The Minnesota Legislature completed its eleventh week on May 8, 2026. Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) lobbyist Megan Verdeja provides an update on key issues impacting family physicians, including omnibus bill tracking, health updates and key dates.
The Road to the End of Session Remains Unclear
With less than a week until the constitutional deadline for adjournment, the path forward at the Capitol remains uncertain. Significant differences still exist between House and Senate proposals, with many major budget and policy bills not yet aligned between the two chambers. In addition, legislative leaders have appointed relatively few conference committees, slowing the process of reconciling competing versions of legislation.
Tracking Omnibus Bills
Last week, the Senate passed its omnibus supplemental finance bill off the floor — however there is no corresponding House file. The package brings together funding and policy provisions across multiple areas of government. Passage of the bill signals the Senate’s effort to advance key budget priorities during leadership negotiations, though substantial work remains as leaders continue broader budget and policy discussions.
Key Issues at the Legislature
HCMC Funding
The future of Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) remains up for debate at the legislature. Leaders met with the Governor for over two hours to discuss the hospital on May 7, 2026. Following the meeting, leaders offered few details but told the press that discussions were moving in a positive direction. House DFL Leader Representative Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) described the talks as “steady progress,” while House Speaker Representative Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) called them “good discussions.”
Gun Violence Prevention
The Minnesota Senate passed a comprehensive gun violence prevention package off the Senate floor, advancing a broad set of public safety measures aimed at reducing firearm-related harm across the state. The legislation includes provisions focused on strengthening firearm regulations, including an assault weapons ban. Supporters argued the package represents a proactive approach to addressing gun violence, while opponents raised concerns about its impact on lawful gun owners and Second Amendment rights. The bill now heads to the next stage of the legislative process as discussions continue between the House, Senate and Governor.
Speaker Demuth has said it remains unclear whether the House will take up the violence prevention legislation.
Fraud
On Thursday, May 7, 2026, the House passed the Office of Inspector General bill, advancing legislation intended to strengthen oversight, accountability, and fraud prevention within state government programs. This has been a long-held priority for both caucuses and failed to pass last session. The bill now returns to the Senate, which is expected to take up and adopt the House language in the coming days. Governor Walz has publicly indicated that he intends to sign the measure once it reaches his desk.
Bonding
House Capital Investment Committee Co-Chairs Representative Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) and Representative Fue Lee (DFL-Minneapolis), and other lawmakers emphasized the importance of passing an infrastructure package, particularly to support drinking water and lead service line replacement projects. From a high level, discussions over the size and scope of the proposal are ongoing, and lawmakers have acknowledged that rising construction costs have significantly reduced the purchasing power of bonding dollars compared to past years.
Health Updates
With the House Health Omnibus and the Senate Health and Human Services Omnibus bills passing off the floor of their respective bodies, we now await the conference committee process to begin. Conference committee will likely begin meeting shortly after member appointment, but leaders are already negotiating many of the items in the bills behind the scenes so they can wrap up before adjournment.
The Commerce Conference Committee holds its first meeting Tuesday, May 12, 2026. They will start with a walkthrough comparison of both the House and Senate Commerce bills, take public testimony, and then move into member discussion.
The Senate Omnibus Health Scope and Licensing bill passed off the Senate floor last week and now heads to the House where it is waiting to be taken up on the floor. The Senate and House have different versions of the Scope and Licensing bill, so unless the House chooses to accept the Senate language, this bill will also be headed to conference committee this week.
The Minnesota Constitution mandates that the legislature gavel out by May 18, 2026.
Resources
- MAFP Legislative Priorities
- MAFP Advocacy Blog
- Committee Schedules and Membership
- Daily Combined Legislative Schedule
- Senate Staff
- House Staff
