SF 4359
Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)
Posted on 03/27/2026 09:04 a.m.
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A bill for an act
relating to economic assistance; modifying the county share for administrative
costs for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2024, sections 142F.05, by adding a subdivision; 256.017, subdivisions
2, 10; Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 142A.03, subdivision 2.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 142A.03, subdivision 2, is
amended to read:
Subd. 2.
Duties of the commissioner.
(a) The commissioner may apply for and accept
on behalf of the state any grants, bequests, gifts, or contributions for the purpose of carrying
out the duties and responsibilities of the commissioner. Any money received under this
paragraph is appropriated and dedicated for the purpose for which the money is granted.
The commissioner must biennially report to the chairs and ranking minority members of
relevant legislative committees and divisions by January 15 of each even-numbered year a
list of all grants and gifts received under this subdivision.
(b) Pursuant to law, the commissioner may apply for and receive money made available
from federal sources for the purpose of carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the
commissioner.
(c) The commissioner may make contracts with and grants to Tribal Nations, public and
private agencies, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and individuals using appropriated
money.
(d) The commissioner must develop program objectives and performance measures for
evaluating progress toward achieving the objectives. The commissioner must identify the
objectives, performance measures, and current status of achieving the measures in a biennial
report to the chairs and ranking minority members of relevant legislative committees and
divisions. The report is due no later than January 15 each even-numbered year. The report
must include, when possible, the following objectives:
(1) centering and including the lived experiences of children and youth, including those
with disabilities and mental illness and their families, in all aspects of the department's work;
(2) increasing the effectiveness of the department's programs in addressing the needs of
children and youth facing racial, economic, or geographic inequities;
(3) increasing coordination and reducing inefficiencies among the department's programs
and the funding sources that support the programs;
(4) increasing the alignment and coordination of family access to child care and early
learning programs and improving systems of support for early childhood and learning
providers and services;
(5) improving the connection between the department's programs and the kindergarten
through grade 12 and higher education systems; and
(6) minimizing and streamlining the effort required of youth and families to receive
services to which the youth and families are entitled.
(e) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end administer and supervise the forms of public assistance
and other activities or services that are vested in the commissioner. Administration and
supervision of activities or services includes but is not limited to assuring timely and accurate
distribution of benefits, completeness of service, and quality program management. In
addition to administering and supervising activities vested by law in the department, the
commissioner has the authority to:
(1) require county agency participation in training and technical assistance programs to
promote compliance with statutes, rules, federal laws, regulations, and policies governing
the programs and activities administered by the commissioner;
(2) monitor, on an ongoing basis, the performance of county agencies in the operation
and administration of activities and programs; enforce compliance with statutes, rules,
federal laws, regulations, and policies governing welfare services; and promote excellence
of administration and program operation;
(3) develop a quality control program or other monitoring program to review county
performance and accuracy of benefit determinations;
(4) require county agencies to make an adjustment to the public assistance benefits issued
to any individual consistent with federal law and regulation and state law and rule and to
issue or recover benefits as appropriate;
(5) delay or deny payment of all or part of the state and federal share of benefits and
administrative reimbursement according to the procedures set forth in section 142A.10;
(6) make contracts with and grants to public and private agencies and organizations,
both for-profit and nonprofit, and individuals, using appropriated funds; and
(7) enter into contractual agreements with federally recognized Indian Tribes with a
reservation in Minnesota to the extent necessary for the Tribe to operate a federally approved
family assistance program or any other program under the supervision of the commissioner.
The commissioner shall consult with the affected county or counties in the contractual
agreement negotiations, if the county or counties wish to be included, in order to avoid the
duplication of county and Tribal assistance program services. The commissioner may
establish necessary accounts for the purposes of receiving and disbursing funds as necessary
for the operation of the programs.
The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end work in conjunction with the commissioner of human services
to carry out the duties of this paragraph when necessary and feasible.
(f) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end inform county agencies, on a timely basis, of changes
in statute, rule, federal law, regulation, and policy necessary to county agency administration
of the programs and activities administered by the commissioner.
(g) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end administer and supervise child welfare activities,
including promoting the enforcement of laws preventing child maltreatment and protecting
children with a disability and children who are in need of protection or services, licensing
and supervising child care and child-placing agencies, and supervising the care of children
in foster care. The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end coordinate with the commissioner of human
services on activities impacting children overseen by the Department of Human Services,
such as disability services, behavioral health, and substance use disorder treatment.
(h) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end assist and cooperate with local, state, and federal
departments, agencies, and institutions.
(i) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end establish and maintain any administrative units
reasonably necessary for the performance of administrative functions common to all divisions
of the department.
(j) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end act as designated guardian of children pursuant to
chapter 260C. For children under the guardianship of the commissioner or a Tribe in
Minnesota recognized by the Secretary of the Interior whose interests would be best served
by adoptive placement, the commissioner may contract with a licensed child-placing agency
or a Minnesota Tribal social services agency to provide adoption services. For children in
out-of-home care whose interests would be best served by a transfer of permanent legal and
physical custody to a relative under section 260C.515, subdivision 4, or equivalent in Tribal
code, the commissioner may contract with a licensed child-placing agency or a Minnesota
Tribal social services agency to provide permanency services. A contract with a licensed
child-placing agency must be designed to supplement existing county efforts and may not
replace existing county programs or Tribal social services, unless the replacement is agreed
to by the county board and the appropriate exclusive bargaining representative, Tribal
governing body, or the commissioner has evidence that child placements of the county
continue to be substantially below that of other counties. Funds encumbered and obligated
under an agreement for a specific child shall remain available until the terms of the agreement
are fulfilled or the agreement is terminated.
(k) The commissioner has the authority to conduct and administer experimental projects
to test methods and procedures of administering assistance and services to recipients or
potential recipients of public benefits. To carry out the experimental projects, the
commissioner may waive the enforcement of existing specific statutory program
requirements, rules, and standards in one or more counties. The order establishing the waiver
must provide alternative methods and procedures of administration and must not conflict
with the basic purposes, coverage, or benefits provided by law. No project under this
paragraph shall exceed four years. No order establishing an experimental project as authorized
by this paragraph is effective until the following conditions have been met:
(1) the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services has agreed, for the same
project, to waive state plan requirements relative to statewide uniformity; and
(2) a comprehensive plan, including estimated project costs, has been approved by the
Legislative Advisory Commission and filed with the commissioner of administration.
(l) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end , according to federal requirements and in coordination
with the commissioner of human services, establish procedures to be followed by local
welfare boards in creating citizen advisory committees, including procedures for selection
of committee members.
(m) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin must bear the total amount of any disallowance or sanction
for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The commissioner mustnew text end allocate
federal fiscal disallowances or sanctions that are based on quality control error rates for the
aid to families with dependent children (AFDC) program formerly codified in sections
256.72 to 256.87 deleted text begin or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)deleted text end in the following
manner:
(1) one-half of the total amount of the disallowance shall be borne by the county boards
responsible for administering the programs. For AFDC, disallowances shall be shared by
each county board in the same proportion as that county's expenditures to the total of all
counties' expenditures for AFDC. deleted text begin For SNAP, sanctions shall be shared by each county
board, with 50 percent of the sanction being distributed to each county in the same proportion
as that county's administrative costs for SNAP benefits are to the total of all SNAP
administrative costs for all counties, and 50 percent of the sanctions being distributed to
each county in the same proportion as that county's value of SNAP benefits issued are to
the total of all benefits issued for all counties.deleted text end Each county shall pay its share of the
disallowance to the state of Minnesota. When a county fails to pay the amount due under
this paragraph, the commissioner may deduct the amount from reimbursement otherwise
due new text begin to new text end the county, or the attorney general, upon the request of the commissioner, may
institute civil action to recover the amount due; and
(2) notwithstanding the provisions of clause (1), new text begin for AFDC, new text end if the disallowance results
from knowing noncompliance by one or more counties with a specific program instruction,
and that knowing noncompliance is a matter of official county board record, the commissioner
may require payment or recover from the county or counties, in the manner prescribed in
clause (1), an amount equal to the portion of the total disallowance that resulted from the
noncompliance and may distribute the balance of the disallowance according to clause (1).
(n) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end develop and implement special projects that maximize
reimbursements and result in the recovery of money to the state. For the purpose of recovering
state money, the commissioner may enter into contracts with third parties. Any recoveries
that result from projects or contracts entered into under this paragraph deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end be deposited
in the state treasury and credited to a special account until the balance in the account reaches
$1,000,000. When the balance in the account exceeds $1,000,000, the excess deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end be
transferred and credited to the general fund. All money in the account is appropriated to the
commissioner for the purposes of this paragraph.
(o) The commissioner has the authority to establish and enforce the following county
reporting requirements:
(1) the commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end establish fiscal and statistical reporting requirements
necessary to account for the expenditure of funds allocated to counties for programs
administered by the commissioner. When establishing financial and statistical reporting
requirements, the commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end evaluate all reports, in consultation with the
counties, to determine if the reports can be simplified or the number of reports can be
reduced;
(2) the county board deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end submit monthly or quarterly reports to the department
as required by the commissioner. Monthly reports are due no later than 15 working days
after the end of the month. Quarterly reports are due no later than 30 calendar days after
the end of the quarter, unless the commissioner determines that the deadline must be
shortened to 20 calendar days to avoid jeopardizing compliance with federal deadlines or
risking a loss of federal funding. Only reports that are complete, legible, and in the required
format shall be accepted by the commissioner;
(3) if the required reports are not received by the deadlines established in clause (2), the
commissioner may delay payments and withhold funds from the county board until the next
reporting period. When the report is needed to account for the use of federal funds and the
late report results in a reduction in federal funding, the commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end withhold
from the county boards with late reports an amount equal to the reduction in federal funding
until full federal funding is received;
(4) a county board that submits reports that are late, illegible, incomplete, or not in the
required format for two out of three consecutive reporting periods is considered
noncompliant. When a county board is found to be noncompliant, the commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin
mustnew text end notify the county board of the reason the county board is considered noncompliant
and request that the county board develop a corrective action plan stating how the county
board plans to correct the problem. The corrective action plan must be submitted to the
commissioner within 45 days after the date the county board received notice of
noncompliance;
(5) the final deadline for fiscal reports or amendments to fiscal reports is one year after
the date the report was originally due. If the commissioner does not receive a report by the
final deadline, the county board forfeits the funding associated with the report for that
reporting period and the county board must repay any funds associated with the report
received for that reporting period;
(6) the commissioner may not delay payments, withhold funds, or require repayment
under clause (3) or (5) if the county demonstrates that the commissioner failed to provide
appropriate forms, guidelines, and technical assistance to enable the county to comply with
the requirements. If the county board disagrees with an action taken by the commissioner
under clause (3) or (5), the county board may appeal the action according to sections 14.57
to 14.69; and
(7) counties subject to withholding of funds under clause (3) or forfeiture or repayment
of funds under clause (5) deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end not reduce or withhold benefits or services to clients
to cover costs incurred due to actions taken by the commissioner under clause (3) or (5).
(p) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end allocate federal fiscal disallowances or sanctions for
audit exceptions when federal fiscal disallowances or sanctions are based on a statewide
random sample in direct proportion to each county's claim for that period.
(q) The commissioner is responsible for ensuring the detection, prevention, investigation,
and resolution of fraudulent activities or behavior by applicants, recipients, and other
participants in the programs administered by the department. The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end
cooperate with the commissioner of education to enforce the requirements for program
integrity and fraud prevention for investigation for child care assistance under chapter 142E.
(r) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end require county agencies to identify overpayments,
establish claims, and utilize all available and cost-beneficial methodologies to collect and
recover these overpayments in the programs administered by the department.
(s) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end develop recommended standards for child foster care
homes that address the components of specialized therapeutic services to be provided by
child foster care homes with those services.
(t) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end authorize the method of payment to or from the
department as part of the programs administered by the department. This authorization
includes the receipt or disbursement of funds held by the department in a fiduciary capacity
as part of the programs administered by the department.
(u) In coordination with the commissioner of human services, the commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin
mustnew text end create and provide county and Tribal agencies with blank applications, affidavits, and
other forms as necessary for public assistance programs.
(v) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end cooperate with the federal government and its public
welfare agencies in any reasonable manner as may be necessary to qualify for federal aid
for temporary assistance for needy families and in conformity with Title I of Public Law
104-193, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
and successor amendments, including making reports that contain information required by
the federal Social Security Advisory Board and complying with any provisions the board
may find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of the reports.
(w) On or before January 15 in each even-numbered year, the commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end
make a biennial report to the governor concerning the activities of the agency.
(x) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end enter into agreements with other departments of the
state as necessary to meet all requirements of the federal government.
(y) The commissioner may cooperate with other state agencies in establishing reciprocal
agreements in instances where a child receiving Minnesota family investment program
(MFIP) assistance or its out-of-state equivalent moves or contemplates moving into or out
of the state, in order that the child may continue to receive MFIP or equivalent aid from the
state moved from until the child has resided for one year in the state moved to.
(z) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end provide appropriate technical assistance to county
agencies to develop methods to have county financial workers remind and encourage
recipients of aid to families with dependent children, the Minnesota family investment
program, the Minnesota family investment plan, family general assistance, or SNAP benefits
whose assistance unit includes at least one child under the age of five to have each young
child immunized against childhood diseases. The commissioner must examine the feasibility
of utilizing the capacity of a statewide computer system to assist county agency financial
workers in performing this function at appropriate intervals.
(aa) The commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end have the power and authority to accept on behalf of
the state contributions and gifts for the use and benefit of children under the guardianship
or custody of the commissioner. The commissioner may also receive and accept on behalf
of such children money due and payable to them as old age and survivors insurance benefits,
veterans benefits, pensions, or other such monetary benefits. Gifts, contributions, pensions,
and benefits under this paragraph must be deposited in and disbursed from the social welfare
fund provided for in sections 256.88 to 256.92.
(bb) The specific enumeration of powers and duties in this section must not be construed
to be a limitation upon the general powers granted to the commissioner.
Sec. 2.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 142F.05, is amended by adding a subdivision to
read:
new text begin Subd. 5. new text end
new text begin County administrative cost share limitation. new text end
new text begin
A county agency must not
contribute more than 50 percent of the total administrative costs of SNAP. The commissioner
must reimburse each county agency for the difference between the federal reimbursement
of administrative costs and the county administrative cost share under this subdivision.
new text end
Sec. 3.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 256.017, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
Subd. 2.
Definitions.
The following terms have the meanings given for purposes of this
section.
(a) "Administrative penalty" means an adjustment against the county agency's state and
federal benefit and federal administrative reimbursement when the commissioner determines
that the county agency is not in compliance with the policies and procedures established by
the commissioner.
(b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of human services for programs listed in
subdivision 1, paragraph deleted text begin (b)deleted text end new text begin (a)new text end , and the commissioner of children, youth, and families for
programs listed in subdivision 1, paragraph deleted text begin (c)deleted text end new text begin (b)new text end .
(c) "Quality control case penalty" means an adjustment against the county agency's
federal administrative reimbursement and state and federal benefit reimbursement when
the commissioner determines through a quality control review that the county agency has
made incorrect payments, terminations, or denials of benefits as determined by state quality
control procedures for the aid to families with dependent children program formerly codified
in sections 256.72 to 256.87, Minnesota family investment program, SNAP, or medical
assistance programs, or any other programs for which the commissioner has developed a
quality control system. Quality control case penalties apply only to agency errors as defined
by state quality control procedures.
(d) "Quality control/quality assurance" means a review system of a statewide random
sample of cases, designed to provide data on program outcomes and the accuracy with which
state and federal policies are being applied in issuing benefits and as a fiscal audit to ensure
the accuracy of expenditures. The quality control/quality assurance system is administered
by the department. For the aid to families with dependent children program formerly codified
in sections 256.72 to 256.87, SNAP, and medical assistance, the quality control system is
that required by federal regulation, or those developed by the commissioner.
Sec. 4.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 256.017, subdivision 10, is amended to read:
Subd. 10.
County obligation to make benefit payments.
Counties subject to fiscal
penalties deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end not reduce or withhold benefits from eligible recipients of programs
listed in subdivision 1 in order to cover the cost of penalties under this section. deleted text begin County funds
shall be used to cover the cost of any penalties.
deleted text end