1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; modifying basic sliding fee child care assistance 
1.3 	program funding priorities; directing the commissioner of human services to 
1.4 	allocate funding for the basic sliding fee child care program and accompanying 
1.5 	costs.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. TEMPORARY BASIC SLIDING FEE CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE 
1.8 	PROGRAM CHANGES.
 1.9 	(a) Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.03, subdivision 2, a county may 
1.10 	allow a family to maintain its spot on the basic sliding fee waiting list if the family does not 
1.11 	have an immediate need for child care.
1.12 	(b) Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.03, subdivision 4, the following 
1.13 	funding priority for the basic sliding fee child care assistance program shall apply:
1.14 	(1) first priority must be given to non-MFIP families who do not have a high school 
1.15 	diploma or commissioner of education-selected high school equivalency certification, or 
1.16 	who need remedial and basic skills courses in order to pursue employment or to pursue 
1.17 	education leading to employment and who need child care assistance to participate in the 
1.18 	education program. This includes student parents as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 
1.19 	119B.011, subdivision 19b. Within this priority, the following subpriorities must be used:
1.20 	(i) child care needs of minor parents;
1.21 	(ii) child care needs of parents under 21 years of age; and
1.22 	(iii) child care needs of other parents within the priority group described in this clause;
2.1 	(2) second priority must be given to families in which at least one parent is a veteran as 
2.2 	defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 197.447;
2.3 	(3) third priority must be given to all eligible families who do not belong to any other 
2.4 	priority groups listed in this clause;
2.5 	(4) fourth priority must be given to parents who have completed their MFIP or 
2.6 	diversionary work program transition year or parents who are no longer receiving or eligible 
2.7 	for diversionary work program supports; and
2.8 	(5) fifth priority must be given to families who are eligible for portable basic sliding fee 
2.9 	assistance through the portability pool under Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.03, subdivision 
2.10 	9.

2.11 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective October 1, 2020, and expires March 31, 
2.12 	2021.

2.13 	Sec. 2. DIRECTION TO COMMISSIONER OF HUMAN SERVICES; TEMPORARY 
2.14 	BASIC SLIDING FEE CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM CHANGES.
 2.15 	Beginning October 1, 2020, the commissioner of human services shall allocate up to 
2.16 	$11,491,000 from the child care development block grant funds in the federal fund to 
2.17 	implement the temporary basic sliding fee child care assistance program changes in section 
2.18 	1 and the corresponding transition year extension expenditure increase. Notwithstanding 
2.19 	Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.03, subdivisions 6, 6a, and 6b, funds for the temporary 
2.20 	changes to the basic sliding fee program shall be allocated to counties proportionately based 
2.21 	on the average number of families as reported on the most recent six months of published 
2.22 	waiting lists, weighted by the average cost per family in each of those counties over the 
2.23 	same six month period. A county may expend the remainder of its 2020 calendar year 
2.24 	allocation in the subsequent allocation period if the county expends at least 90 percent of 
2.25 	the original 2020 allocation.

2.26 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.