1.1A bill for an act1.2relating to public health; requiring the commissioner of health to research and 1.3report on autism; requiring the Department of Human Services to train autism 1.4service providers; requiring notification of autism service options for medical 1.5assistance and MinnesotaCare recipients.1.6BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:1.7    Section 1. AUTISM RESEARCH AND REPORT.1.8The Department of Health shall study the prevalence and prevention of autism in 1.9Somali communities in Minnesota. They shall review and analyze the magnitude and 1.10incidence of autism-related health disparities according to age, location, potential or known 1.11toxic environmental exposures, housing conditions, poverty, nutritional factors, health 1.12care access including prescribed medical treatments, the occupational and residential 1.13history of the children's parents, and the children's current residence. The Department of 1.14Health shall report results of their analysis and recommendations to the Public Health and 1.15Health and Human Services Committee chairs in the house of representatives and senate.1.16    Sec. 2. AUTISM NOTIFICATION.1.17The commissioner of human services shall develop an informational notice for 1.18parents of children with autism who are enrolled in medical assistance or MinnesotaCare 1.19to inform them that their children may qualify to receive services on a fee-for-service basis 1.20instead of through a managed care organization, explain the process of disenrolling from 1.21managed care, and inform them that fee-for-service coverage may provide access to an 1.22expanded set of providers. The commissioner shall make the informational notice available 1.23on the department's public Web site and include a copy of the notice in the next scheduled 2.1mailing to enrolled children. The commissioner shall make language translations of the 2.2notice available on the Web site and in the mailing to the enrolled children.2.3    Sec. 3. TRAINING OF AUTISM SERVICE PROVIDERS.2.4The Departments of Health and Human Services shall ensure that the departments' 2.5autism-related service providers receive training in culturally appropriate approaches 2.6to the Somali, Latino, Hmong, Indigenous American Indian, and other cultural groups 2.7experiencing a disproportionate incidence of autism.