1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; excluding certain earned 
  1.3             income from income for the purposes of assistance; 
  1.4             mental retardation protection; requiring legislative 
  1.5             recommendations. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [INCOME EXCLUSION OR DISREGARD.] 
  1.8      (a) The earned income that a temporary census employee for 
  1.9   the 2000 census receives from the United States Census Bureau is 
  1.10  excluded from income under Minnesota Statutes, sections 
  1.11  256B.056, subdivision 4; 256D.03, subdivision 3; 256J.21, 
  1.12  subdivision 2; and 256L.01, subdivision 5, and disregarded as 
  1.13  income under Minnesota Statutes, sections 256D.06, subdivision 
  1.14  1; and 256D.435, subdivision 5. 
  1.15     (b) An income exclusion or disregard under paragraph (a) 
  1.16  applies to a person receiving benefits on or before March 1, 
  1.17  2000, under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256B, 256J, or 256L, or 
  1.18  sections 256D.03, subdivision 3, 256D.06, or 256D.33 to 256D.54. 
  1.19     Sec. 2.  [RECOMMENDATIONS ON TRANSFERRING PUBLIC 
  1.20  GUARDIANSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES.] 
  1.21     The commissioner of human services, in consultation with 
  1.22  representatives of interested groups, including family members, 
  1.23  advocacy organizations, counties, service providers, the office 
  1.24  of the ombudsman for mental health and mental retardation, and 
  1.25  others, must develop specific legislative recommendations on 
  2.1   transferring public guardianship responsibilities and related 
  2.2   duties and authority under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 252A, 
  2.3   from the commissioner of human services and counties to another 
  2.4   entity that can independently and responsibly fulfill the 
  2.5   guardianship and related obligations.  To be eligible to perform 
  2.6   these transferred duties, an entity must either be a 
  2.7   multi-purpose agency that provides a broad range of social 
  2.8   services or a new or existing office within state government 
  2.9   that does not currently have operational or financial duties 
  2.10  under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 252A, and it must provide 
  2.11  assurances that it will act in the best interests of each ward 
  2.12  or conservatee, per Minnesota Statutes, section 525.539, 
  2.13  subdivision 7.  The legislative recommendations, including cost 
  2.14  estimates, shall be provided to the chairs of the house of 
  2.15  representatives health and human services policy committee and 
  2.16  the senate health and family security policy committee by 
  2.17  December 15, 2000.  
  2.18     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.19     Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day following final 
  2.20  enactment.