MN HF4354

Transfers authority for settling patient property damage claims of $7,000 or less from the commissioner of human services to the Direct Care and Treatment executive board for patients in state institutions under their control.

Authorizes Direct Care and Treatment to convert certain unclassified employees (hired under a 1997 Department of Human Services pilot program) to classified civil service status, with Minnesota Management and Budget approval, while protecting employees from salary reductions.

Establishes new procedures for obtaining medical treatment consent for patients in state-operated treatment programs who lack capacity, allowing the executive medical director to make health care decisions when no health care agent or proper relative can be located, with required documentation and periodic capacity reviews.

Extends voluntary return periods for committed patients: from 60 to 90 days for psychiatric medical conditions and up to six months for nonpsychiatric medical conditions, before transfers from secure facilities or provisional discharges are automatically revoked.

Makes technical corrections to data privacy statutes, clarifying that Direct Care and Treatment is part of the welfare system for data sharing purposes and excluding Direct Care and Treatment data from certain medical data definitions.