1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to welfare; exempting minor parents from MFIP 
  1.3             orientation; appropriating money for adult-supervised 
  1.4             living arrangements for minor parents; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 1998, sections 256J.14; and 
  1.6             256J.45, by adding a subdivision. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256J.14, is 
  1.9   amended to read: 
  1.10     256J.14 [ELIGIBILITY FOR PARENTING OR PREGNANT MINORS.] 
  1.11     (a) The definitions in this paragraph only apply to this 
  1.12  subdivision. 
  1.13     (1) "Household of a parent, legal guardian, or other adult 
  1.14  relative" means the place of residence of: 
  1.15     (i) a natural or adoptive parent; 
  1.16     (ii) a legal guardian according to appointment or 
  1.17  acceptance under section 260.242, 525.615, or 525.6165, and 
  1.18  related laws; 
  1.19     (iii) a caregiver as defined in section 256J.08, 
  1.20  subdivision 11; or 
  1.21     (iv) an appropriate adult relative designated by a county 
  1.22  agency. 
  1.23     (2) "Adult-supervised supportive living arrangement" means 
  1.24  a private family setting which assumes responsibility for the 
  1.25  care and control of the minor parent and minor child, or other 
  1.26  living arrangement, not including a public institution, licensed 
  2.1   by the commissioner of human services which ensures that the 
  2.2   minor parent receives adult supervision and supportive services, 
  2.3   such as counseling, guidance, independent living skills 
  2.4   training, or supervision. 
  2.5      (b) A minor parent and the minor child who is in the care 
  2.6   of the minor parent must reside in the household of a parent, 
  2.7   legal guardian, other adult relative, or in an adult-supervised 
  2.8   supportive living arrangement in order to receive MFIP-S unless: 
  2.9      (1) the minor parent has no living parent, other adult 
  2.10  relative, or legal guardian whose whereabouts is known; 
  2.11     (2) no living parent, other adult relative, or legal 
  2.12  guardian of the minor parent allows the minor parent to live in 
  2.13  the parent's, other adult relative's, or legal guardian's home; 
  2.14     (3) the minor parent lived apart from the minor parent's 
  2.15  own parent or legal guardian for a period of at least one year 
  2.16  before either the birth of the minor child or the minor parent's 
  2.17  application for MFIP-S; 
  2.18     (4) the physical or emotional health or safety of the minor 
  2.19  parent or minor child would be jeopardized if the minor parent 
  2.20  and the minor child resided in the same residence with the minor 
  2.21  parent's parent, other adult relative, or legal guardian; or 
  2.22     (5) an adult supervised supportive living arrangement is 
  2.23  not available for the minor parent and child in the county in 
  2.24  which the minor parent and child currently reside.  If an adult 
  2.25  supervised supportive living arrangement becomes available 
  2.26  within the county, the minor parent and child must reside in 
  2.27  that arrangement. 
  2.28     (c) The county agency shall inform minor applicants must be 
  2.29  informed both orally and in writing about the eligibility 
  2.30  requirements and, their rights and obligations under the MFIP-S 
  2.31  program, and any other applicable orientation information.  The 
  2.32  county must advise the minor of the possible exemptions and 
  2.33  specifically ask whether one or more of these exemptions is 
  2.34  applicable.  If the minor alleges one or more of these 
  2.35  exemptions, then the county must assist the minor in obtaining 
  2.36  the necessary verifications to determine whether or not these 
  3.1   exemptions apply. 
  3.2      (d) If the county worker has reason to suspect that the 
  3.3   physical or emotional health or safety of the minor parent or 
  3.4   minor child would be jeopardized if they resided with the minor 
  3.5   parent's parent, other adult relative, or legal guardian, then 
  3.6   the county worker must make a referral to child protective 
  3.7   services to determine if paragraph (b), clause (4), applies.  A 
  3.8   new determination by the county worker is not necessary if one 
  3.9   has been made within the last six months, unless there has been 
  3.10  a significant change in circumstances which justifies a new 
  3.11  referral and determination. 
  3.12     (e) If a minor parent is not living with a parent, legal 
  3.13  guardian, or other adult relative due to paragraph (b), clause 
  3.14  (1), (2), or (4), the minor parent must reside, when possible, 
  3.15  in a living arrangement that meets the standards of paragraph 
  3.16  (a), clause (2). 
  3.17     (f) When a minor parent and minor child live with a parent, 
  3.18  other adult relative, legal guardian, or in an adult-supervised 
  3.19  supportive living arrangement, MFIP-S must be paid, when 
  3.20  possible, in the form of a protective payment on behalf of the 
  3.21  minor parent and minor child according to section 256J.39, 
  3.22  subdivisions 2 to 4. 
  3.23     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256J.45, is 
  3.24  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  3.25     Subd. 1a.  [PREGNANT AND PARENTING MINORS.] Pregnant and 
  3.26  parenting minors who are complying with the provisions of 
  3.27  section 256J.54 are exempt from the requirement under 
  3.28  subdivision 1, however, the county agency must provide 
  3.29  information to the minor as required under section 256J.14. 
  3.30     Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION; ADULT-SUPERVISED LIVING 
  3.31  ARRANGEMENTS FOR MINOR PARENTS.] 
  3.32     $....... is appropriated from the TANF reserve to the 
  3.33  commissioner of human services for the biennium ending June 30, 
  3.34  2001, for the purpose of creating and expanding adult-supervised 
  3.35  supportive living arrangements under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  3.36  256J.14.  The commissioner shall request proposals from 
  4.1   interested parties that have knowledge and experience in the 
  4.2   area of adolescent housing, and shall award grants for the 
  4.3   purpose of either expanding existing living arrangements or 
  4.4   creating new living arrangements.  Minor parents who are MFIP 
  4.5   participants shall be given priority for this housing, but 
  4.6   excess living arrangements may be used by minor parents who are 
  4.7   not MFIP participants.