1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to public health; requiring notification of autism service options for 
1.3 	medical assistance and MinnesotaCare recipients; requiring medical assistance to 
1.4 	cover specified services for the treatment of autism; requiring commissioner of 
1.5 	health to research and report on autism; requiring commissioners of health and 
1.6 	human services to train autism service providers;amending Minnesota Statutes 
1.7 	2012, section 256B.0625, by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new 
1.8 	law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256.
1.9 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.10 	Section 1. [256.9621] AUTISM NOTIFICATION.
1.11 	The commissioner of human services shall develop an informational notice for 
1.12 	parents of children with autism who are enrolled in medical assistance or MinnesotaCare 
1.13 	to inform them that their children may qualify to receive services on a fee-for-service basis 
1.14 	instead of through a managed care organization, explain the process of disenrolling from 
1.15 	managed care, and inform them that fee-for-service coverage may provide access to an 
1.16 	expanded set of providers. The commissioner shall make the informational notice available 
1.17 	on the department's public Web site and include a copy of the notice in the next scheduled 
1.18 	mailing to enrolled children. The commissioner shall make language translations of the 
1.19 	notice available on the agency Web site and in the mailing to the enrolled children.

1.20 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 256B.0625, is amended by adding a 
1.21 	subdivision to read:
1.22 		Subd. 61.Services for the treatment of autism. Medical assistance services for the 
1.23 	treatment of children with autism spectrum disorder and related conditions must include 
1.24 	applied behavioral analysis (ABA) and neuro-developmental therapy, if determined by a 
1.25 	physician, psychologist, or other mental health professionals to be medically necessary 
2.1 	and age appropriate, and based on current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental 
2.2 	Disorders guidelines.

2.3 	Sec. 3. AUTISM RESEARCH AND REPORT.
 2.4 	The commissioner of health shall design a study that addresses issues of the 
2.5 	prevention of autism in cultural communities in Minnesota. The study must plan to 
2.6 	address at least the following factors: potential or known toxic environmental exposures of 
2.7 	the biological family, housing conditions, poverty, nutritional factors, prescribed medical 
2.8 	treatments, and the occupational and residential history of the children's parents including 
2.9 	war and refugee experience. The commissioner shall report the proposed study design to 
2.10 	the chairs and ranking minority members of legislative committees having jurisdiction 
2.11 	over public health and health and human services in the house of representatives and 
2.12 	senate by January 15, 2014.

2.13 	Sec. 4. TRAINING OF AUTISM SERVICE PROVIDERS.
 2.14 	The commissioner of health and the commissioner of human services shall ensure 
2.15 	that the departments' autism-related service providers receive training in culturally 
2.16 	appropriate approaches to serving the Somali, Latino, Hmong, and Indigenous American 
2.17 	Indian communities, and other cultural groups experiencing a disproportionate incidence 
2.18 	of autism.