The Senate Omnibus Is Our Next Step. Here Is How You Can Help.
HF 4288 was not included in the House Human Services Finance omnibus bill. That is a setback. But it is not the end.
The Senate Human Services omnibus process is still underway, and SF 4310 has already received a committee hearing. There is a clear path to getting the Disability Waiver Rate System (DWRS) framework rate methodology restored for Family Residential Services providers through an amendment to the Senate omnibus bill — and we need every member of the MARSH coalition to help make it happen.
What We Are Asking
Contact your state senator this week and ask them to support adding an amendment to the Senate Human Services omnibus bill that restores the DWRS framework rate methodology for FRS programs. Here is what to say:
- 1 The flat-rate system does not save money. It shifts individuals into Community Residential Settings that cost roughly twice as much per day.
- 2 Providers are closing now. Homes are shutting down and vulnerable adults are being displaced.
- 3 Restoring the DWRS framework rate methodology is the right fix. It accounts for acuity and bed count, and it keeps people in their communities.
Thank You to Our Senate Bill Authors — SF 4310
We are grateful to the senators who carried this legislation forward and want the MARSH community to know who championed this fight.
Thank You to the Senate Human Services Committee
We thank the full committee for giving SF 4310 a fair hearing and for their attention to the individuals served by FRS providers across Minnesota.
Thank You to Our House Bill Authors — HF 4288
We also thank the authors who carried this legislation in the House and built the record that continues to support this fight.
Thank You to the House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee
We thank the full committee for their attention to human services policy this session.
The Path Forward
This session is not over. The case for restoring the DWRS framework rate methodology has been made clearly in testimony before two legislative committees, in independent fiscal analysis, and in the closure data we continue to document. The Senate omnibus remains an open door.
Make the call. Send the email. The individuals in your care are counting on it.