1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; establishing a 
  1.3             diversionary assistance pilot project; appropriating 
  1.4             money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [DAKOTA COUNTY MFIP DIVERSIONARY ASSISTANCE 
  1.7   PILOT PROJECT.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.] 
  1.9   Notwithstanding any contrary law, the commissioner of human 
  1.10  services shall establish a MFIP diversionary assistance pilot 
  1.11  project in Dakota county to encourage rapid entrance into the 
  1.12  work force.  The pilot project is intended to improve 
  1.13  employability and self-sufficiency, and to minimize the number 
  1.14  of families reaching the 60-month time limit under the TANF 
  1.15  block grant and reduce the number of families who need ongoing 
  1.16  MFIP assistance. 
  1.17     Subd. 2.  [MANDATORY PARTICIPATION.] Beginning January 1, 
  1.18  2001, the following families residing in Dakota county must be 
  1.19  enrolled in the Dakota county diversionary assistance pilot 
  1.20  project: 
  1.21     (1) families who apply or reapply for MFIP and meet 
  1.22  eligibility requirements; and 
  1.23     (2) families currently enrolled in MFIP who are under a 30 
  1.24  percent sanction and have been assessed as capable of 
  1.25  participating in a preemployment or employment activity but are 
  2.1   not participating in these activities. 
  2.2      Subd. 3.  [PILOT PROJECT DESIGN AND SERVICES.] (a) The 
  2.3   Dakota county MFIP diversionary assistance pilot project is 
  2.4   available for 90 days.  The following support services and 
  2.5   programs are available to participants based on the county 
  2.6   agency's documentation of need or determination of eligibility: 
  2.7      (1) child care subsidies for work or all pre-employment or 
  2.8   employment-related activities approved by the county in an 
  2.9   employment plan.  This may include child care costs related to 
  2.10  accessing social services programs and activities; 
  2.11     (2) funding for basic needs; 
  2.12     (3) other employment-focused supports needed after a needs 
  2.13  assessment is conducted for each pilot project participant; 
  2.14     (4) approved training programs under Minnesota Statutes, 
  2.15  sections 256J.49, subdivision 13, and 256J.53; 
  2.16     (5) approved employment activities under Minnesota 
  2.17  Statutes, section 256J.49, subdivision 13; 
  2.18     (6) nonpublic assistance food stamps; 
  2.19     (7) medical assistance or MinnesotaCare; 
  2.20     (8) enhanced employment services; and 
  2.21     (9) emergency assistance. 
  2.22     (b) Payments for basic needs shall be determined by an 
  2.23  eligibility worker.  Total monthly payments must not exceed the 
  2.24  ongoing MFIP monthly cash grant standard for which the 
  2.25  participant would have been otherwise eligible.  For a 
  2.26  participant to receive payments under the pilot project, the 
  2.27  participant must cooperate with the employment plan. 
  2.28     (c) Noncooperation with the employment plan without good 
  2.29  cause shall result in a sanction equal to a reduction of 100 
  2.30  percent of funding for basic needs for the remainder of the 
  2.31  90-day participation period.  No standard exemptions from 
  2.32  employment services are permitted during the pilot project. 
  2.33     Subd. 4.  [TRANSITION SERVICES.] (a) After participation in 
  2.34  the program for 90 days, participants who are gainfully employed 
  2.35  and not wanting or no longer in need of ongoing assistance for 
  2.36  basic needs shall be eligible for transition year child care 
  3.1   under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 119B, and, for those families 
  3.2   who were eligible for medical assistance during the 90 days, for 
  3.3   extended medical assistance under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  3.4   256B.0635. 
  3.5      (b) Pilot project participants who have not attained an 
  3.6   income during participation in the pilot project that would 
  3.7   result in MFIP ineligibility are eligible for the following 
  3.8   options: 
  3.9      (1) participants who were not on MFIP prior to 
  3.10  participating in the pilot project may apply for MFIP under 
  3.11  Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256J; 
  3.12     (2) participants previously enrolled in MFIP prior to 
  3.13  participation in the pilot project who were not under sanction 
  3.14  during the pilot project may revert to participation in MFIP; or 
  3.15     (3) participants who were under sanction during the pilot 
  3.16  project may reapply for MFIP. 
  3.17     Subd. 5.  [EVALUATION AND REPORT.] Evaluation of the pilot 
  3.18  project shall be based on outcome evaluation criteria negotiated 
  3.19  with the commissioner of human services prior to 
  3.20  implementation.  The department of human services shall prepare 
  3.21  and submit a report to the legislature on the results of the 
  3.22  pilot project and recommendations for changes to the program if 
  3.23  the pilot project is implemented on a permanent basis. 
  3.24     Subd. 6.  [FUNDING.] The commissioner of human services 
  3.25  shall transfer funding to be allocated to Dakota county as a 
  3.26  block grant for the purposes of the basic needs payments made on 
  3.27  behalf of families during the 90 days that families are enrolled 
  3.28  in the pilot project. 
  3.29     Subd. 7.  [COUNTY AGENCY DUTIES.] (a) The county agency 
  3.30  shall develop guidelines in the following areas prior to 
  3.31  implementing the pilot project: 
  3.32     (1) payments made to vendors and payments made directly to 
  3.33  families; 
  3.34     (2) good cause exemptions for noncooperation with the 
  3.35  employment plan; and 
  3.36     (3) evaluation of income when determining payments for 
  4.1   basic needs. 
  4.2      (b) When a participant receives a 100 percent sanction 
  4.3   under subdivision 3, the county agency must monitor the 
  4.4   well-being of the children in the household who are at risk of 
  4.5   safety, health, or nutritional problems due to the lack of 
  4.6   resources available to the family.  The county agency must 
  4.7   provide necessary services or resources to the family in order 
  4.8   to protect the welfare of the children in the household. 
  4.9      (c) The county agency must report quarterly to the 
  4.10  commissioner of human services, and to the chairs of the house 
  4.11  health and human services policy committee and the senate health 
  4.12  and family security committee, on the number of participants who 
  4.13  have received a sanction under subdivision 3. 
  4.14     Subd. 8.  [FEDERAL WAIVERS.] The commissioner of human 
  4.15  services shall apply for any federal waiver required to 
  4.16  implement the Dakota county MFIP diversionary assistance pilot 
  4.17  project. 
  4.18     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  4.19     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  4.20  commissioner of human services to provide a grant to Dakota 
  4.21  county for the purposes in section 1.