1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to children; creating a pilot project grant 
  1.3             program to award grants for juvenile assessment 
  1.4             centers. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [GRANT PROGRAM FOR JUVENILE ASSESSMENT 
  1.7   CENTERS.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [PROGRAM DESCRIBED.] The commissioner of 
  1.9   health through the office of drug policy and violence 
  1.10  prevention, shall administer a pilot project grant program to 
  1.11  award grants to no more than three judicial districts to develop 
  1.12  and implement plans to create juvenile assessment centers.  A 
  1.13  juvenile assessment center is a 24-hour centralized receiving, 
  1.14  processing, and intervention facility for children who are 
  1.15  accused of committing delinquent acts or status offenses or who 
  1.16  are alleged to have been victims of abuse or neglect. 
  1.17     Subd. 2.  [WORKING GROUPS AUTHORIZED; PLANS REQUIRED.] The 
  1.18  chief judge of a judicial district or the judge's designee may 
  1.19  convene a working group consisting of individuals experienced in 
  1.20  providing services to children.  A working group shall consist 
  1.21  of, but is not limited to, representatives from substance abuse 
  1.22  programs, domestic abuse programs, child protection agencies, 
  1.23  mental health providers, mental health collaboratives, law 
  1.24  enforcement agencies, schools, health service providers, and 
  1.25  higher education institutions.  The working group shall 
  2.1   cooperatively develop a plan to create a juvenile assessment 
  2.2   center in the judicial district.  Juvenile assessment centers 
  2.3   must provide initial screening for children, including intake 
  2.4   and needs assessments, substance abuse screening, physical and 
  2.5   mental health screening, fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal 
  2.6   alcohol exposure screening, and diagnostic educational testing, 
  2.7   as appropriate.  The entities involved in the assessment center 
  2.8   shall make the resources for the provision of these assessments 
  2.9   available at the same level to which they are available to the 
  2.10  general public.  The plan must include, but is not limited to, 
  2.11  recommended screening tools to assess children to determine 
  2.12  their needs and assets; protocols to determine how children 
  2.13  should enter the center, what will happen at the center, and 
  2.14  what will happen after the child leaves the center; methods to 
  2.15  share information in a manner consistent with existing law; and 
  2.16  information on how the center will collaborate with a higher 
  2.17  educational institution that has expertise in the research, 
  2.18  programming, and evaluation of children's services.  The plan 
  2.19  may also address the provision of services to children. 
  2.20     Subd. 3.  [COOPERATION WITH WORKING GROUPS.] The 
  2.21  commissioner may provide technical assistance to the working 
  2.22  groups and judicial districts.  If the working groups identify 
  2.23  any necessary changes in data privacy laws that would facilitate 
  2.24  the operation of the assessment centers, the commissioner may 
  2.25  recommend these changes to the legislature. 
  2.26     Subd. 4.  [AWARDING OF GRANTS.] By January 1, 1998, the 
  2.27  commissioner shall award grants under this section to judicial 
  2.28  districts to develop plans to create juvenile assessment 
  2.29  centers.  Each district awarded a planning grant shall submit 
  2.30  its plan to the commissioner.  The commissioner shall review the 
  2.31  plans and award grants to districts whose plans have been 
  2.32  approved to develop an assessment center. 
  2.33     Subd. 5.  [REPORT.] By January 15, 1999, the commissioner 
  2.34  shall report to the legislature on the planning and 
  2.35  implementation grants awarded under this section.