SC Minnesota News

The Minnesota House has passed the Human Services Finance and Policy bills, which aim to support nursing homes, seniors, and vulnerable residents across the state. Representative Joe Schomacker (R–Luverne), who serves as co-chair of the Human Services Committee, highlighted the bipartisan nature of the legislation and its focus on maintaining essential services while enhancing accountability.

“Nursing homes are the backbone of care for many of our seniors, especially in rural areas,” said Rep. Schomacker. “At a time when the Governor proposed hundreds of millions in cuts, we stood up and said no. We protected these critical facilities and secured $95 million in new funding to help them continue serving our communities.”

Schomacker noted that Republicans also worked to protect taxpayer funds by addressing fraud and abuse within public health programs.

“Minnesota can’t afford to keep losing money to waste and fraud,” Schomacker stated. “These bills deliver real reforms. We’re tightening oversight on autism services like EIDBI to prevent abuse, while making it easier for families who truly need help. We’re also fixing a broken billing system in addiction recovery programs that encouraged overbilling. Moving to 15-minute billing means more accurate reporting and more responsible care.”

The legislation is intended to ensure that human services funding benefits those most in need without expanding bureaucracy or enabling fraudulent practices.

“This is about making government work better,” said Schomacker. “We’re protecting care, demanding accountability, and putting Minnesotans first.”