HF 2076

1st Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 01:58am

A bill for an act
relating to human services; creating equal access and equitable funding health
and human services reform; creating a steering committee; requiring reports;
proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256E; repealing
Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 245.4835; 245.4932, subdivision 1; 246.54,
subdivisions 1, 2; 252.275, subdivision 3; 253B.045, subdivision 2; 254B.04,
subdivision 1; 256.82, subdivision 2; 256.976; 256B.05, subdivision 1;
256B.0625, subdivisions 20, 20a; 256B.0945, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4; 256B.19,
subdivision 1; 256D.03; 256D.053, subdivision 3; 256E.12, subdivision 3;
256F.10, subdivision 7; 256F.13, subdivision 1; 256I.04; 256I.08; 256J.09,
subdivisions 1, 2, 3; 256L.15, subdivision 4.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [256E.40] EQUAL ACCESS AND EQUITABLE FUNDING HEALTH
AND HUMAN SERVICES REFORM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Reform. new text end

new text begin (a) The goals in reforming the health and human services
delivery system shall focus on the criteria in this subdivision.
new text end

new text begin (b) Equal access is an equal chance for every resident of the state to secure access to
essential services in order to achieve a desired outcome. Access to essential services shall
not be dependent on the willingness of a county board to make discretionary investments
from property tax funds.
new text end

new text begin (c)(1) Client and program outcomes shall be developed jointly by counties and
the state agency in consultation with affected persons and constituency groups, for all
essential services and with regard to available resources. Performance outcomes shall be
the basis for accountability, not implementation mandates.
new text end

new text begin (2) The development of outcome goals shall also consider the manner in which
achievement of these goals will be reported. An estimate of increased or decreased state
and local administrative costs in collecting and reporting outcomes shall be included when
outcome goals are established.
new text end

new text begin (3) The goal of implementing changes to program monitoring and reporting the
progress toward achieving outcomes is to significantly minimize the cost of administrative
requirements. This decreased cost must allow funds used for administrative purposes to
be used in providing services, allow flexibility in service design and management, and
focus energies on achieving program and client outcomes.
new text end

new text begin (4) The commissioner of human services shall publish instructional bulletins
containing the outcome goals and reporting requirements. The commissioner shall initiate
state plan amendments necessary to implement provisions of this section.
new text end

new text begin (d) To the greatest degree possible, essential health and human services shall be
funded by state and federal funds rather than local property taxes.
new text end

new text begin (1) Distribution of federal and state funds shall recognize program demand and
unique differences of the local area.
new text end

new text begin (2) While local property tax funding shall be avoided whenever possible, when
local financial contributions are required, an equal burden should be placed on property
taxpayers across the state.
new text end

new text begin (3) Local innovation and pilot programs using local revenues should be encouraged
as learning opportunities without risk of long-term obligation.
new text end

new text begin (4) Any state agency proposals for increased property taxes must be reported to the
chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over
health, human services, and taxes.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of human
services.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Essential services" means those services that are mandated in state law that are
to be available in all counties of the state.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Maintenance of effort" means a financial mandate that requires the continuation
of local property tax or other local funding that was originally discretionary.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Steering committee. new text end

new text begin (a) To guide the implementation of the equal access
and equitable funding health and human services reform, a human services reform steering
committee is established. The committee shall include:
new text end

new text begin (1) the commissioner of human services or a designee;
new text end

new text begin (2) three county commissioners, representative of rural, suburban, and urban
counties, selected by the Association of Minnesota Counties;
new text end

new text begin (3) three county directors of human services, representative of rural, suburban, and
urban counties, selected by the Minnesota Association of Social Service Administrators;
and
new text end

new text begin (4) four clients or client advocates representing different populations receiving
services from the Department of Human Services, who are appointed by the commissioner.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner or a designee and a county commissioner shall serve as
cochairs of the committee. The committee shall be convened within 60 days of final
enactment.
new text end

new text begin (c) State agency staff shall serve as informational resources and staff to the steering
committee. Statewide county associations shall assemble county program data as required.
new text end

new text begin (d) Responsibilities of the steering committee include:
new text end

new text begin (1) establishing an agreed upon list of essential services;
new text end

new text begin (2) establishing a three-year schedule of program reviews to evaluate and establish
outcome goals, modify the reporting system, and review the distribution of state and
federal funds. Priority shall be given to services with the greatest variation in availability
and greatest administrative demands. The schedule shall be published on the agency Web
site and reported to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health and human
services;
new text end

new text begin (3) ensuring consistency and similar implementation of goal-related reforms across
program areas;
new text end

new text begin (4) receiving and reviewing reports from working groups established by the steering
committee. Working groups of state and county representatives shall seek and receive
input from affected parties and clients;
new text end

new text begin (5) making recommendations on the adoption of proposed changes that address the
access, quality, and finance goals;
new text end

new text begin (6) developing a uniform process for responding to a county's failure to make
adequate progress on achieving outcome goals; and
new text end

new text begin (7) making quarterly reports on the agency Web site on activity and progress on
goal achievement.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin County funding contributions. new text end

new text begin (a) A consolidated county contribution
fund is established that shall be composed of local property tax contributions that reflect
a uniform percentage of adjusted net tax capacity. It shall be the responsibility of the
commissioner to allocate the consolidated county contribution fund between programs to
meet federal match requirements. The following criteria apply:
new text end

new text begin (1) the uniform percentage of adjusted net tax capacity is ... percent;
new text end

new text begin (2) local contributions to the consolidated county contribution fund shall not be
subject to state levy limits;
new text end

new text begin (3) the levy contribution to the consolidated county contribution fund shall be the
only financial contribution required from the counties to fund health and human services;
and
new text end

new text begin (4) no new maintenance of effort of financial match requirements shall be established
for county health and human services programs implemented or changed after January
1, 2009.
new text end

new text begin (b) To implement funding of the consolidated county contribution fund:
new text end

new text begin (1) each county board shall levy ... percent of its adjusted net tax capacity as its
contribution to the funding of health and human services;
new text end

new text begin (2) the commissioner of revenue shall provide estimates to the commissioner of
human services of the expected revenues from the county property tax contribution;
new text end

new text begin (3) to maintain local services funded by property taxes that the state has used to earn
a federal match, the commissioner of revenue shall certify the equivalent local percentage
of net tax capacity based on the 2008 expenditures for the match earning programs and
deduct that amount from a county's share to the consolidated county contribution fund; and
new text end

new text begin (4) each county shall transfer its contribution to the county consolidated contribution
fund in two payments after collecting property taxes, one-half on June 15 and one-half on
November 15.
new text end

new text begin (c) The commissioner of human services shall make an annual report beginning
January 15, 2011, and every January 15 thereafter, to the chairs and ranking minority
members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over health and human services
and taxes on the use of the county consolidated contribution fund.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin Subdivisions 1 to 3 are effective upon final enactment.
Subdivision 4 is effective January 1, 2010.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin REPEALER.
new text end

new text begin Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 245.4835; 245.4932, subdivision 1; 246.54,
subdivisions 1 and 2; 252.275, subdivision 3; 253B.045, subdivision 2; 254B.04,
subdivision 1; 256.82, subdivision 2; 256.976; 256B.05, subdivision 1; 256B.0625,
subdivisions 20 and 20a; 256B.0945, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, and 4; 256B.19, subdivision
1; 256D.03; 256D.053, subdivision 3; 256E.12, subdivision 3; 256F.10, subdivision 7;
256F.13, subdivision 1; 256I.04; 256I.08; 256J.09, subdivisions 1, 2, and 3; and 256L.15,
subdivision 4, new text end new text begin are repealed.
new text end