HF 219

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/01/2017 03:32pm

A bill for an act
relating to human services; education; providing for system redesign; modifying
the basic sliding fee child care program; modifying eligibility for early learning
scholarship; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, sections
119B.03, subdivision 4; 124D.165, subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 119B.03, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Funding priority.

(a) First priority for child care assistance under the basic
sliding fee program must be given to new text begin eligible families that are homeless as defined in United
States Code, title 42, section 11434a(2).
new text end

new text begin (b) Second priority must be given to new text end eligible non-MFIP families who do not have a high
school or general equivalency diploma or who need remedial and basic skill courses in order
to pursue employment or to pursue education leading to employment and who need child
care assistance to participate in the education program. This includes student parents as
defined under section 119B.011, subdivision 19b. Within this priority, the following
subpriorities must be used:

(1) child care needs of minor parents;

(2) child care needs of parents under 21 years of age; and

(3) child care needs of other parents within the priority group described in this paragraph.

deleted text begin (b) Second deleted text end new text begin (c) Third new text end priority must be given to parents who have completed their MFIP
or DWP transition year, or parents who are no longer receiving or eligible for diversionary
work program supports.

deleted text begin (c) Third deleted text end new text begin (d) Fourth new text end priority must be given to families who are eligible for portable basic
sliding fee assistance through the portability pool under subdivision 9.

deleted text begin (d) Fourth deleted text end new text begin (e) Fifth new text end priority must be given to families in which at least one parent is a
veteran as defined under section 197.447.

deleted text begin (e) deleted text end new text begin (f) new text end Families under paragraph deleted text begin (b) deleted text end new text begin (c) new text end must be added to the basic sliding fee waiting
list on the date they begin the transition year under section 119B.011, subdivision 20, and
must be moved into the basic sliding fee program as soon as possible after they complete
their transition year.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 124D.165, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Family eligibility.

(a) For a family to receive an early learning scholarship,
parents or guardians must meet the following eligibility requirements:

(1) have a child three or four years of age on September 1 of the current school year,
who has not yet started kindergarten; and

(2) have income equal to or less than 185 percent of federal poverty level income in the
current calendar year, or be able to document their child's current participation in the free
and reduced-price lunch program or child and adult care food program, National School
Lunch Act, United States Code, title 42, sections 1751 and 1766; the Food Distribution
Program on Indian Reservations, Food and Nutrition Act, United States Code, title 7, sections
2011-2036; Head Start under the federal Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act
of 2007; Minnesota family investment program under chapter 256J; child care assistance
programs under chapter 119B; the supplemental nutrition assistance program; or placement
in foster care under section 260C.212.

(b) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, a parent under age 21 who is
pursuing a high school or general education equivalency diploma is eligible for an early
learning scholarship if the parent has a child age zero to five years old and meets the income
eligibility guidelines in this subdivision.

(c) Any siblings between the ages zero to five years old of a child who has been awarded
a scholarship under this section must be awarded a scholarship upon request, provided the
sibling attends the same program as long as funds are available.

(d) A child who has received a scholarship under this section must continue to receive
a scholarship each year until that child is eligible for kindergarten under section 120A.20
and as long as funds are available.

(e) Early learning scholarships may not be counted as earned income for the purposes
of medical assistance under chapter 256B, MinnesotaCare under chapter 256L, Minnesota
family investment program under chapter 256J, child care assistance programs under chapter
119B, or Head Start under the federal Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of
2007.

(f) A child from an adjoining state whose family resides at a Minnesota address as
assigned by the United States Postal Service, who has received developmental screening
under sections 121A.16 to 121A.19, who intends to enroll in a Minnesota school district,
and whose family meets the criteria of paragraph (a) is eligible for an early learning
scholarship under this section.

new text begin (g) A child whose family is homeless and meets the criteria in paragraph (a), clause (1),
is eligible for an early learning scholarship under this section.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin SYSTEM REDESIGN; HOMELESS CHILDREN SUPPORTS.
new text end

new text begin The Children's Cabinet must create a plan for a cross-agency system that provides support
for a family that is homeless, especially with children up to four years of age, to access
available services. The Children's Cabinet shall create the plan in consultation with the
Department of Education, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Health,
the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, and stakeholders including counties, school districts,
and nonprofits. The redesigned system must address issues including:
new text end

new text begin (1) implementation methodology that addresses differences in service delivery in rural
versus urban settings;
new text end

new text begin (2) a training pipeline to increase qualified staff for service providers, including staff of
color;
new text end

new text begin (3) statewide entry and intake forms to assess and identify the educational and
developmental needs of the child;
new text end

new text begin (4) a support plan that follows the child even after the child is no longer homeless;
new text end

new text begin (5) a common data system that allows for easier sharing of data and the plan components
for each child between local entities;
new text end

new text begin (6) identifying and supporting a community outreach system;
new text end

new text begin (7) personalizing assistance for a child who is homeless and the child's family to help
the child and the family navigate systems and resources;
new text end

new text begin (8) transportation options to access services; and
new text end

new text begin (9) methods to ensure that all state-funded programs and services for a child who is
homeless are adequately staffed with personnel who are trained on the specifics of the
program and receive professional development to handle complex, intergenerational trauma.
new text end

new text begin The Children's Cabinet must report findings and recommendations regarding the plan, along
with draft legislation, to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative
committees having jurisdiction over early childhood through grade 12 education, housing,
and human services policy by January 23, 2018.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Department of Human Services. new text end

new text begin The sums indicated in this section are
appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of human services for the fiscal
year designated.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Children's Cabinet. new text end

new text begin For the Children's Cabinet's system redesign report to the
legislature:
new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 200,000 new text end

new text begin ..... new text end

new text begin 2018 new text end