HF 1490

1st Engrossment - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/20/2017 04:24pm

A bill for an act
relating to health care; developing pilot programs to increase early preventive
dental disease intervention and care for infants, toddlers, and school-aged children;
requiring a report; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapter 144.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [144.0615] STATEWIDE SCHOOL-BASED SEALANT GRANT
PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of health shall develop a statewide coordinated dental sealant
program to improve access to preventive dental services for school-aged children. The
program shall focus on developing the data tools necessary to identify the public schools
in the state with students ages six to nine who are in the greatest need of preventive dental
care based on the percentage of students who are low-income and who are either enrolled
in a public health care program or uninsured, and have no access to a school-based sealant
program. In creating this program, the commissioner shall develop an implementation plan
that identifies statewide needs, establishes outcome measures, and provides an evaluation
process based on the outcome measures established.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner shall award grants to nonprofit organizations to provide
school-based sealant programs. The grants shall be available to expand existing school-based
sealant programs and to create new programs in schools that have been identified as
underserved high-risk schools.
new text end

new text begin (c) By March 15, 2018, the commissioner shall submit a report to the chairs and ranking
minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health care, describing
the implementation plan, including the data tools developed, the outcome measures, the
number of grants awarded, and the location of the schools participating in the grants and
the results of the evaluation of the program in terms of improving access to sealants for
school-aged children ages six to nine.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin EARLY DENTAL DISEASE PREVENTION PILOT PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of health shall develop and implement a pilot program to increase
awareness and encourage early preventive dental disease intervention for infants and toddlers.
The commissioner shall award grants to five designated communities of color or recent
immigrants to participate in the pilot program, with at least two designated communities
located in the nonmetropolitan area.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner, in consultation with members of the designated communities,
shall distribute or cause to be distributed the educational materials and information developed
under Minnesota Statutes, section 144.061, to expectant and new parents within the
designated communities, including, but not limited to, making the materials available to
health care providers, community clinics, WIC sites, and other relevant sites within the
designated communities through a variety of communicative means, including oral, visual,
audio, and print.
new text end

new text begin (c) The commissioner shall work with members of each designated community to ensure
that the educational materials and information are distributed. The commissioner shall assist
the designated community with developing strategies, including outreach through ethnic
radio, webcasts, and local cable programs, and incentives to encourage and provide early
preventive dental disease intervention and care for infants and toddlers that are geared
toward the ethnic groups residing in the designated community.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner shall develop measurable outcomes, establish a baseline
measurement, and evaluate performance within each designated community in order to
measure whether the educational materials, information, strategies, and incentives increased
the numbers of infants and toddlers receiving early preventive dental disease intervention
and care.
new text end

new text begin (e) By March 15, 2019, the commissioner shall submit a report to the chairs and ranking
minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health care. The
report shall describe:
new text end

new text begin (1) the details of the program;
new text end

new text begin (2) the communities designated for the program;
new text end

new text begin (3) the strategies, including any incentives implemented;
new text end

new text begin (4) the outcome measures used; and
new text end

new text begin (5) the results of the evaluation for each designated community.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin (a) $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2018 from the general fund to the commissioner
of health to implement the statewide school-based sealant program under Minnesota Statutes,
section 144.0615.
new text end

new text begin (b) $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2018 from the general fund to the commissioner
of health to implement the pilot program to increase awareness and encourage early
preventive dental disease intervention and care for infants and toddlers.
new text end