1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; establishing a Human Services Systems Steering 
1.3 	Committee; establishing the Legislative Commission on Human Services Systems; 
1.4 	requiring reports; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
1.5 	Statutes, chapter 256.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [256.0141] HUMAN SERVICES SYSTEMS STEERING COMMITTEE.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. The Human Services Systems Steering Committee is 
1.9 	established to provide recommendations to the commissioners of human services, information 
1.10 	technology services, and children, youth, and families on the development, administration, 
1.11 	and business operations of human services information technology systems. For the purposes 
1.12 	of this section, "human services systems" means any information technology system used 
1.13 	by counties or the commissioner of human services or children, youth, and families.
1.14 		Subd. 2.Membership; costs. (a) The steering committee must be composed of the 
1.15 	following members:
1.16 	(1) two members appointed by the commissioner of human services;
1.17 	(2) two members appointed by the commissioner of children, youth, and families;
1.18 	(3) six members appointed jointly by the Association of Minnesota Counties, the 
1.19 	Minnesota Inter-County Association, and the Minnesota Association of County Social 
1.20 	Service Administrators; and
1.21 	(4) two nonvoting members appointed by the commissioner of information technology 
1.22 	services.
2.1 	(b) One member appointed under paragraph (a), clause (3), and one member appointed 
2.2 	under paragraph (a), clause (4), must serve as co-chairpersons for the steering committee.
2.3 	(c) Steering committee costs must be paid from the budgets of the Department of Human 
2.4 	Services, the Department of Information Technology Services, and the Department of 
2.5 	Children, Youth, and Families.
2.6 	(d) The commissioner of information technology services must organize and administer 
2.7 	the steering committee.
2.8 		Subd. 3.Duties. (a) The steering committee must provide recommendations on the 
2.9 	administration and business operations of current human services systems and the 
2.10 	development of any new human services systems.
2.11 	(b) For each human services system, the steering committee must make recommendations 
2.12 	on setting system goals and priorities, allocating system resources, making major system 
2.13 	decisions, and tracking total system funding and expenditures from all sources.
2.14 	(c) The steering committee must provide monthly updates on the committee's duties 
2.15 	under this subdivision to the Legislative Commission on Human Services Systems under 
2.16 	section 256.0142.
2.17 		Subd. 4.Meetings. (a) The steering committee must meet at least quarterly.
2.18 	(b) As part of every steering committee meeting, the steering committee must provide 
2.19 	the opportunity for oral and written public testimony and comments on steering committee 
2.20 	recommendations.
2.21 	(c) All votes of the steering committee must be recorded, with each member's vote 
2.22 	identified.
2.23 		Subd. 5.Implementation of changes; new systems. (a) The commissioners of human 
2.24 	services and children, youth, and families must not implement any new major changes to 
2.25 	current human services systems, or implement a new human services system, prior to 
2.26 	receiving recommendations from the steering committee and consulting with counties on 
2.27 	the changes or development.
2.28 	(b) The commissioners of human services and children, youth, and families must 
2.29 	implement changes to human services systems recommended and passed by at least seven 
2.30 	members of the steering committee.
2.31 		Subd. 6.Report. (a) Beginning January 30, 2027, and each January 30 thereafter, the 
2.32 	steering committee must report to the Legislative Commission on Human Services Systems 
3.1 	under section 256.0142, and to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative 
3.2 	committees with jurisdiction over human services systems. The report must include:
3.3 	(1) for each human services system, system funding and expenditures, including amounts 
3.4 	received in the previous calendar year by funding source and expenditures made in the 
3.5 	previous calendar year by funding source;
3.6 	(2) recommendations made by the steering committee under subdivision 3; and
3.7 	(3) a list of projects needed to improve human services systems.
3.8 	(b) The legislative committees with jurisdiction over human services systems must hold 
3.9 	a public hearing on the report during the regular legislative session in the year in which the 
3.10 	report was submitted.

3.11 	Sec. 2. [256.0142] LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION ON HUMAN SERVICES 
3.12 	SYSTEMS.
3.13 		Subdivision 1.Establishment; duties. (a) The Legislative Commission on Human 
3.14 	Services Systems is created to:
3.15 	(1) provide oversight and monitoring of the efforts by the counties and the Departments 
3.16 	of Human Services; Information Technology Services; and Children, Youth, and Families 
3.17 	to manage, develop, update, and modernize information technology systems across human 
3.18 	services programs, including, but not limited to: MAXIS, METS, MMIS, SSIS, PRISM, 
3.19 	and MEC2;
3.20 	(2) evaluate Minnesota's state-supervised, county-administered human services system 
3.21 	and provide recommendations for changes, if applicable. This must include evaluating any 
3.22 	changes to roles and responsibilities for the administration and delivery of human services 
3.23 	programs and services, including program eligibility, case management functions, and use 
3.24 	of third-party and nongovernmental entities;
3.25 	(3) review how other states procure, administer, and deliver human services programs 
3.26 	and services and the information technology infrastructure utilized;
3.27 	(4) identify areas within the governance, procurement, and technology structures of the 
3.28 	human services system that need to be addressed by the legislature;
3.29 	(5) review reports provided to the legislature from state agencies on information 
3.30 	technology projects and human services system transformation; and
3.31 	(6) review reports and updates provided to the commission by the Human Services 
3.32 	Systems Steering Committee under section 256.0141.
4.1 	(b) The commission must work with Minnesota's Tribal Nations, counties, and the 
4.2 	Departments of Human Services; Information Technology Services; and Children, Youth, 
4.3 	and Families to:
4.4 	(1) evaluate proposals for any modifications to information technology systems utilized 
4.5 	by Minnesota's Tribal Nations, counties, or the Departments of Human Services and Children, 
4.6 	Youth, and Families; and
4.7 	(2) consider overall costs to the state, counties, and Tribal Nations for the implementation 
4.8 	of any systems changes, and assess whether proposed solutions deliver improved services 
4.9 	to Minnesotans and administrative responsibilities are efficiently delegated across 
4.10 	stakeholders.
4.11 		Subd. 2.Members; meetings. (a) Members of the legislative commission must include:
4.12 	(1) six members from the house of representatives, including three members appointed 
4.13 	by the speaker of the house and three members appointed by the minority leader; and
4.14 	(2) six members from the senate, including three members appointed by the senate 
4.15 	majority leader and three members appointed by the senate minority leader.
4.16 	(b) Members of the commission serve a term that expires on December 31 of the 
4.17 	even-numbered year following the year they are appointed. The speaker of the house and 
4.18 	the majority leader of the senate must each designate a chair and vice-chair from the 
4.19 	membership of the commission. The chair and vice-chair must rotate after each meeting.
4.20 	(c) The commission must meet at least quarterly.
4.21 		Subd. 3.Administrative support. The Legislative Coordinating Commission must 
4.22 	provide administrative support to the commission and arrange meeting space for commission 
4.23 	meetings.
4.24 		Subd. 4.Report. By February 15, 2027, and annually thereafter, the commission, in 
4.25 	cooperation with the commissioners of human services; information technology services; 
4.26 	and children, youth, and families, must provide a report to the chairs and ranking minority 
4.27 	members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over human services and children, 
4.28 	youth, and families. The report must contain information on the results of the commission's 
4.29 	evaluations, identifications, and reviews under subdivision 1; recommendations for any 
4.30 	legislative changes; and funding needs to implement any recommended changes.
4.31 		Subd. 5.Expiration. This commission expires December 31, 2033.

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

5.1 	Sec. 3. LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION ON HUMAN SERVICES SYSTEMS; FIRST 
5.2 	APPOINTMENTS AND FIRST MEETING.
 5.3 	Appointing authorities for the Legislative Commission on Human Services Systems 
5.4 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 256.0142, must make first appointments to, and designate 
5.5 	the chairs and vice-chairs of, the Legislative Commission on Human Services Systems by 
5.6 	August 15, 2026. The member designated as chair by the majority leader of the senate must 
5.7 	convene the first meeting of the commission by September 15, 2026.

5.8 	Sec. 4. APPROPRIATION; COUNTY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS 
5.9 	UPDATES.
 5.10 		Subdivision 1.Information technology changes; system focused. (a) $....... in fiscal 
5.11 	year 2027 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of information 
5.12 	technology systems to update county information technology systems. This appropriation 
5.13 	must be used, in collaboration with counties, to fund the following projects:
5.14 	(1) expand Data Depot to all interested Minnesota counties and Tribal Nations;
5.15 	(2) expand BlueZone Scripting Collaborative to all interested Minnesota counties and 
5.16 	Tribal Nations;
5.17 	(3) expand piloted artificial intelligence tools for human services to all interested 
5.18 	Minnesota counties and Tribal Nations;
5.19 	(4) develop new user interfaces to replace character-based green screens for the MAXIS 
5.20 	and PRISM computer systems through the integration layer;
5.21 	(5) complete the renewal self-service portal in the Minnesota Eligibility Technology 
5.22 	System (METS);
5.23 	(6) copy all state human services systems policies and procedures into the data warehouse 
5.24 	and keep the policies and procedures regularly updated;
5.25 	(7) develop the ability for METS to note when a recipient has a second pregnancy;
5.26 	(8) determine, in collaboration with Minnesota Management and Budget, the dollar 
5.27 	amount needed to fund the integration layer tool and the amount needed to allow full 
5.28 	implementation for both the MAXIS and PRISM computer systems; and
5.29 	(9) other projects decided by the Human Services Systems Steering Committee under 
5.30 	Minnesota Statutes, section 256.0141.
6.1 	(b) Of the amount appropriated under paragraph (a), $....... is for fully funding the work 
6.2 	verification vendor system for child support, health care, and public assistance programs.
6.3 	(c) This is a onetime appropriation.
6.4 		Subd. 2.Information technology changes; policy focused. (a) $....... in fiscal year 
6.5 	2027 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of information technology 
6.6 	systems to update county information technology systems to conform with legislative 
6.7 	changes. This appropriation must be used, in collaboration with counties, to fund the 
6.8 	following projects:
6.9 	(1) develop an automated process in the MAXIS computer system to confirm the 
6.10 	eligibility for health care program enrollees;
6.11 	(2) eliminate the duplicative data entry by county eligibility workers, including integrating 
6.12 	MNBenefits with the MAXIS computer system and developing a solution to allow recipients 
6.13 	to provide updated information through electronic means;
6.14 	(3) update the MAXIS computer system to require a county eligibility worker to update 
6.15 	the shelter and utility panels in MAXIS every time the address panel is updated for 
6.16 	Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications;
6.17 	(4) update the MAXIS computer system to allow the state to move to a simplified 
6.18 	reporting method for SNAP so that all recipients will report changes on a six-month timeline;
6.19 	(5) update the MAXIS computer system with correct coding for time-limited recipients 
6.20 	receiving SNAP benefits and integrate the coding with other panels in MAXIS;
6.21 	(6) update the MAXIS computer system eligibility results to reflect the most recent 
6.22 	noncitizen eligibility policy for health care programs and SNAP;
6.23 	(7) update the MAXIS computer system to eliminate the need for county eligibility 
6.24 	workers to enter and approve general assistance and SNAP applications separately within 
6.25 	the same system, including the ability for MAXIS to translate information between general 
6.26 	assistance and SNAP;
6.27 	(8) initiate a review and modernization of client notices generated by the MAXIS 
6.28 	computer system and METS to ensure the notices are clear, accurate, and compliant with 
6.29 	all current federal and state requirements and enhance system functionality so the notices 
6.30 	automatically populate correct and complete information based on case actions;
6.31 	(9) update the MAXIS computer system to allow automatic case noting; and
7.1 	(10) other projects decided by the Human Services Systems Steering Committee under 
7.2 	Minnesota Statutes, section 256.0141.
7.3 	(b) This is a onetime appropriation.