1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to homeless youth; providing for transitional 
  1.3             housing; appropriating money; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 1994, section 256E.115. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 256E.115, is 
  1.7   amended to read: 
  1.8      256E.115 [SAFE HOUSES AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR HOMELESS 
  1.9   YOUTH.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [COMMISSIONER DUTIES.] The commissioner 
  1.11  shall have authority to make grants for pilot programs when the 
  1.12  legislature authorizes money to encourage innovation in the 
  1.13  development of safe house programs to respond to the needs of 
  1.14  homeless youth issue a request for proposals from organizations 
  1.15  that are knowledgeable about the needs of homeless youth for the 
  1.16  purpose of providing safe houses and transitional housing for 
  1.17  homeless youth.  The commissioner shall also assist in 
  1.18  coordinating funding from federal and state grant programs and 
  1.19  funding available from a variety of sources for efforts to 
  1.20  promote a continuum of services for youth through a consolidated 
  1.21  grant application.  The commissioner shall analyze the needs of 
  1.22  homeless youth and gaps in services throughout the state and 
  1.23  determine how to best serve those needs within the available 
  1.24  funding. 
  1.25     Subd. 2.  [SAFE HOUSES AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.] A safe 
  2.1   house provides emergency housing for homeless youth ages 13 to 
  2.2   21.  Transitional housing provides housing for homeless youth 
  2.3   ages 16 to 21 who are transitioning into independent living. 
  2.4      In developing both types of housing, the commissioner shall 
  2.5   try to create a family atmosphere in a neighborhood or community 
  2.6   and, if possible, provide separate but cooperative homes for 
  2.7   males and females.  The following services, or adequate access 
  2.8   to referrals for the following services, must be made available 
  2.9   to the homeless youth: 
  2.10     (1) counseling services for the youth and their families, 
  2.11  on site, to help with problems that resulted in the 
  2.12  homelessness; 
  2.13     (2) job services to help youth find employment in addition 
  2.14  to creating jobs on site, including food service, maintenance, 
  2.15  child care, and tutoring; 
  2.16     (3) health services that are confidential and provide 
  2.17  preventive care services, crisis referrals, and other necessary 
  2.18  health care services; 
  2.19     (4) living skills training to help youth learn how to care 
  2.20  for themselves; and 
  2.21     (5) education services that help youth enroll in academic 
  2.22  programs, if they are currently not in a program.  Enrollment in 
  2.23  an academic program is required for residency in transitional 
  2.24  housing. 
  2.25     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.26     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.27  commissioner of human services for purposes of section 1, to be 
  2.28  available until June 30, 1997.