HF 3651

as introduced - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to state government; transferring certain 
  1.3             powers and duties from the department of children, 
  1.4             families, and learning to the department of economic 
  1.5             security; providing requirements for the energy 
  1.6             assistance program; requiring a report; instructing 
  1.7             the revisor to renumber certain sections; proposing 
  1.8             coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 268. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  [268.99] [ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.] 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [PROGRAM COVERAGE.] The commissioner shall 
  1.12  administer an energy assistance program to administer payments 
  1.13  for primary assistance, crisis assistance, energy-related 
  1.14  repair, weatherization, and the summer fill and reach out for 
  1.15  warmth programs including administration of state and federal 
  1.16  funds directly to utility and fuel vendors. 
  1.17     Subd. 2.  [ENERGY CONSUMPTION DATA.] The energy assistance 
  1.18  program shall collect household energy consumption data from 
  1.19  utilities and fuel vendors for the purpose of calculating 
  1.20  household benefits. 
  1.21     Subd. 3.  [ANNUAL ANALYSIS.] The energy assistance program 
  1.22  shall undertake annual analysis to determine its entire eligible 
  1.23  population and set priorities for providing assistance in 
  1.24  accordance with federal guidelines. 
  1.25     Subd. 4.  [USE OF EXISTING DATA.] Within data privacy 
  1.26  constraints, the energy assistance program shall use existing 
  1.27  state data on eligible households to identify and contact 
  2.1   potential energy assistance benefit recipients.  The program 
  2.2   shall seek authorization for access to such data as is necessary.
  2.3      Subd. 5.  [BENEFIT PROGRAMS.] The energy assistance program 
  2.4   shall use participation in benefit programs that automatically 
  2.5   qualify households for energy assistance under federal 
  2.6   guidelines, as the state's sole criterion to qualify these 
  2.7   households. 
  2.8      Subd. 6.  [LOCAL SERVICE DELIVERY AGENCIES.] The energy 
  2.9   assistance program shall contract with local service delivery 
  2.10  agencies to provide one-on-one assistance to clients as needed, 
  2.11  provide crisis assistance, and negotiate with vendors, as 
  2.12  needed.  Grants shall be awarded to agencies based on outcomes, 
  2.13  prior performance, and plans and ability to reach clients, 
  2.14  particularly underserved or underrepresented populations. 
  2.15     Subd. 7.  [OUTCOME MEASURES.] The energy assistance program 
  2.16  shall develop outcome measures, in accordance with federal 
  2.17  recommendations, by which to evaluate subgrantee performance and 
  2.18  the program as a whole. 
  2.19     Subd. 8.  [DISCONNECTION DATA.] The energy assistance 
  2.20  program shall annually collect and report data on electric and 
  2.21  gas utility disconnections for households due to nonpayment. 
  2.22     Sec. 2.  [ENERGY ASSISTANCE SOFTWARE.] 
  2.23     The commissioner of economic security shall acquire, by 
  2.24  gift or purchase, energy assistance real-time data collection 
  2.25  and reporting software.  The software must be operational by 
  2.26  August 1, 2000. 
  2.27     Sec. 3.  [REPORT.] 
  2.28     The commissioner of economic security shall submit a report 
  2.29  to the legislature detailing the costs and benefits of operating 
  2.30  the energy assistance program.  The report shall be submitted to 
  2.31  the senate jobs, energy and community development committee, and 
  2.32  the house jobs and economic development policy committee by 
  2.33  January 1, 2001. 
  2.34     Sec. 4.  [TRANSFER OF ENERGY ASSISTANCE RESPONSIBILITIES.] 
  2.35     Energy assistance responsibilities under Minnesota 
  2.36  Statutes, sections 119A.40, 119A.41, 119A.42, and 119A.425 are 
  3.1   transferred from the department of children, families, and 
  3.2   learning to the department of economic security.  
  3.3      Sec. 5.  [INSTRUCTION TO REVISOR.] 
  3.4      The revisor of statutes shall renumber each section of 
  3.5   Minnesota Statutes listed in column A with the number listed in 
  3.6   column B.  The revisor shall also make necessary cross-reference 
  3.7   changes consistent with the renumbering. 
  3.8             column A        column B 
  3.9             119A.40         268.985 
  3.10            119A.41         268.986 
  3.11            119A.42         268.987 
  3.12            119A.425        268.989 
  3.13     Sec. 6.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.14     Sections 1 to 5 are effective the day following final 
  3.15  enactment.