1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; early childhood developmental 
  1.3             screening; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, sections 
  1.4             121A.16; 121A.17, subdivisions 1, 3, 4, 5; 121A.19. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 121A.16, is 
  1.7   amended to read: 
  1.8      121A.16 [EARLY CHILDHOOD HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT SCREENING; 
  1.9   PURPOSE.] 
  1.10     The legislature finds that early detection of children's 
  1.11  health and developmental problems can reduce their later need 
  1.12  for costly care, minimize their physical and educational 
  1.13  handicaps disabilities, and aid in their rehabilitation.  The 
  1.14  purpose of sections 121A.16 to 121A.19 is to assist parents and 
  1.15  communities in improving the health of Minnesota children and in 
  1.16  planning educational and health programs.  To effect this 
  1.17  purpose in the most cost-effective and efficient manner 
  1.18  possible, the commissioners of children, families, and learning 
  1.19  and of human services shall identify a plan to maximize the use 
  1.20  of early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment 
  1.21  program funding for the purposes of sections 121A.16 to 121A.19, 
  1.22  and shall report to the legislature by December 1, 2001, their 
  1.23  recommendations for better coordination between the public 
  1.24  funding streams that currently exist for early childhood 
  1.25  screening. 
  2.1      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 121A.17, 
  2.2   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.3      Subdivision 1.  [EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING.] 
  2.4   Every school board must provide for a mandatory program of early 
  2.5   childhood developmental screening for children at least once 
  2.6   before school entrance, targeting children who are between 3-1/2 
  2.7   and four years old.  Screening must be accomplished as near as 
  2.8   possible to the child's third birthday but may be as early as 
  2.9   age two at the option of the child's parent or legal guardian.  
  2.10  Children screened between the ages of two and three should be 
  2.11  rescreened at or after age three.  This screening program must 
  2.12  be established either by one board, by two or more boards acting 
  2.13  in cooperation, by service cooperatives, by early childhood 
  2.14  family education programs, or by other existing programs.  This 
  2.15  screening examination is a mandatory requirement for a student 
  2.16  to continue attending kindergarten or first grade in a public 
  2.17  school.  A child need not submit to developmental screening 
  2.18  provided by a board if the child's health records indicate to 
  2.19  the board that the child has received comparable developmental 
  2.20  screening from a public or private health care organization or, 
  2.21  individual health care provider, or Head Start.  Districts are 
  2.22  encouraged to reduce the costs of preschool developmental 
  2.23  screening programs by utilizing volunteers in implementing the 
  2.24  program. 
  2.25     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 121A.17, 
  2.26  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  2.27     Subd. 3.  [SCREENING PROGRAM.] (a) A screening program must 
  2.28  include at least the following components:  developmental 
  2.29  assessments, health and developmental history, hearing and 
  2.30  vision screening or referral, immunization review and referral, 
  2.31  the child's height and weight, identification of risk factors 
  2.32  that may influence learning, an interview with the parent about 
  2.33  the child, and referral for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment 
  2.34  when potential needs are identified.  The district and the 
  2.35  person performing or supervising the screening must provide a 
  2.36  parent or guardian with clear written notice that the parent or 
  3.1   guardian may decline to answer questions or provide information 
  3.2   about family circumstances that might affect development and 
  3.3   identification of risk factors that may influence learning.  The 
  3.4   notice must clearly state that declining to answer questions or 
  3.5   provide information does not prevent the child from being 
  3.6   enrolled in kindergarten or first grade if all other screening 
  3.7   components are met.  If a parent or guardian is not able to read 
  3.8   and comprehend the written notice, the district and the person 
  3.9   performing or supervising the screening must convey the 
  3.10  information in another manner.  The notice must also inform the 
  3.11  parent or guardian that a child need not submit to the district 
  3.12  screening program if the child's health records indicate to the 
  3.13  school that the child has received comparable developmental 
  3.14  screening performed within the preceding 365 days by a public or 
  3.15  private health care organization or individual health care 
  3.16  provider.  The notice must be given to a parent or guardian at 
  3.17  the time the district initially provides information to the 
  3.18  parent or guardian about screening and must be given again at 
  3.19  the screening location.  
  3.20     (b) All screening components shall be consistent with the 
  3.21  standards of the state commissioner of health and the 
  3.22  commissioner of children, families, and learning for early 
  3.23  developmental screening programs.  A developmental screening 
  3.24  program must not provide laboratory tests or a physical 
  3.25  examination to any child.  The district must request from the 
  3.26  public or private health care organization or the individual 
  3.27  health care provider the results of any laboratory test or 
  3.28  physical examination within the 12 months preceding a child's 
  3.29  scheduled screening.  
  3.30     (c) If a child is without health coverage, the school 
  3.31  district must refer the child to an appropriate health care 
  3.32  provider, and must provide application materials for 
  3.33  MinnesotaCare if appropriate.  
  3.34     (d) A board may offer additional components such as 
  3.35  nutritional, physical and dental assessments, review of family 
  3.36  circumstances that might affect development, blood pressure, and 
  4.1   laboratory tests, and health history.  
  4.2      (e) If a statement signed by the child's parent or guardian 
  4.3   is submitted to the administrator or other person having general 
  4.4   control and supervision of the school that the child has not 
  4.5   been screened because of conscientiously held beliefs of the 
  4.6   parent or guardian, the screening is not required.  
  4.7      Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 121A.17, 
  4.8   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  4.9      Subd. 4.  [FOLLOW-UP SCREENING.] If any child's screening 
  4.10  indicates a condition which requires diagnosis or treatment, the 
  4.11  child's parents shall be notified of the condition and the board 
  4.12  shall ensure that an appropriate follow-up and referral process 
  4.13  is available.  Districts must report to the commissioner results 
  4.14  of referrals and subsequent interventions. 
  4.15     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 121A.17, 
  4.16  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  4.17     Subd. 5.  [DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING PROGRAM INFORMATION.] 
  4.18  The board must inform each resident family with a child eligible 
  4.19  to participate in the developmental screening program about the 
  4.20  availability of the program and the state's requirement that a 
  4.21  child receive developmental screening not later than 30 days 
  4.22  after the first day of attending kindergarten in a public school 
  4.23  as near as possible to the child's third birthday.  The board 
  4.24  must also inform families that they may choose to have their 
  4.25  child screened as early as age two and that children screened 
  4.26  between the ages of two and three should be rescreened at or 
  4.27  after age three.  If a child has not been screened prior to 
  4.28  school entrance, families must be notified of the state's 
  4.29  requirement that a child receive developmental screening not 
  4.30  later than 30 days after first attending kindergarten in a 
  4.31  public school. 
  4.32     Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 121A.19, is 
  4.33  amended to read: 
  4.34     121A.19 [DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING AID.] 
  4.35     Subdivision 1.  [AID.] Each school year, the state must pay 
  4.36  a district $40 $50 for each four-year-old child, $65 for each 
  5.1   three-year-old child, and $75 for each two-year-old child 
  5.2   screened according to the requirements of section 121A.17.  Each 
  5.3   school year, the state must pay a district $5 per child for each 
  5.4   follow-up on referrals and subsequent interventions.  If this 
  5.5   amount of aid is insufficient, the district may permanently 
  5.6   transfer from the general fund an amount that, when added to the 
  5.7   aid, is sufficient. 
  5.8      Subd. 2.  [TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.] Each school year, $55,000 
  5.9   must be available for statewide training, technical assistance, 
  5.10  and outreach.