Minnesota Legislature
HF 2698
as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 03/19/2012 03:16pm
Bill Text Versions
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| Introduction | Posted on 03/05/2012 |
Current Version - as introduced
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A bill for an act
relating to homeless children; creating the Visible Child Act; modifying the
duties of the Interagency Council on Homelessness and the State Interagency
Coordinating Council; developing a visible child plan; requiring reports;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 125A.27, subdivision 11; 125A.28;
462A.29.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1. new text begin CITATION.
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Sections 2 to 6 may be cited as the "Visible Child Act." This act establishes
legislative findings regarding child homelessness, makes homeless children eligible for
early intervention services, establishes the visible child task force, and requires an annual
report to the legislature on homeless children and child well-being.
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Sec. 2. new text begin LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.
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The legislature finds that:
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(1) homelessness and accompanying trauma inhibit the physical, emotional,
cognitive, social, and behavioral development of children;
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(2) a child is homeless when the child lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime
residence. Inadequate nighttime residences include: motels, hotels, trailer parks, camping
grounds, emergency shelters, transitional housing, cars, buses, parks, public spaces,
abandoned buildings, substandard housing, and bus or train stations;
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(3) 4,500 children are homeless on any given night in Minnesota, and 18,920
children experience homelessness during one year;
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(4) young homeless children are disproportionately represented among homeless
Minnesotans; 52 percent of homeless children are age five or younger, and nine percent of
these children are less than one year old;
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(5) homelessness and its resulting trauma impact a child throughout the child's
life span;
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(6) early intervention services provided to children ages birth to three can reduce
the need for more costly remedial services later in childhood and adulthood, and can
improve future productivity;
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(7) 34 percent of homeless parents first experienced homelessness as a child; and
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(8) therefore, the state of Minnesota shall immediately address and respond to the
well-being of homeless children and shall end child homelessness by the year 2017.
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Sec. 3.
Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 125A.27, subdivision 11, is amended to read:
Subd. 11.
Interagency child find systems.
"Interagency child find systems"
means activities developed on an interagency basis with the involvement of interagency
early intervention committees and other relevant community groups using rigorous
standards to actively seek out, identify, and refer infants and young children, with, or at
risk of, disabilities, and their families, including a child under the age of three who: (1)
is involved in a substantiated case of abuse or neglect, deleted text begin ordeleted text end (2) is identified as affected by
illegal substance abuse, or withdrawal symptoms resulting from prenatal drug exposure, to
reduce the need for future servicesnew text begin , or (3) is homeless or has experienced homelessnessnew text end .new text begin
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Sec. 4.
Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 125A.28, is amended to read:
125A.28 STATE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL.
An Interagency Coordinating Council of at least 17, but not more than 25 members
is established, in compliance with Public Law 108-446, section 641. The members
must be appointed by the governor. Council members must elect the council chair. The
representative of the commissioner may not serve as the chair. The council must be
composed of at least five parents, including persons of color, of children with disabilities
under age 12, including at least three parents of a child with a disability under age seven,
five representatives of public or private providers of services for children with disabilities
under age five, including a special education director, county social service director,
local Head Start director, and a community health services or public health nursing
administrator, one member of the senate, one member of the house of representatives, one
representative of teacher preparation programs in early childhood-special education or
other preparation programs in early childhood intervention, at least one representative of
advocacy organizations for children with disabilities under age five, one physician who
cares for young children with special health care needs, one representative each from the
commissioners of commerce, education, health, human services, a representative from the
state agency responsible for child care, foster care, mental health, homeless coordinator
of education of homeless children and youth, and a representative from Indian health
services or a tribal council. Section 15.059, subdivisions 2 to 5, apply to the council.
The council must meet at least quarterly.
The council must address methods of implementing the state policy of developing
and implementing comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary interagency programs of
early intervention services for children with disabilities and their families.
The duties of the council include recommending policies to ensure a comprehensive
and coordinated system of all state and local agency services for children under age five
with disabilities and their families. The policies must address how to incorporate each
agency's services into a unified state and local system of multidisciplinary assessment
practices, individual intervention plans, comprehensive systems to find children in need
of services, methods to improve public awareness, and assistance in determining the
role of interagency early intervention committees.new text begin The council shall ensure that service
providers have opportunities to learn about the special needs of and issues affecting
homeless infants and toddlers.
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On the date that Minnesota Part C Annual Performance Report is submitted to the
federal Office of Special Education, the council must recommend to the governor and the
commissioners of education, health, human services, commerce, and employment and
economic development policies for a comprehensive and coordinated system.
Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the State Interagency Coordinating
Council expires on June 30, 2014.
Sec. 5.
Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 462A.29, is amended to read:
462A.29 INTERAGENCY COORDINATION ON HOMELESSNESS.
new text begin (a) new text end The agency shall coordinate services and activities of all state agencies relating
to homelessness. The agency shall coordinate an investigation and review of the current
system of service delivery to the homeless. The agency may request assistance from other
agencies of state government as needed for the execution of the responsibilities under this
section and the other agencies shall furnish the assistance upon request.
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(b) As part of the coordination required under this section, and in coordination
with the commissioners of human services, health, the Housing Finance Agency, and
education, the agency shall, after a 30-day public comment period, submit an annual report
beginning January 15, 2014, to the legislature on homeless children and child well-being
related to the implementation of the visible child plan under section 6. The report must
contain data including, but not limited to:
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(1) the number and ages of children and youth experiencing homelessness;
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(2) reasons for homelessness, including poverty and domestic violence;
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(3) the number of homeless and formerly homeless children receiving assistance
under chapter 256J;
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(4) frequency and duration of homelessness;
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(5) current living arrangements of homeless children;
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(6) child well-being indicators; and
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(7) number of formerly homeless children annually accessing supportive housing.
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new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
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This section is effective the day following final enactment.
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Sec. 6. new text begin VISIBLE CHILD PLAN.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end
new text begin Duties. new text end
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The Interagency Coordination on Homelessness under
Minnesota Statutes, section 462A.29, in collaboration with the commissioners of
education, health, human services, and the Housing Finance Agency, shall develop a
strategic plan, known as the visible child plan, for improving the well-being of homeless
children.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end
new text begin Consultation. new text end
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(a) In developing the visible child plan, the agency
shall consult family supportive housing providers, individuals who have experienced
homelessness, nonprofits, advocates, researchers, case workers, business leaders, and
philanthropists. Each consulted person or organization must have knowledge about or
expertise in homelessness and one or more of the following subjects:
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(1) child protection;
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(2) child care;
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(3) early childhood development;
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(4) children's mental health;
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(5) public programs serving families and children;
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(6) public safety;
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(7) family home visiting;
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(8) public assistance programs;
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(9) adverse childhood experiences; and
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(10) McKinney homeless student resources.
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(b) The task force must consult people from rural, suburban, and urban counties
and school districts.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end
new text begin Strategic plan; development. new text end
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(a) The agency shall develop a strategic
plan for improving the well-being of homeless children that focuses on housing stability,
improved health outcomes, and educational success. The plan must address, but not be
limited to, the following:
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(1) safe housing and services;
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(2) emergency shelter and services statewide response;
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(3) integration of developmental screening into service delivery;
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(4) home visiting services;
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(5) child care;
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(6) early childhood programs;
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(7) access to primary and preventive health care services; and
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(8) identification of existing and potential future funding streams to support the
plan's implementation.
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(b) The strategic plan must:
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(1) include an estimation of the return on investment for the programs listed under
paragraph (a);
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(2) include recommendations on improving the capacity of current information
systems to identify homeless children, assess child well-being, and monitor access to
services;
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(3) identify data and outcome measures for assessing and monitoring child
well-being related to the implementation of the statewide plan; and
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(4) include recommendations on integrating evidence-based and evidence-informed
practices and practice-based evidence into services provided to homeless and formerly
homeless young children.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end
new text begin Report. new text end
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The agency shall submit the visible child plan under subdivision
3 to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over education, health, housing, and
human services by December 15, 2012.
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new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end
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This section is effective the day following final enactment.
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