citing that "as of February 2026, only 3.8% of MAP‑flagged cases in Hennepin experienced out‑of‑home placement." She urged additional staff and concrete supports for families.
Advocates including Kelly Houston of NAACP Minneapolis framed the legislation in historical context and urged against delaying case reviews. "We cannot continue to accept delay when the harm is ongoing," Houston said, arguing that timely case reviews are the central accountability mechanism for identifying unnecessary removals and correcting disparities.
Several county representatives, including Meeker County officials Tina Shenk and Kirstin Linderman, described system reforms that reduced placements locally and asked for state investment to scale those changes statewide. Lived‑experience testimony from foster parents highlighted how state‑level decisions and agency directives can change a child’s outcome even after years in a home.
Vice Chair Nelson offered a DE2 amendment proposing a one‑year delay of some implementation dates, expanded definitions and a rebuttable presumption of imminent harm when synthetic opioids are present without a valid prescription. The DE2 drew sharp questioning from members who worried about unintended consequences — for example, that the mere presence of synthetic opioids could lead to emergency removals even when the substance was introduced by a teenager in the home. The committee voted; the DE2 amendment failed.
Representative Budge sought to refer HF 41‑25 to the Judiciary and Civil Law Committee after extended discussion about funding, IT systems and training. The audio record contains conflicting announcements about the roll call; the committee ultimately announced that the bill would remain in the Children and Families Committee for further work rather than be referred that day.
Committee members asked DCYF staff for follow‑up on guidance, training and implementation timelines. Lawmakers and stakeholders agreed to continue negotiations as the bill moves through remaining committee stops.
