1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to higher education; establishing an allied health technician scholarship
1.3 program; requiring a report; appropriating money.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5 Section 1. ALLIED HEALTH TECHNICIAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
1.6 Subdivision 1.Establishment.The commissioner of the Office of Higher Education
1.7shall establish a program to provide up to 1,000 scholarships to students entering specified
1.8health technician programs by 2028.
1.9 Subd. 2.Eligible students.(a) To be eligible for a scholarship under this section, a
1.10student must:
1.11 (1) apply in the form and manner specified by the commissioner;
1.12 (2) be a resident student, as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 136A.101, subdivision
1.138;
1.14 (3) attend an eligible institution, as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 136A.101,
1.15subdivision 4;
1.16 (4) be enrolled in the student's first term in a nationally accredited degree, diploma, or
1.17certificate program in one of the following health technician fields:
1.18 (i) medical laboratory technologist;
1.19 (ii) medical laboratory technician;
1.20 (iii) respiratory therapist;
1Section 1.
REVISOR VH/HL 25-0379603/11/25
State of Minnesota
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. F. No. 2639
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
Authored by Liebling and Wolgamott03/24/2025
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Higher Education Finance and Policy 2.1 (iv) radiology technologist; or
2.2 (v) surgical technologist;
2.3 (5) submit to the commissioner a completed affidavit, prescribed by the commissioner,
2.4affirming the student's intent to work in the specified health technician field following
2.5graduation; and
2.6 (6) agree to provide the commissioner, in a manner and by a date prescribed by the
2.7commissioner, the location and type of health care facility where the award recipient is
2.8employed following completion of the health technician program.
2.9 (b) A student may receive a scholarship under this section only once.
2.10 Subd. 3.Administration; award amount.(a) The commissioner must establish an
2.11application process and other guidelines for implementing this program. The first set of
2.12scholarships must be awarded for the 2026-2027 academic year.
2.13 (b) The amount of a scholarship awarded under this section is $5,000. The scholarship
2.14must be paid in a lump sum directly to the institution where the recipient is enrolled.
2.15 Subd. 4.Reporting.By February 1, 2027, and again by February 1, 2028, the
2.16commissioner must submit a report on the program to the chairs and ranking minority
2.17members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over higher education finance and
2.18policy. The report must include the following information as well as any other information
2.19the commissioner considers relevant:
2.20 (1) information about all postsecondary health technician programs giving rise to
2.21eligibility for a scholarship under this section, including the programs' locations, costs,
2.22enrollment capacities, acceptance rates, and other relevant information;
2.23 (2) information about the locations and types of health care facilities where the award
2.24recipients are employed following completion of a health technician program;
2.25 (3) available data on the current and forecasted demand for health technicians in
2.26Minnesota; and
2.27 (4) the total number of scholarships issued, organized by:
2.28 (i) year of award;
2.29 (ii) postsecondary institution attended;
2.30 (iii) health technician field; and
2.31 (iv) relevant and available demographic data about award recipients.
2Section 1.
REVISOR VH/HL 25-0379603/11/25 3.1 Subd. 5.Expiration.This section expires June 30, 2028.
3.2 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; ALLIED HEALTH TECHNICIAN SCHOLARSHIP
3.3PROGRAM.
3.4 (a) $5,380,000 in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the
3.5commissioner of the Office of Higher Education for the allied health technician scholarship
3.6program under section 1. Of this amount:
3.7 (1) $5,000,000 is for awarding 1,000 student scholarships;
3.8 (2) $230,000 is for promotion of the program and student recruitment efforts; and
3.9 (3) $150,000 is for administering the program.
3.10 (b) This is a onetime appropriation. This appropriation is available until expended or
3.11until June 30, 2028, whichever occurs first.
3Sec. 2.
REVISOR VH/HL 25-0379603/11/25