Legislative Updates from Sen. Fischbach

Sen. Michelle Fischbach is taking action on several key issues impacting rural Minnesotans, from protecting access to senior care and healthcare workforce shortages to expanding telemedicine and investing in rural infrastructure.
One of her primary concerns is the Biden Administration’s federal nursing staff ratio mandate, which she argues could force nursing homes in Greater Minnesota to turn away patients or shut down entirely. Fischbach introduced the Protecting America’s Seniors Access to Care Act, which would block the federal mandate and instead focus on workforce recruitment and retention.
She is also co-sponsoring the Rebuilding America’s Health Care Schools Act, which aims to expand healthcare training programs in rural hospitals by allowing nursing and allied health students to train in facilities outside their program’s host hospitals.
Additionally, Fischbach is working to expand rural infrastructure investment through the Investing in Rural America Act. This legislation would increase access to capital for hospitals, health centers, and senior care facilities in rural areas by making it easier to secure funding through partnerships with local lenders and federal grants.
In the fight against cancer, Fischbach is backing the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, which would require Medicare to cover new FDA-approved blood tests capable of detecting multiple types of cancer early.
Finally, recognizing the success of telemedicine and distance learning in rural communities, Fischbach is advocating for expanded funding through the Rural Telehealth and Education Enhancement Act, which would increase federal funding to $82 million annually and direct 20% of those funds toward substance use disorder treatment programs.
Fischbach says these efforts are all about supporting rural communities, improving access to healthcare, and ensuring the long-term vitality of Greater Minnesota.
📌 AP Citation: Fischbach, Michelle. “Legislative Updates on Rural Healthcare, Investment, and Education.” Feb. 26, 2025.