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    Legislative Advocacy

    Thank you for your interest in long-term care related legislative activity at the Capitol. Here is an update for the busy month of March at the legislature.

    Where we are in the 2025 legislative session

    The House is back to a 67-67 tie, and now the Senate is down another Senator.

    The legislature must pass a 2-year budget by the end of session (May 19th) this year. If there is no agreement on May 19th, the Governor can call a special session to give legislators more time to agree on funding for state government.

    You can find hearing schedules (including which bills are being heard and links to view live or recorded hearings), contact information for your Senator and Representative, bill information, and more on the legislature’s website.

    Bills we’re watching:

    SF 2522 / HF 2216 – Fees in assisted living facilities

    • This bill prevents nursing homes and assisted living facilities from requiring guardianship as a requirement for admission, gives the Department of Health input on fee increases in assisted living facilities, and ensures residents who paid privately for care based on the promise of public pay once they ran out of funds at a particular facility can stay in their home.
    • OOLTC supports this bill – two family members testified in support of this bill and did a great job of explaining how much difficulty residents experience when they have paid all their money to an assisted living facility and then are told they have to leave.

    Thank you Senator Mann and Representative Moller for authoring this bill!


    SF 2972 / HF 2771 Ensuring money spent on long-term care supports resident care

    • This bill puts some guardrails around non-profit nursing homes and assisted living facilities being sold to for-profit entities and prohibits some practices to keep money focused on resident care, not exorbitant profit.
    • OOLTC supports this bill as it helps ensure residents have the staff and supplies they need to meet all their needs.

    Thank you Senator Dibble and Representative Reyer for authoring this bill!

     

    SF 2055 / HF 2064 Assisted living resident contract termination protections

    • This bill reduces the protections and rights residents have when a facility wants to move a resident out of their facility.
    • OOLTC opposes this bill – a resident testified against this bill and made a significant impact!

    Thank you to Senator Fateh who has been willing to listen to our concerns about this bill.


    Many more! The Senate Human Services Committee and the House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee are good places to learn about the many bills related to long-term care.

    Getting in touch with your elected officials

    Use your address to find your elected officials.

    Phone calls, letters, emails, and visits are great ways to tell your story and build your relationship with your elected officials. If you’d like support with contacting your elected officials, contact Parichay Rudina at Parichay.rudina@state.mn.us or 651-485-3858.



    The Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care was a critical partner in passing the 2019 Elder Care and Vulnerable Adult Protection Act. 

    Key provisions of the act include the following:

    • Requirement for assisted living facilities to be licensed.
    • Stronger protections against retaliation. 
    • Resident right to conduct electronic monitoring (e.g., installation of in-room cameras).
    • Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) assisted living surveys increased to every two years.
    • Additional staff for the Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care (OOLTC). 

    2022 Legislative Session

    During the 2022 Minnesota legislative session, the Assisted Living Bill of Rights under Minn. Statutes 144G.91 had minor changes to the statutory language approved. The Assisted Living Bill of Rights has been updated. 

    New information regarding the Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care (“OOLTC”) is needed on notices with OOLTC information that are provided to residents and their representatives under 144G. The new requirement is an amendment to Minn. Statutes 144G.90 and is part of the policy bill passed during the 2022 legislative session. Notices must now include the following language:

    "You may contact the Ombudsman for Long-Term Care for questions about your rights as an assisted living facility resident and to request advocacy services. As an assisted living facility resident, you may contact the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities to request advocacy regarding your rights, concerns, or questions on issues relating to services for mental health, developmental disabilities, or chemical dependency."

    Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee

    Learn more about the Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee and access all committee schedules, activities, and recordings. 

    Aging and Long-Term Care Policy Committee


    Learn more about the Aging and Long-Term Care Policy Committee and access all committee schedules, activities, and recordings.

    Stay Connected - Take Action!

    We encourage readers to check this page regularly for updates and stay connected this legislative session. You can also find your house representatives and state legislators, how to contact them, bills they’ve introduced, and committees they serve on.

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