As the Minnesota legislative session gets underway, the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP) is actively monitoring and engaging in health care-related legislation moving through committee. MAFP lobbyist Megan Verdeja is tracking newly introduced bills covering vaccine policy, reproductive health, prior authorization and gun violence prevention.
MAFP’s advocacy this session is grounded in the following 2026 legislative priorities:
- Centering Primary Care in Health Care Reform and Advocating for Patient Access to Care.
- Addressing Administrative Burden by Reforming the Minnesota Restricted Recipient Program.
- Expanding + Diversifying the Primary Care Workforce.
- Ensuring Vaccine Access + Coverage.
- Advancing Gun Violence Prevention.
- Addressing Private Equity in Health Care.
Read on for a summary of the budget forecast, key bills and committee hearings.
February Budget Forecast + Legislative Landscape
Minnesota’s projected FY 2026–27 budget balance improved to $3.7 billion, up $1.3 billion from November, but the forecast does not account for potential federal funding losses. Federal proposals under H.R. 1, including Medicaid work requirements, could put the state out of compliance and carry significant fiscal consequences.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has already moved to halt roughly $259.5 million in Medicaid reimbursements to Minnesota.
With the House tied 67–67, partisan tensions remain high, and the outlook for bipartisan health care action is uncertain. The MAFP will continue to follow developments and advocate for policies that protect patient access to care.
Bills Important to the MAFP
Below is a summary of newly introduced bills that the MAFP is tracking, organized around the Academy’s 2026 legislative priorities.
Vaccine Access + Coverage
- HF3743 / SF3859 — Mandates coverage of routine immunizations without cost-sharing and establishes the Minnesota Science-Based Vaccine Advisory Council (authored by Representative Freiberg (DFL) and Senator Klein (DFL)). The MAFP is listed as a council member and is requesting that American Academy of Family Physicians vaccine recommendations be included alongside those of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is currently named in the bill.
- HF3775 / SF4017 — Requires parents to obtain educational counseling with a health care professional before requesting an immunization exemption; directs the Minnesota Department of Health to develop an immunization education module; and allows schools to exclude unvaccinated students during a disease outbreak(authored by Representative Liebling (DFL) and Senator Boldon (DFL)).
- SF4007 — Prohibits vaccine requirements (authored by Senator Pratt (Republican). No House companion. Unlikely to advance.
Gun Violence Prevention
- HF3668 / SF513 — Establishes an Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the Minnesota Department of Health (authored by Representative Bierman (DFL) and Senator Mann (DFL)). MAFP Immediate Past President Roli Dwivedi, MD, FAAFP, testified in support at the House Health Finance and Policy Committee hearing on March 2, 2026.
Patient Access to Care + Reducing Administrative Burden
- SF3706 — Prohibits prior authorization for drugs a patient has been prescribed for at least six months (authored by Senator Mann (DFL)). No House companion yet.
- HF2500 / SF3984 — Prohibits use of algorithms or artificial intelligence in prior authorization denials (authored by Representative Falconer (DFL) and Representative Maye Quade (DFL)). Heard in House Commerce last week. Amended to apply only to prior authorization denials, then laid on the table for later consideration.
Reproductive Health + Coverage
- SF3615 — Requires health plans, Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare to cover infertility treatment and standard fertility preservation services, with an added religious exemption — same language as last session’s IVF bill (authored by Senator Maye Quade (DFL); Representative Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn will introduce in the House).
- SF3702 — Requires Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare to cover IUD removals (authored by Senator Mann (DFL)). No House companion yet.
- HF3789 / SF3716 — Requires health plans to cover Pap tests and subsequent diagnostic services (authored by Representative Greene (DFL) and Senator Mann (DFL)).
- HF3779 / SF3769 — Requires health plans to cover doula services (authored by Representative Agbaje (DFL) and Senator Oumou Verbeten (DFL)).
- SF3775 — Eliminates abortion coverage from Medical Assistance, MinnesotaCare and the State Employees Group Insurance Program (authored by Senator Wesenberg (Republican)). No House companion. Unlikely to advance.
Other Bills to Watch
- SF4054 — Removes MinnesotaCare eligibility for undocumented children under 18 (authored by Senator Lieske (Republican)). No House companion. Unlikely to advance.
- HF3476 / SF3612 — Establishes a Patient-Centered Care program, removing managed care from Medical Assistance (authored by Representative Liebling (DFL) and Senator Marty (DFL)).
- SF3566 — Requires informed consent for medical treatments that may harm fertility (authored by Senator Clark (DFL), who does not plan to advance the bill this session due to concerns about the definition of fertility and potential unintended impact on birth control access).
- HF3533 / SF3612 — Prohibits classroom instruction on gender identity in public schools; requires parental notification (authored by Representative Roach (Republican) and Senator Lieske (Republican)).
- HF3758 — Prohibits amending a minor’s birth record to change sex designation (authored by Representative Fogelman (Republican)). No Senate companion.
- HF3376 — Repeals the prohibition on conversion therapy with minors and vulnerable adults (authored by Representative Roach (Republican)). No Senate companion.
