HF 3894

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 02/19/2024 02:10pm

A bill for an act
relating to human services; modifying emergency general assistance; requiring a
report; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 256D.06, subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 256D.06, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Emergency need.

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision 1, a grant
of emergency general assistance shall, to the extent funds are available, be made to an
eligible single adult, married couple, or family for an emergency need where the recipient
requests temporary assistance not exceeding 30 days if an emergency situation appears to
exist under written criteria adopted by the county agency. If an applicant or recipient relates
facts to the county agency which may be sufficient to constitute an emergency situation,
the county agency shall, to the extent funds are available, advise the person of the procedure
for applying for assistance according to this subdivision.

(b) The applicant must be ineligible for assistance under chapter 256J, must have annual
net income no greater than 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for the previous
calendar year, and may receive an emergency assistance grant not more than once in any
12-month period.

(c) Funding for an emergency general assistance program is limited to the appropriation.
Each fiscal year, the commissioner shall allocate to counties new text begin and participating Tribal nations new text end
the money appropriated for emergency general assistance grants based on each county
agency's average share of state's emergency general expenditures for the immediate past
three fiscal years as determined by the commissioner, and may reallocate any unspent
amounts to other counties. new text begin When determining allocation amounts, the commissioner may
disregard fiscal years or periods of fiscal years in which a federally declared public health
emergency is in effect. new text end No county shall be allocated less than deleted text begin $1,000 deleted text end new text begin $7,500 new text end for a fiscal
year.

(d) Any emergency general assistance expenditures by a county above the amount of
the commissioner's allocation to the county must be made from county funds.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2024.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin EMERGENCY GENERAL ASSISTANCE ALLOCATION STUDY.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of human services, in consultation with interested community
members, must study alternative methodologies for allocating emergency general assistance
grants authorized under Minnesota Statutes, section 256D.06, subdivision 2, to reflect the
most current regional demographic and economic factors, and develop recommendations,
including any statutory changes needed to implement the recommendations. The
commissioner must submit the study and recommendations to the chairs and ranking minority
members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health and human services
policy and finance by February 1, 2026.
new text end