1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to health care; requiring state colleges and 
  1.3             universities to offer a short-term health care and 
  1.4             human services course; appropriating money; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 136F.71, subdivision 
  1.6             1, and by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for 
  1.7             new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 136A; 136F; 
  1.8             and 256B. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  [136A.138] [HEALTH CARE EDUCATION GRANT 
  1.11  PROGRAM.] 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A health care and human 
  1.13  services education grant program is established under the 
  1.14  supervision of the higher education services office and the 
  1.15  administration of qualifying consortia operating under sections 
  1.16  116L.10 to 116L.15 to provide grants to Minnesota health care 
  1.17  and human services employees and potential employees to complete 
  1.18  a post-secondary degree or certificate in a field related to 
  1.19  health care or human services. 
  1.20     Subd. 2.  [RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CONSORTIA.] The consortia 
  1.21  shall administer the grant program and award grants to eligible 
  1.22  persons.  To be eligible to receive a grant, a person must be: 
  1.23     (1) an employee or potential employee of a health care or 
  1.24  human services provider located in this state that is a member 
  1.25  of the consortium and has recommended the person to the 
  1.26  consortium for consideration; and 
  1.27     (2) enrolled in a state post-secondary education program 
  2.1   that offers a degree or certificate in a field related to health 
  2.2   care or human services in which a critical worker shortage 
  2.3   exists. 
  2.4      Subd. 3.  [GRANTS FOR ONE YEAR; RENEWABLE.] The grant must 
  2.5   be awarded for one academic year or the length of the program, 
  2.6   if less than one year, but is renewable up to a total maximum of 
  2.7   eight semesters or 12 quarters of full-time study, or their 
  2.8   equivalent.  The grant must be used for tuition, fees, and 
  2.9   books.  Priority in awarding grants shall be given to persons 
  2.10  with the greatest financial need. 
  2.11     Subd. 4.  [RESPONSIBILITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES 
  2.12  OFFICE.] Within the limits of available appropriations 
  2.13  specifically for this purpose, the higher education services 
  2.14  office shall distribute money each year to consortia to be used 
  2.15  to award grants under this section.  The consortia shall report 
  2.16  to the higher education services office on program activity as 
  2.17  requested by the office. 
  2.18     Subd. 5.  [COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS.] This section 
  2.19  shall be implemented consistent with existing collective 
  2.20  bargaining agreements covering health care and human services 
  2.21  employees. 
  2.22     Sec. 2.  [136A.139] [SCHOLARSHIP "BANKING" PROGRAM FOR 
  2.23  HEALTH CARE AND HUMAN SERVICES WORKERS.] 
  2.24     The higher education services office shall administer a 
  2.25  program under which health care and human services workers 
  2.26  participating in a consortia under sections 116L.10 to 116L.15 
  2.27  earn scholarship dollars for each hour of employment.  The 
  2.28  office shall implement reporting systems to enable consortia or 
  2.29  employers to report employee hours worked to the office.  An 
  2.30  employee must work for an employer for a minimum of six months 
  2.31  to qualify for assistance under this section.  A qualifying 
  2.32  employee shall earn $2 in scholarship assistance for each hour 
  2.33  worked, up to a maximum of $3,000 per year.  Within the limit of 
  2.34  appropriations made specifically for this purpose, the office 
  2.35  shall award scholarships based on hours worked. 
  2.36     Sec. 3.  [136F.37] [SHORT-TERM HEALTH CARE CURRICULA.] 
  3.1      The board, in consultation with relevant industries, shall 
  3.2   develop a short-term, competency-based, standardized curricula 
  3.3   in health care patient services and community support services 
  3.4   for persons with disabilities.  The standardized curricula must 
  3.5   provide knowledge that is applicable to a wide range of health 
  3.6   care settings and human services settings.  Effective January 1, 
  3.7   2000, the board shall offer certificates and two-year associate 
  3.8   degrees that articulate into four-year educational programs in 
  3.9   health care services and in human services. 
  3.10     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 136F.71, 
  3.11  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  3.12     Subdivision 1.  [APPROPRIATION OF RECEIPTS.] Except as 
  3.13  provided in subdivision 1a, all receipts of every kind, nature, 
  3.14  and description, including student tuition and fees, all federal 
  3.15  receipts, aids, contributions, and reimbursements, but not 
  3.16  including receipts attributable to state colleges and 
  3.17  universities activity funds, in all the state colleges and 
  3.18  universities are appropriated to the board, but are subject to 
  3.19  budgetary control to be exercised by the commissioner of 
  3.20  finance.  The balance in these funds shall not cancel on June 
  3.21  30, but shall be available in the next fiscal year. 
  3.22     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 136F.71, is 
  3.23  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  3.24     Subd. 1a.  [RETENTION OF RECEIPTS.] Notwithstanding 
  3.25  subdivision 1, a department or program at a state college or 
  3.26  university may retain tuition and other receipts for customized 
  3.27  training and for training offered as part of a training and 
  3.28  retention program under sections 116L.10 to 116L.15. 
  3.29     Sec. 6.  [256B.38] [RATE INCREASES TO REFLECT TRAINING AND 
  3.30  RETENTION.] 
  3.31     (a) For a medical assistance provider listed in paragraph 
  3.32  (b) participating in a worker training and retention project 
  3.33  under sections 116L.10 to 116L.15, the commissioner may increase 
  3.34  reimbursement rates to reflect any costs under sections 116L.10 
  3.35  to 116L.15 that are allowable costs for that provider.  This 
  3.36  rate increase shall be implemented upon the commissioner's 
  4.1   approval within the limit of available appropriations.  
  4.2      (b) The rate increases in paragraph (a) may be provided to 
  4.3   nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities for persons 
  4.4   with mental retardation or related conditions, hospitals, and 
  4.5   providers of child welfare case management or mental health case 
  4.6   management services. 
  4.7      Sec. 7.  [CREDIT ARTICULATION STUDY.] 
  4.8      The board of trustees of the Minnesota state colleges and 
  4.9   universities shall study and report to the legislature by 
  4.10  February 1, 2000, with a plan to offer credit hours for all 
  4.11  education and training provided by institutions operated by the 
  4.12  board as part of a system that allows all credit hours to be 
  4.13  counted toward the requirements of two- and four-year degrees. 
  4.14     Sec. 8.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  4.15     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  4.16  higher education services office for the biennium ending June 
  4.17  30, 2001, for the purposes of sections 1 and 2.