SF4726 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))
Licensing and funding for mental health and substance use disorder services requirements modification
Related bill: HF4464
AI Generated Summary
Purpose
- This bill would reform policies for Minnesota’s behavioral health system by changing licensing and funding for mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) services. It would update several statutes to clarify and expand services, especially around emergency care, peer recovery support, and tobacco education within treatment programs.
Main Provisions
Emergency mental health services (Sec. 1)
- Counties must provide or contract enough emergency services for adults, children, and families in emotional crisis or experiencing mental illness.
- Clients must not be charged for these emergency services.
- Providers cannot delay or deny services based on how the client will pay; services must include assessment, crisis intervention, and appropriate case disposition.
- Goals include safety, emotional stability, preventing further deterioration, helping clients obtain ongoing care, and offering support and referrals to family members, other service providers, and relevant third parties.
- If a county also offers engagement services under another law (section 253B.041), emergency providers must refer clients to those engagement services when criteria are met.
Peer recovery support services (Definitions and qualifications) (Secs. 2–4)
- The bill defines and clarifies “peer recovery support services” and ties them to existing rules and program sections.
- Peer recovery workers (recovery peers) must be qualified according to specified rules and provide services under appropriate supervision (specifically, supervision by an alcohol and drug counselor).
- The qualifications and scope of practice are aligned with other sections (245I.04) to ensure peers meet recognized standards.
Tobacco education in licensing (Sec. 5)
- Licensed providers must give tobacco and nicotine educational material to a client on the day services begin.
- The educational material must be approved by the commissioner and cover:
- Risks of tobacco/nicotine use
- Different types of tobacco products (including differentiating commercial tobacco from traditional or sacred tobacco)
- Treatment options, including medications for tobacco use disorder
- Benefits of getting tobacco/nicotine treatment while also receiving treatment for another substance
Administrative and statutory updates
- The bill would amend and add several Minnesota Statutes (including sections in 245F, 245G, 245I, 254B, 256B, and related 2024–2025 supplement provisions) to implement these changes.
- It also repeals part of the existing law (256B.0759 subdivisions 2 and 5) as part of the reform.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Expands and clarifies the role and requirements of emergency services within counties, with a stronger emphasis on timely access and connections to ongoing care.
- Establishes and standardizes the use of peer recovery support services, including eligibility, qualifications, supervision, and integration with licensed professionals.
- Adds a formal tobacco education requirement for license holders, embedding tobacco use disorder treatment information into behavioral health care delivery.
- Updates multiple statutory sections to reflect these changes and refines the licensing and funding framework for mental health and SUD services.
- Repeals a specific older provision (256B.0759) as part of streamlining or updating regulatory requirements.
Implementation and Oversight
- Local government (county boards) will be responsible for providing emergency services or contracting for them.
- Licensed providers must implement the tobacco education material and ensure staff and peers meet the new qualification and supervision standards.
- The commissioner will approve the tobacco education material and oversee the integration with existing treatment services.
- The changes affect several agencies and statutes, indicating a broad reform of how emergency care, peer support, and tobacco education are administered within Minnesota’s behavioral health system.
Relevant Terms - emergency services, emotional crisis, mental illness, county boards, engagement services, crisis intervention, crisis disposition, safety, emotional stability, ongoing care, referrals, family members, service providers, payor, 253B.041, referral, peer recovery support services, Peer recovery, recovery peers, alcohol and drug counselor, supervision, scope of practice, 245F.02, 245F.08, 245G.04, 245I.04, 254B.052, 256B.0624, 256B.0625, 256B.0759, 256B.0943, 256B.0946, 256B.0947, tobacco educational material, tobacco and nicotine, risks of tobacco, traditional tobacco, sacred tobacco, commercial tobacco, tobacco use disorder, medication for tobacco use disorder, commissioner, licensing, funding, Behavioral Health Administration.
Bill text versions
- Introduction PDF PDF file
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 23, 2026 | Senate | Action | Introduction and first reading | ||
| March 23, 2026 | Senate | Action | Referred to | Human Services |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 245F.02 as amended to reference peer recovery support services.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245F.02",
"subdivision": "subdivision 17"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 245F.15 as amended to address recovery-related provisions.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245F.15",
"subdivision": "subdivision 7"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 245G.04 as amended by adding a subdivision related to licensing or policy.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245G.04",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 245G.11 amended to add subdivision 8.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245G.11",
"subdivision": "subdivision 8"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 245I.04 as amended to add a subdivision related to qualifications or scope.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245I.04",
"subdivision": ""
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 245I.08 added subdivision 4 concerning peer recovery-related provisions.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245I.08",
"subdivision": "subdivision 4"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 245I.10 added subdivision 6 related to recovery personnel qualifications.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245I.10",
"subdivision": "subdivision 6"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 254B.052 subdivision 1 in the context of licensing/funding changes.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "254B.052",
"subdivision": "subdivision 1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 256B.0624 subdivisions 6b and 7 as amended.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256B.0624",
"subdivision": "6b, 7"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 256B.0625 subdivision 47 as amended.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256B.0625",
"subdivision": "subdivision 47"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 256B.0759 subdivision 3 amended or referenced.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256B.0759",
"subdivision": "subdivision 3"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 256B.0943 subdivision 6 amended or referenced.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256B.0943",
"subdivision": "subdivision 6"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 256B.0946 subdivision 4 amended or referenced.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256B.0946",
"subdivision": "subdivision 4"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 256B.0947 subdivision 5 amended or referenced.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256B.0947",
"subdivision": "subdivision 5"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement section 245.469 subdivision 1 as amended.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245.469",
"subdivision": "subdivision 1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 245F.08 subdivision 3 in the 2025 Supplement amendments.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245F.08",
"subdivision": "subdivision 3"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 245G.11 subdivision 7 added in the supplement.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245G.11",
"subdivision": "subdivision 7"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 245I.04 subdivision 17 added in the 2025 Supplement.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245I.04",
"subdivision": "subdivision 17"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 254A.03 subdivision 3 in the supplement amendments.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "254A.03",
"subdivision": "subdivision 3"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 254B.0505 subdivision 8 in the supplement amendments.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "254B.0505",
"subdivision": "subdivision 8"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 254B.052 subdivision 6 in the supplement amendments.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "254B.052",
"subdivision": "subdivision 6"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 256B.0759 subdivision 4 in the supplement amendments.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256B.0759",
"subdivision": "subdivision 4"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 256B.0943 subdivision 1 in the supplement amendments.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256B.0943",
"subdivision": "subdivision 1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 256B.0947 subdivision 3a in the supplement amendments.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256B.0947",
"subdivision": "subdivision 3a"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites 256L.03 subdivision 5 in the supplement amendments.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256L.03",
"subdivision": "subdivision 5"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [],
"removed": [],
"summary": "Cites repeal of Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 256B.0759 subdivisions 2 and 5.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "256B.0759",
"subdivision": "2, 5"
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee