1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to mental health; modifying emergency mental health services; eliminating
1.3 co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles for mobile crisis intervention;
1.4 appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 245.469;
1.5 256L.03, subdivision 5.
1.6BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.7 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 245.469, is amended to read:
1.8 245.469 EMERGENCY SERVICES.
1.9 Subdivision 1.Availability of emergency services.(a) County boards must provide or
1.10contract for enough emergency services within the county to meet the needs of adults,
1.11children, and families in the county who are experiencing an emotional crisis or mental
1.12illness. Clients must not be charged for services provided. Emergency service providers
1.13must not delay the timely provision of emergency services to a client because of the
1.14unwillingness or inability of the client to pay for services meet the qualifications under
1.15section 256B.0624, subdivision 4. Emergency services must include assessment, crisis
1.16intervention, and appropriate case disposition. Emergency services must:
1.17 (1) promote the safety and emotional stability of each client;
1.18 (2) minimize further deterioration of each client;
1.19 (3) help each client to obtain ongoing care and treatment;
1.20 (4) prevent placement in settings that are more intensive, costly, or restrictive than
1.21necessary and appropriate to meet client needs; and
1Section 1.
25-02704 as introduced02/05/25 REVISOR DTT/EE
SENATE
STATE OF MINNESOTA
S.F. No. 1599NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
(SENATE AUTHORS: WIKLUND, Boldon and Fateh)
OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
Introduction and first reading02/20/2025
Referred to Health and Human Services 2.1 (5) provide support, psychoeducation, and referrals to each client's family members,
2.2service providers, and other third parties on behalf of the client in need of emergency
2.3services.
2.4 (b) If a county provides engagement services under section 253B.041, the county's
2.5emergency service providers must refer clients to engagement services when the client
2.6meets the criteria for engagement services.
2.7 Subd. 2.Specific requirements.(a) The county board shall require that all service
2.8providers of emergency services to adults or children with mental illness provide immediate
2.9direct access to a mental health professional during regular business hours. For evenings,
2.10weekends, and holidays, the service may be by direct toll-free telephone access to a mental
2.11health professional, clinical trainee, or mental health practitioner.
2.12 (b) The commissioner may waive the requirement in paragraph (a) that the evening,
2.13weekend, and holiday service be provided by a mental health professional, clinical trainee,
2.14or mental health practitioner if the county documents that:
2.15 (1) mental health professionals, clinical trainees, or mental health practitioners are
2.16unavailable to provide this service;
2.17 (2) services are provided by a designated person with training in human services who
2.18receives treatment supervision from a mental health professional; and
2.19 (3) the service provider is not also the provider of fire and public safety emergency
2.20services.
2.21 (c) The commissioner may waive the requirement in paragraph (b), clause (3), that the
2.22evening, weekend, and holiday service not be provided by the provider of fire and public
2.23safety emergency services if:
2.24 (1) every person who will be providing the first telephone contact has received at least
2.25eight hours of training on emergency mental health services approved by the commissioner;
2.26 (2) every person who will be providing the first telephone contact will annually receive
2.27at least four hours of continued training on emergency mental health services approved by
2.28the commissioner;
2.29 (3) the local social service agency has provided public education about available
2.30emergency mental health services and can assure potential users of emergency services that
2.31their calls will be handled appropriately;
2Section 1.
25-02704 as introduced02/05/25 REVISOR DTT/EE 3.1 (4) the local social service agency agrees to provide the commissioner with accurate
3.2data on the number of emergency mental health service calls received;
3.3 (5) the local social service agency agrees to monitor the frequency and quality of
3.4emergency services; and
3.5 (6) the local social service agency describes how it will comply with paragraph (d).
3.6 (d) Whenever emergency service during nonbusiness hours is provided by anyone other
3.7than a mental health professional, a mental health professional must be available on call for
3.8an emergency assessment and crisis intervention services, and must be available for at least
3.9telephone consultation within 30 minutes.
3.10 Subd. 3.Mental health crisis services.The commissioner of human services shall
3.11increase access to mental health crisis services for children and adults. In order to increase
3.12access, the commissioner must:
3.13 (1) develop a central phone number where calls can be routed to the appropriate crisis
3.14services promote the 988 Lifeline;
3.15 (2) provide telephone consultation 24 hours a day to mobile crisis teams who are serving
3.16people with traumatic brain injury or intellectual disabilities who are experiencing a mental
3.17health crisis;
3.18 (3) expand crisis services across the state, including rural areas of the state and examining
3.19access per population;
3.20 (4) establish and implement state standards and requirements for crisis services as outlined
3.21in section 256B.0624; and
3.22 (5) provide grants to adult mental health initiatives, counties, tribes, or community mental
3.23health providers to establish new mental health crisis residential service capacity.
3.24 Priority will be given to regions that do not have a mental health crisis residential services
3.25program, do not have an inpatient psychiatric unit within the region, do not have an inpatient
3.26psychiatric unit within 90 miles, or have a demonstrated need based on the number of crisis
3.27residential or intensive residential treatment beds available to meet the needs of the residents
3.28in the region. At least 50 percent of the funds must be distributed to programs in rural
3.29Minnesota. Grant funds may be used for start-up costs, including but not limited to
3.30renovations, furnishings, and staff training. Grant applications shall provide details on how
3.31the intended service will address identified needs and shall demonstrate collaboration with
3.32crisis teams, other mental health providers, hospitals, and police.
3Section 1.
25-02704 as introduced02/05/25 REVISOR DTT/EE 4.1 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 256L.03, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
4.2 Subd. 5.Cost-sharing.(a) Co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles do not apply to
4.3children under the age of 21 and to American Indians as defined in Code of Federal
4.4Regulations, title 42, section 600.5.
4.5 (b) The commissioner must adjust co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles for covered
4.6services in a manner sufficient to maintain the actuarial value of the benefit to 94 percent.
4.7The cost-sharing changes described in this paragraph do not apply to eligible recipients or
4.8services exempt from cost-sharing under state law. The cost-sharing changes described in
4.9this paragraph shall not be implemented prior to January 1, 2016.
4.10 (c) The cost-sharing changes authorized under paragraph (b) must satisfy the requirements
4.11for cost-sharing under the Basic Health Program as set forth in Code of Federal Regulations,
4.12title 42, sections 600.510 and 600.520.
4.13 (d) Cost-sharing for prescription drugs and related medical supplies to treat chronic
4.14disease must comply with the requirements of section 62Q.481.
4.15 (e) Co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles do not apply to additional diagnostic
4.16services or testing that a health care provider determines an enrollee requires after a
4.17mammogram, as specified under section 62A.30, subdivision 5.
4.18 (f) Cost-sharing must not apply to drugs used for tobacco and nicotine cessation or to
4.19tobacco and nicotine cessation services covered under section 256B.0625, subdivision 68.
4.20 (g) Co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles do not apply to pre-exposure prophylaxis
4.21(PrEP) and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) medications when used for the prevention or
4.22treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
4.23 (h) Co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles do not apply to mobile crisis intervention,
4.24as defined in section 256B.0624, subdivision 2, paragraph (d).
4.25 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective January 1, 2026, or upon federal approval,
4.26whichever is later. The commissioner of human services shall notify the revisor of statutes
4.27when federal approval is obtained.
4.28 Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION; MOBILE CRISIS GRANTS.
4.29 $....... in fiscal year 2026 and $....... in fiscal year 2027 are appropriated from the general
4.30fund to the commissioner of human services for mobile crisis grants under Minnesota
4.31Statutes, section 245.4661, subdivision 9, paragraph (b), clause (15). Funds may be used
4Sec. 3.
25-02704 as introduced02/05/25 REVISOR DTT/EE 5.1by mobile crisis teams to purchase and renovate vehicles to provide protected transport
5.2under Minnesota Statutes, section 256B.0625, subdivision 17, paragraph (l), clause (6).
5Sec. 3.
25-02704 as introduced02/05/25 REVISOR DTT/EE