Friends,
A little over a week remains in the 2018 legislative session, and this week we began our conference committee work on the tax bill and omnibus bills that were passed in recent weeks. This is the process in which legislators from the House and the Senate work together to reconcile differences between bill versions that have been passed in their respective bodies. Following this process, the bills then head to the governor’s desk for final approval. We are working with the Senate to find compromise and advance a final package we believe will gain bipartisan support and ultimately be signed by the governor.
House Passes IRTS Requirements Bill
On Monday, the House unanimously passed my bill to streamline the process for intensive residential treatment services (IRTS) to be licensed. IRTS are community based services for individuals who require 24-hour assistance due to serious mental illnesses. They provide individualized treatment for mental health patients after leaving a hospital and before permanent housing.
Currently, the process to approve IRTS facilities can take years. My bill streamlines this process be removing the requirement for providers to have contracts with the host county and creating a new process where providers show evidence of the need for a proposed facility to local authorities. If local authorities fail to respond to the proposal in 60 days, the Department of Human Services would make a determination of need for the program.
Many communities are currently facing a shortage of mental health beds and IRTS. By reducing the amount of time for licensure, my bill will allow for more IRTS, freeing up mental health beds in hospitals. Also, by increasing the availability of IRTS, it will allow individuals to cut down on the time they spend in hospitals, which will help reduce healthcare costs. I am proud to author this bill to help address the mental health crisis and provide more housing for mental health patients.
The bill now goes to the Senate for its consideration. I will be sure to keep you updated as this bill moves towards the governor’s desk.
Real ID Update
Earlier this week, Minnesota received federal assurance that a traditional Minnesota-issued driver’s license will continue to be sufficient identification to board domestic flights through October 1, 2020. This session, we passed a law that required the Dayton Administration to seek an extension for Real ID once it became available. This is great news, and will ensure Minnesotans can continue to travel without undue complications. In addition, our state is set to start issuing Real ID-compliant licenses later this year.
Contact Me
In the final week of the legislative session, please feel free to contact me with any questions, thoughts, or concerns that you might have on any of the issues or bills that will be coming before me on the House floor. I value the input I receive from constituents and would love to hear from you. I can be reached via email at 651-296-5387 or rep.roz.peterson@house.mn.
Have a great weekend.
Sincerely,
