SF 2479 establishes a comprehensive Health Care Workforce Council and a health care workforce plan.

Section 1 (144.1504) establishes a comprehensive health care workforce council and process for developing a plan for the state.

Subdivision 1 establishes a health care workforce council to:  (1) provide ongoing policy and program monitoring and coordination; (2) provide health care workforce education and training, trends, changes in health care delivery, practice, and financing; and (3) recommend appropriate public and private sector efforts to address identified work force needs.

Subd. 2 specifies that the public members' term is for four years.

Subd. 3 establishes the make-up of the council’s membership, sets deadlines for first appointments and the first meeting, and provides for election of a chair.  This section provides for removal of members and filling of vacancies, permits members to be reimbursed for expenses, and provides that the council will not expire.

Subd. 4, paragraph (a), requires the Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Health Care Workforce Council to submit a preliminary report to the Governor and legislature that includes base level data on the current supply and distribution of health care providers in the state, current projections of the demand for health care professionals, and other data and analysis if completed.

Paragraph (b), requires the Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Health Care Workforce Council, to prepare a comprehensive health care workforce plan every five years with the first plan to be submitted to the legislature by September 30, 2018.

Paragraph (c) describes what the work force plan must cover.

Paragraph (d) requires the Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Health Care Workforce Council, to submit a report to the legislature and the governor each year in which a comprehensive health care workforce plan is not due, on the progress that is being made toward achieving the projected goals of the current comprehensive health care work force plan during the previous year.

Subd. 5 requires the Commissioner of Health to provide staff and administrative, research, and planning services to the Health Care Workforce Council.

Section 2 appropriates funds to the Commissioner of Health for the Minnesota Health Care Workforce Council, and the health care workforce plan.