SF 543

as introduced - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to welfare; striking language that counts 
  1.3             $100 of a housing subsidy as unearned income for 
  1.4             purposes of MFIP eligibility; allowing MFIP 
  1.5             participants to develop an exit plan; requiring the 
  1.6             commissioner of human services to develop child 
  1.7             support arrearage forgiveness policies; transferring 
  1.8             money from the TANF block grant to decrease case loads 
  1.9             and increase funding for the basic sliding fee child 
  1.10            care program; amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, 
  1.11            sections 256J.37, subdivision 9; 256J.50, subdivision 
  1.12            1; 256J.515; 256J.52, by adding a subdivision; and 
  1.13            256J.62, subdivision 9. 
  1.14  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.15     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256J.37, 
  1.16  subdivision 9, is amended to read: 
  1.17     Subd. 9.  [UNEARNED INCOME.] (a) The county agency must 
  1.18  apply unearned income to the transitional standard.  When 
  1.19  determining the amount of unearned income, the county agency 
  1.20  must deduct the costs necessary to secure payments of unearned 
  1.21  income.  These costs include legal fees, medical fees, and 
  1.22  mandatory deductions such as federal and state income taxes. 
  1.23     (b) Effective July 1, 1999, the county agency shall count 
  1.24  $100 of the value of public and assisted rental subsidies 
  1.25  provided through the Department of Housing and Urban Development 
  1.26  (HUD) as unearned income.  The full amount of the subsidy must 
  1.27  be counted as unearned income when the subsidy is less than $100.
  1.28     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256J.50, 
  1.29  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.1      Subdivision 1.  [EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SERVICES COMPONENT 
  2.2   OF MFIP-S.] (a) By January 1, 1998, each county must develop and 
  2.3   implement an employment and training services component of 
  2.4   MFIP-S which is designed to put participants on the most direct 
  2.5   path to unsubsidized employment a career path that leads to 
  2.6   long-term self-sufficiency.  Participation in these services is 
  2.7   mandatory for all MFIP-S caregivers, unless the caregiver is 
  2.8   exempt under section 256J.56. 
  2.9      (b) A county may provide employment and training services 
  2.10  to MFIP-S caregivers who are exempt from the employment and 
  2.11  training services component but volunteer for the services. 
  2.12     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256J.515, is 
  2.13  amended to read: 
  2.14     256J.515 [OVERVIEW OF EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SERVICES.] 
  2.15     During the first meeting with participants, job counselors 
  2.16  must ensure that an overview of employment and training services 
  2.17  is provided that: 
  2.18     (1) stresses the necessity and opportunity of immediate 
  2.19  employment; 
  2.20     (2) outlines the job search resources offered; 
  2.21     (3) outlines education or training opportunities available; 
  2.22     (4) describes the range of work activities, including 
  2.23  activities under section 256J.49, subdivision 13, clause (18), 
  2.24  that are allowable under MFIP-S to meet the individual needs of 
  2.25  participants; 
  2.26     (5) explains the requirements to comply with an employment 
  2.27  plan; 
  2.28     (6) explains the consequences for failing to comply; and 
  2.29     (7) explains the services that are available to support job 
  2.30  search and work and education; and 
  2.31     (8) apprises the participant of the opportunity to have an 
  2.32  exit interview to develop an exit plan to find out about 
  2.33  training options and potential employment opportunities that are 
  2.34  consistent with the participant's career path. 
  2.35     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256J.52, is 
  2.36  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  3.1      Subd. 10.  [EXIT PLAN.] The job counselor shall send a 
  3.2   notice to a participant who is about to exit the program to 
  3.3   advise the participant of the opportunity to have an exit plan 
  3.4   developed.  If the participant requests an exit plan, the job 
  3.5   counselor must provide an exit interview and work with the 
  3.6   participant to develop an exit plan.  The exit plan must include 
  3.7   possible educational, training, or employment opportunities that 
  3.8   the participant may be interested in pursuing.  The job 
  3.9   counselor must talk with the participant about the participant's 
  3.10  career path and make reasonable efforts to investigate training 
  3.11  and employment options to aid the participant in obtaining the 
  3.12  participant's career goal.  This may include educational 
  3.13  opportunities available through the higher education system, job 
  3.14  development services and training through the department of 
  3.15  economic security, or various other training and educational 
  3.16  options available through nonprofit organizations or the county, 
  3.17  which will lead the participant down a career path that will 
  3.18  result in higher earnings and self-sufficiency. 
  3.19     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 256J.62, 
  3.20  subdivision 9, is amended to read: 
  3.21     Subd. 9.  [CONTINUATION OF CERTAIN SERVICES.] At the 
  3.22  request of the caregiver, the county may continue to provide 
  3.23  case management, counseling or other support services to a 
  3.24  participant following the participant's achievement of the 
  3.25  employment goal, for up to six months one year following 
  3.26  termination of the participant's eligibility for MFIP-S. 
  3.27     A county may expend funds for a specific employment and 
  3.28  training service for the duration of that service to a 
  3.29  participant if the funds are obligated or expended prior to the 
  3.30  participant losing MFIP-S eligibility. 
  3.31     Sec. 6.  [CHILD SUPPORT ARREARAGE FORGIVENESS REPORT.] 
  3.32     The commissioner of human services shall examine the 
  3.33  feasibility of forgiving child support arrears in a fair and 
  3.34  consistent manner and shall develop child support arrearage 
  3.35  forgiveness policies to be used throughout the state.  Also, the 
  3.36  commissioner shall explore the possibility of forwarding a 
  4.1   portion of, or the entire amount of, the current child support 
  4.2   payment to the custodial parent in order to bridge the child 
  4.3   support with the family.  The information must be in a report to 
  4.4   the chairs of the appropriate senate and house committees and 
  4.5   their members by December 1, 1999. 
  4.6      Sec. 7.  [TRANSFER OF FUNDS.] 
  4.7      Subdivision 1.  [REDUCING MFIP CASE LOADS.] $10,000,000 is 
  4.8   transferred from the state's federal TANF block grant to the 
  4.9   commissioner of human services for the biennium beginning July 
  4.10  1, 1999, for purposes of reducing the case loads of MFIP job 
  4.11  counselors. 
  4.12     Subd. 2.  [MFIP EXIT PLAN.] $2,000,000 is transferred from 
  4.13  the state's federal TANF block grant to the commissioner of 
  4.14  human services for the biennium beginning July 1, 1999, for 
  4.15  purposes of developing MFIP exit plans under Minnesota Statutes, 
  4.16  section 256J.52, subdivision 10. 
  4.17     Subd. 3.  [SLIDING FEE CHILD CARE PROGRAM.] $50,000,000 is 
  4.18  transferred from the state's federal TANF block grant to the 
  4.19  child care block grant for the biennium beginning July 1, 1999, 
  4.20  for purposes of the sliding fee child care program.