1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; modifying provisions for general assistance and 
1.3 	MFIP programs; requiring assistance transaction card fees;amending Minnesota 
1.4 	Statutes 2004, sections 256.9862, subdivision 2; 256D.06, by adding a 
1.5 	subdivision; 256J.12, subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision; 256J.39, by adding 
1.6 	a subdivision; 256J.95, by adding subdivisions.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 256.9862, subdivision 2, is amended to 
1.9 	read:
1.10 		Subd. 2.Transaction fee. The commissioner may must charge transaction fees 
1.11 	in accordance with this subdivision up to a maximum of $10 in transaction fees per 
1.12 	cardholder per month to cardholders. In a given month, the first four cash withdrawals 
1.13 	made by an individual cardholder are free. For subsequent cash withdrawals, $1 may 
1.14 	be charged. No transaction fee can be charged if the card is used to purchase goods 
1.15 	or services on a point of sale basis. A transaction fee subsequently set by the federal 
1.16 	government may supersede a fee established under this subdivision. The fees shall be 
1.17 	appropriated to the commissioner and used for electronic benefit purposes.

1.18 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 256D.06, is amended by adding a subdivision 
1.19 	to read:
1.20 		Subd. 1d.Standard of assistance. (a) For a general  assistance applicant who has 
1.21 	resided in the state for less than  90 days and who lives independently in the community, 
1.22 	the  standard of assistance shall be 60 percent of the full  standard.  The full standard of 
1.23 	assistance shall be available  beginning the first day of either the month that the 90 days' 
1.24 	residency is completed if the 90th day occurs on or before the  15th of the month or the 
2.1 	following month if the 90th day occurs  on the 16th of the month or after.  The 30-day 
2.2 	residence period  in section 256D.02, subdivision 12a, shall count toward the 90-day 
2.3 	payment standard.
2.4 	(b) Applicants who meet the requirements of section 256D.05, subdivision 1, 
2.5 	paragraph (a), clauses (1) to (7) and (9) to (11) and veterans as defined in section 197.447, 
2.6 	are not required to meet the 90-day residency requirement established under paragraph (a) 
2.7 	and are eligible for full general assistance benefits under this section after meeting the 
2.8 	residency requirement under section 256D.02, subdivision 12a. 

2.9 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 256J.12, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
2.10 		Subdivision 1.Simple residency. To be eligible for MFIP or DWP, an assistance 
2.11 	unit must have established residency in this state which means the assistance unit is 
2.12 	present in the state and intends to remain here. A person who lives in this state and who 
2.13 	entered this state with a job commitment or to seek employment in this state, whether or 
2.14 	not that person is currently employed, meets the criteria in this subdivision.

2.15 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 256J.12, is amended by adding a subdivision 
2.16 	to read:
2.17 		Subd. 5.Residency requirement for DWP applicants. Assistance to an eligible 
2.18 	DWP family unit in which all members  have resided in this state for fewer than 90 
2.19 	consecutive days  shall be paid at the standard specified in section 256J.95,  subdivision 21. 
2.20 	The 30-day residence period shall count toward  the 90-day DWP residence requirement.

2.21 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 256J.39, is amended by adding a subdivision 
2.22 	to read:
2.23 		Subd. 1a.Prohibited purchases. MFIP recipients are prohibited from using MFIP 
2.24 	monthly cash assistance payments issued in the form of an electronic benefits transfer 
2.25 	to purchase tobacco products or alcohol.

2.26 	Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 256J.95, is amended by adding a subdivision 
2.27 	to read:
2.28 		Subd. 21.Interstate payment standards. (a) Effective July 1, 2006, the amount of 
2.29 	assistance paid to an eligible DWP  family unit in which all members have resided in this 
2.30 	state for  fewer than 90 consecutive days shall be calculated according to  paragraph (b).
2.31 	(b) Payment must be calculated by applying DWP budgeting policies, and the unit's 
2.32 	net income must be deducted from the payment standard in the state of immediate prior 
3.1 	residence or Minnesota, whichever is less.  Payments shall be vendor paid according 
3.2 	to subdivision 1, paragraph (d).  
3.3 	(c) The lesser payment must continue until the DWP family unit meets the 90-day 
3.4 	residency requirement.  A family unit that has not resided in Minnesota for 90 days is 
3.5 	not exempt from the payment provisions solely because a child is born in Minnesota 
3.6 	to a member of the family unit.  
3.7 	(d) Any eligible noncitizen who comes directly to Minnesota from another country, 
3.8 	and whose United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) settlement 
3.9 	destination is Minnesota, will receive the amount calculated using DWP policy and 
3.10 	standards.  If the USCIS settlement destination is another state, apply the lesser of the 
3.11 	payment standard for that size family in the state of immediate prior residence or the 
3.12 	standards under DWP.  
3.13 	(e) The assistance unit shall be eligible for the full amount of assistance based 
3.14 	on DWP standards beginning either the month during which the 90-day residency 
3.15 	requirement is met, if the 90th day occurs on or before the 15th of the month, or the 
3.16 	following month if the 90th day occurs on the 16th of the month or after.  
3.17 	(f) This policy applies whether or not the family unit received similar benefits while 
3.18 	residing in the state of immediate prior residence.  
3.19 	(g) For the purposes of this section, "state of immediate prior residence" means the 
3.20 	state in which the applicant declares the applicant spent the most time in the 30 days prior 
3.21 	to moving to Minnesota.  
3.22 	(h) Applicants must provide verification of their state of immediate prior residence, 
3.23 	in the form of tax statements, a driver's license, automobile registration, rent receipts, or 
3.24 	other forms of verification approved by the commissioner.  

3.25 	Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 256J.95, is amended by adding a subdivision 
3.26 	to read:
3.27 		Subd. 22.Temporary absence from Minnesota. For an  assistance unit that has 
3.28 	met the 30-day residency requirements  in section 256J.12, subdivisions 1 to 4, the 90-day 
3.29 	period in  subdivision 21 is not affected by a subsequent absence from  Minnesota for fewer 
3.30 	than 30 consecutive days, provided the  family unit maintains a residence in Minnesota. 

3.31 	Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 256J.95, is amended by adding a subdivision 
3.32 	to read:
3.33 		Subd. 23.Ineligible mandatory unit members. The 90-day  residency requirement 
3.34 	in subdivision 21 does not apply if the  family unit includes an ineligible mandatory family 
4.1 	unit member  who has resided in Minnesota for 90 consecutive days immediately  before 
4.2 	the unit's date of application.

4.3 	Sec. 9. MFIP PRODUCT-SPECIFIC EBT CARD.
 4.4 	The commissioner of human services shall develop a product-specific electronic 
4.5 	benefits transfer card for MFIP recipients by January 1, 2008.