Apple Valley Rep. Tara Mack Introduces More Bills Focused on Streamlining Government

Rep. Tara Mack (R-District 37A), Apple Valley, this past week introduced two bills of which she is chief author that add to her collection of proposals aiming to streamline state government processes.

One bill would require the state to start looking at new technology to help with fraud detection when it comes to people receiving assistance for health care, food programs and other state programs, she said.

"There is fraud in the system, however with the complexity of our programs ... it's very difficult to track," she said.

She said other states use programs that could help make sure the state's assistance resources get to the people who need them the most, making sure those in need get enough help and recognizing those who don't need the assistance.

"There are people with real needs," Mack said.

Another bill would aim to simplify the systems to determine eligibility and enrollment for state programs, and have the state create one public health care program. It would ideally create a simpler way for people to access systems online.

Mack said she is still awaiting information on how exactly this would affect county government jobs, where much of the work is executed. But she said many people in Dakota County will be hitting retirement age, and that could go hand in hand with the goal to reduce the size of state government.

She said there still would be a need to case workers and for people to analyze data and work with more complex cases.

Week's highlights

Here’s what happened last week with bills authored or co-authored by Apple Valley's legislators:

New Bills

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is chief author of a bill to require human services to create one public health care plan, simplify eligibility and enrollment procedures and automate systems. HF1075, introduced March 14.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is chief author of a bill to start taking proposals for a public assistance fraud detection and business intelligence contract. HF1116, introduced March 14.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is author of a bill to allow school boards to reorganize as education boards. HF1069, introduced March 14.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is author of a bill to modify the provisions for boiler inspections. HF1100, introduced March 14.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is author of a Minnesota zoo appropriation bill. SF0763, introduced March 14.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is chief author of a bill to extend the Petroleum Tank Release Cleanup Act sunset commission, and provide appropriations. SF0771, introduced March 14.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is author of a bill to provide annuity products regulation. SF0877, introduced March 17.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is author of a bill to modify the evaluation provisions of health coverage mandates. SF0880, introduced March 17.

Existing Bills

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills was added as chief author of a bill to prevent public school employees from using public funds to advocate for or against a political candidate or ballot issue. The bill was referred to the Education Finance committee on March 17. HF0329, introduced Feb. 2.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills was added on March 3 as an author of a bill to establish a retained savings program for executive branch agencies. The bill was passed in the House, 119-6, on March 17. HF0299, introduced Jan. 31.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is chief author of a bill to create for two more years an autism spectrum disorder task force. The bill was passed from the Health and Human Services Reform committee to the Government Operations and Elections committee on March 17. HF0745, introduced Feb. 28.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is chief author of a bill to require the Department of Human Services to solicit proposals for an online eligibility and application portal for state assistance programs.The bill was passed from the Health and Human Services Reform committee to the Government Operations and Elections committee on March 17. HF0746, introduced Feb. 28.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is author of a bill to limit abortion funding for state-sponsored health care programs. The bill was passed to the Judiciary Policy and Finance committee on March 16. HF0201, introduced Jan. 24.

Rep. Tara Mack —The bill that would establish the sale or possession of synthetic marijuana as a gross misdemeanor was passed by the House on Feb. 24, 124-4. Mack is an author of the bill. HF0057, introduced Jan. 10.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill that would amend several statutes to modify set-aside requirements for the commissioner of human services. HF0892, introduced March 3.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill that provides funding for the metropolitan regional parks from the parks and trails fund. HF0898, introduced March 7.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to require the human services commissioner to propose changes to address the frequency of assessments for nonemergency medical transportation. HF0899, introduced March 7.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to prohibit abortions after 20 weeks gestational age. HF0936, introduced March 7.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to require private prison housing requests from the commissioner of corrections. It was referred to the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance committee on March 16. HF0939, introduced March 7.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is chief author of a bill to modify personal care assistance provisions. HF0940, introduced March 7.

Reps. Kurt Bills and Tara Mack—Bills and Mack are authors of a bill to establish the Human Cloning Prohibition Act. It was referred to the Health and Human Services Finance committee on March 16. HF0998, introduced March 9.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is author of a bill to provide nursing facility consolidation. HF1016, introduced March 10.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is chief author of a bill to modify long-term care consultation. HF1021, introduced March 10.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is chief author of a bill to establish a system for state employees to suggest ways to make government more efficient. HF1041, introduced March 10.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is author of a bill to modify the no-fault automobile insurance limitation of damages. SF0589, introduced March 7.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is an author of a bill to modify insurance data-gathering and notifications. SF0590, introduced March 7.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is an author of a bill that would provide for optional disclosure of public appraisals by a government entity. SF0691, introduced March 9.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is an author of a bill to give money to the Perpich Center for Arts Education. HF0897, introduced March 7.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is an author of a bill to clarify a targeted misdemeanor as a no-contact-order misdemeanor. HF0921, introduced March 7.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is chief author of a bill to amend the school district lease levy authority. HF1040, introduced March 10.

Reps. Kurt Bills and Tara Mack—Bills and Mack are authors of a bill to provide more than $4.65 million in funding for the Minnesota Zoo during the 2012-13 biennium. HF0769, introduced Feb. 28.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to streamline county human services duties. HR0806, introduced March 3.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to make changes to the public employee insurance program for local government employees, requiring paying taxes and assessments the same as private-sector insurers. HF0834, introduced March 3.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to appropriate $10 million from bond funds to the Minnesota Zoological Garden Board for asset preservation and improvements. HF0842, introduced March 3.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is an author of a bill to modify the definition of sex trafficking. HF0750, introduced Feb. 28.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is an author of a bill to regulate interest on verdicts, awards and judgments. HF0770, introduced Feb. 28.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills was added on March 3 as an author of a bill to modify and clarify definitions of prostitution, including for juveniles. HF0556, introduced Feb. 17. The bill was passed from the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance committee to the Judiciary Policy and Finance committee on March 10.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills was added on March 3 as an author of a bill to require the Department of Education to hire a consultant to work with districts to share services. HF0557, introduced Feb. 17.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills was added on March 3 as an author of a bill to repeal the moratorium on radiation therapy facility construction. HF0595, introduced Feb. 17.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is chief author of a bill to appropriate $10 million from bond funds to the Minnesota Zoological Garden Board for asset preservation and improvements. SF0507, introduced Feb 28.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is an author of a bill to prevent insurance companies from restricting an insured person's choice of rental vehicle company for a temporary replacement vehicle. SF508, introduced Feb. 28.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is an author of a bill to appropriate $200,000 in bonding money for the Robert Street corridor transitway. SF0531, introduced Feb. 28.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is chief author of a bill to require state agencies to track jobs created or retained because of capital project funding. SF0535, introduced March 3.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is chief author of a bill to extend interest in the Minnesota Zoo's Dakota County land. SF0573, introduced March 3.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is an author of a bill to prevent public school employees from using public funds to advocate for or against a political candidate or ballot issue. SF0577, introduced March 3.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is chief author of a bill to regulate event ticket-selling practices. SF0425, introduced Feb. 24. It was passed from the Commerce and Consumer Protection committee to the Judiciary and Public Safety on March 10.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is chief author of a bill that would provide $9 million in bonding money for the Cedar Avenue bus rapid transit project. SF0463, introduced Feb. 24.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is an author of a bill to modify hours and wages for state highway and construction projects. SF0454, introduced Feb. 24.

Reps. Tara Mack and Kurt Bills—Mack is an author of a bill to extend civil immunity to cities that donate public safety equipment. It was in the Civil Law committee for a second reading on March 17. HF0695, introduced Feb. 24.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to allow a person with a brewer's license to operate an on-sale facility. HF0703, introduced Feb. 24.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to make several changes to policies relating to local governments. HF705, introduced Feb. 24.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is chief author of a bill to reduce legislator compensation if balanced budget provisions are not enacted in a timely manner. HF0686, introduced Feb. 24

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is chief author of a bill to provide a refundable re-employment credit to military members. HF0687, introduced Feb. 24. IT was passed from the Veterans Services Division  to the Taxes committee on March 9.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is an author of a bill to regulate seatbelt evidence admissibility in civil action cases. HF0704, introduced Feb. 24.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is chief author of a bill to allow paramedics to get certification to perform certain additional medical procedures for patients in-home. HF0262, introduced Jan. 31. The bill was passed to the Health and Human Services Finance committee on Feb. 24, and there is now a Senate version of the bill in the House.

Reps. Kurt Bills and Tara Mack—Bills and Mack are authors of a bill to establish the healthy Minnesota contribution program, where certain MinnesotaCare enrollees would receive a contribution to purchase health insurance. HF0008, introduced Jan. 10. The bill was referred to the Ways and Means committee on Feb. 28.