SF 432

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 02/20/2015 09:34am

A bill for an act
relating to human services; increasing MFIP and general assistance cash grants;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, sections 256D.01,
subdivision 1a; 256J.24, subdivision 5.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 256D.01, subdivision 1a, is amended to
read:

Subd. 1a.

Standards.

(a) A principal objective in providing general assistance is
to provide for single adults, childless couples, or children as defined in section 256D.02,
subdivision 6, ineligible for federal programs who are unable to provide for themselves.
The minimum standard of assistance determines the total amount of the general assistance
grant without separate standards for shelter, utilities, or other needs.

deleted text begin (b) The commissioner shall set the standard of assistance for an assistance unit
consisting of an adult recipient who is childless and unmarried or living apart from
children and spouse and who does not live with a parent or parents or a legal custodian.
When the other standards specified in this subdivision increase, this standard must also be
increased by the same percentage.
deleted text end

new text begin (b) Beginning in fiscal year 2017, the commissioner of human services shall adjust
cash grants under this subdivision for inflation based on the CPI-U for the prior calendar
year.
new text end

(c) For an assistance unit consisting of a single adult who lives with a parent or
parents, the general assistance standard of assistance is the amount that the aid to families
with dependent children standard of assistance, in effect on July 16, 1996, would increase
if the recipient were added as an additional minor child to an assistance unit consisting of
the recipient's parent and all of that parent's family members, except that the standard may
not exceed the standard for a general assistance recipient living alone. Benefits received
by a responsible relative of the assistance unit under the Supplemental Security Income
program, a workers' compensation program, the Minnesota supplemental aid program, or
any other program based on the responsible relative's disability, and any benefits received
by a responsible relative of the assistance unit under the Social Security retirement program,
may not be counted in the determination of eligibility or benefit level for the assistance
unit. Except as provided below, the assistance unit is ineligible for general assistance if the
available resources or the countable income of the assistance unit and the parent or parents
with whom the assistance unit lives are such that a family consisting of the assistance
unit's parent or parents, the parent or parents' other family members and the assistance unit
as the only or additional minor child would be financially ineligible for general assistance.
For the purposes of calculating the countable income of the assistance unit's parent or
parents, the calculation methods, income deductions, exclusions, and disregards used
when calculating the countable income for a single adult or childless couple must be used.

(d) For an assistance unit consisting of a childless couple, the standards of assistance
are the same as the first and second adult standards of the aid to families with dependent
children program in effect on July 16, 1996. If one member of the couple is not included
in the general assistance grant, the standard of assistance for the other is the second adult
standard of the aid to families with dependent children program as of July 16, 1996.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 256J.24, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

MFIP transitional standard.

new text begin (a) new text end The MFIP transitional standard is based
on the number of persons in the assistance unit eligible for both food and cash assistance.
The amount of the transitional standard is published annually by the Department of
Human Services.

new text begin (b) Beginning in fiscal year 2017, the commissioner of human services shall adjust
the cash assistance portion under paragraph (a) for inflation based on the CPI-U for the
prior calendar year.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin INCREASED GENERAL ASSISTANCE GRANT EFFECTIVE JULY
1, 2015.
new text end

new text begin The following table represents the standard for general assistance under Minnesota
Statutes, section 256D.01, subdivision 1a, effective July 1, 2015:
new text end

new text begin Number of People new text end	new text begin Cash new text end
new text begin 1 new text end	new text begin $406 new text end
new text begin 2 new text end	new text begin $812 new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin INCREASED MFIP CASH ASSISTANCE PORTION UNDER
MINNESOTA STATUTES, SECTION 256J.24, SUBDIVISION 5, EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2015.
new text end

new text begin The following table represents the MFIP cash assistance portion of the transitional
standard under Minnesota Statutes, section 256J.24, subdivision 5, effective July 1, 2015:
new text end

new text begin Number of Eligible People new text end	new text begin Cash Portion new text end
new text begin 1 new text end	new text begin $500 new text end
new text begin 2 new text end	new text begin $874 new text end
new text begin 3 new text end	new text begin $1,064 new text end
new text begin 4 new text end	new text begin $1,242 new text end
new text begin 5 new text end	new text begin $1,394 new text end
new text begin 6 new text end	new text begin $1,546 new text end
new text begin 7 new text end	new text begin $1,700 new text end
new text begin 8 new text end	new text begin $1,832 new text end
new text begin 9 new text end	new text begin $1,960 new text end
new text begin 10 new text end	new text begin $2,070 new text end
new text begin Each Additional Person new text end	new text begin $106 new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2016 and $....... in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated from the
TANF block grant fund to the commissioner of human services for purposes of sections 1
to 4.
new text end