HF 3601

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/26/2018 05:41pm

A bill for an act
relating to human services; increasing MFIP and general assistance cash grants;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, sections 256D.01,
subdivision 1a; 256J.24, subdivision 5.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 256D.01, subdivision 1a, is amended to read:

Subd. 1a.

Standards.

(a) A principal objective in providing general assistance is to
provide for single adults, childless couples, or children as defined in section 256D.02,
subdivision 6, ineligible for federal programs who are unable to provide for themselves.
The minimum standard of assistance determines the total amount of the general assistance
grant without separate standards for shelter, utilities, or other needs.

(b) deleted text begin The commissioner shall set the standard of assistance for an assistance unit consisting
of an adult recipient who is childless and unmarried or living apart from children and spouse
and who does not live with a parent or parents or a legal custodian. When the other standards
specified in this subdivision increase, this standard must also be increased by the same
percentage. deleted text end new text begin Beginning in fiscal year 2020, the commissioner of human services shall adjust
cash grants under this subdivision for inflation based on the CPI-U for the prior calendar
year.
new text end

(c) For an assistance unit consisting of a single adult who lives with a parent or parents,
the general assistance standard of assistance is the amount that the aid to families with
dependent children standard of assistance, in effect on July 16, 1996, would increase if the
recipient were added as an additional minor child to an assistance unit consisting of the
recipient's parent and all of that parent's family members, except that the standard may not
exceed the standard for a general assistance recipient living alone. Benefits received by a
responsible relative of the assistance unit under the Supplemental Security Income program,
a workers' compensation program, the Minnesota supplemental aid program, or any other
program based on the responsible relative's disability, and any benefits received by a
responsible relative of the assistance unit under the Social Security retirement program,
may not be counted in the determination of eligibility or benefit level for the assistance unit.
Except as provided below, the assistance unit is ineligible for general assistance if the
available resources or the countable income of the assistance unit and the parent or parents
with whom the assistance unit lives are such that a family consisting of the assistance unit's
parent or parents, the parent or parents' other family members and the assistance unit as the
only or additional minor child would be financially ineligible for general assistance. For
the purposes of calculating the countable income of the assistance unit's parent or parents,
the calculation methods must follow the provisions under section 256P.06.

(d) For an assistance unit consisting of a childless couple, the standards of assistance
are the same as the first and second adult standards of the aid to families with dependent
children program in effect on July 16, 1996. If one member of the couple is not included in
the general assistance grant, the standard of assistance for the other is the second adult
standard of the aid to families with dependent children program as of July 16, 1996.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 256J.24, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

MFIP transitional standard.

new text begin (a) new text end The MFIP transitional standard is based on
the number of persons in the assistance unit eligible for both food and cash assistance. The
amount of the transitional standard is published annually by the Department of Human
Services.

new text begin (b) Beginning in fiscal year 2020, the commissioner of human services shall adjust the
cash assistance portion under paragraph (a) for inflation based on the CPI-U for the prior
calendar year.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin INCREASED GENERAL ASSISTANCE GRANT.
new text end

new text begin The following table represents the standard for general assistance under Minnesota
Statutes, section 256D.01, subdivision 1a, effective July 1, 2018:
new text end

new text begin Number of People new text end	new text begin Cash new text end
new text begin 1 new text end	new text begin $457 new text end
new text begin 2 new text end	new text begin $914 new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2018.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin INCREASED MFIP CASH ASSISTANCE PORTION.
new text end

new text begin The following table represents the MFIP cash assistance portion of the transitional
standard under Minnesota Statutes, section 256J.24, subdivision 5, effective July 1, 2018:
new text end

new text begin Number of Eligible People new text end	new text begin Cash Portion new text end
new text begin 1 new text end	new text begin $562 new text end
new text begin 2 new text end	new text begin $1,005 new text end
new text begin 3 new text end	new text begin $1,318 new text end
new text begin 4 new text end	new text begin $1,605 new text end
new text begin 5 new text end	new text begin $1,854 new text end
new text begin 6 new text end	new text begin $2,135 new text end
new text begin 7 new text end	new text begin $2,325 new text end
new text begin 8 new text end	new text begin $2,568 new text end
new text begin 9 new text end	new text begin $2,808 new text end
new text begin 10 new text end	new text begin $3,041 new text end
new text begin Each Additional Person new text end	new text begin $230 new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2018.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2019 is appropriated from the TANF block grant fund to the
commissioner of human services for purposes of sections 1 to 4.
new text end