1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to early childhood; governing early care and education program 
1.3 	requirements, including evaluation of the quality rating and improvement system, 
1.4 	implementation outreach, universal identifier requirements, and data practices; 
1.5 	establishing an early care and education coordination task force; making technical 
1.6 	changes; appropriating money;amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, sections 13.321, 
1.7 	by adding a subdivision; 13.3806, by adding a subdivision; 13.46, subdivision 2; 
1.8 	13.461, by adding a subdivision; 124D.142; 124D.162; proposing coding for new 
1.9 	law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 119A.
1.10 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.11 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 13.321, is amended by adding a subdivision 
1.12 	to read:
1.13 		Subd. 12.Early childhood programs. Data relating to universal identifiers in certain 
1.14 	early childhood care and education programs are governed by section 119A.70.

1.15 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 13.3806, is amended by adding a subdivision to 
1.16 	read:
1.17 		Subd. 23.Family home visiting programs. Data relating to universal identifiers in 
1.18 	family home visiting programs under section 145A.17 are governed by section 119A.70.

1.19 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 13.46, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
1.20 		Subd. 2.General. (a) Data on individuals collected, maintained, used, or disseminated 
1.21 	by the welfare system are private data on individuals, and shall not be disclosed except:
1.22 	(1) according to section 13.05;
1.23 	(2) according to court order;
2.1 	(3) according to a statute specifically authorizing access to the private data;
2.2 	(4) to an agent of the welfare system and an investigator acting on behalf of a county, 
2.3 	the state, or the federal government, including a law enforcement person or attorney in the 
2.4 	investigation or prosecution of a criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding relating to the 
2.5 	administration of a program;
2.6 	(5) to personnel of the welfare system who require the data to verify an individual's 
2.7 	identity; determine eligibility, amount of assistance, and the need to provide services to an 
2.8 	individual or family across programs; coordinate services for an individual or family; 
2.9 	evaluate the effectiveness of programs; assess parental contribution amounts; and investigate 
2.10 	suspected fraud;
2.11 	(6) to administer federal funds or programs;
2.12 	(7) between personnel of the welfare system working in the same program;
2.13 	(8) to the Department of Revenue to assess parental contribution amounts for purposes 
2.14 	of section 252.27, subdivision 2a, administer and evaluate tax refund or tax credit programs 
2.15 	and to identify individuals who may benefit from these programs. The following information 
2.16 	may be disclosed under this paragraph: an individual's and their dependent's names, dates 
2.17 	of birth, Social Security numbers, income, addresses, and other data as required, upon 
2.18 	request by the Department of Revenue. Disclosures by the commissioner of revenue to the 
2.19 	commissioner of human services for the purposes described in this clause are governed by 
2.20 	section 270B.14, subdivision 1. Tax refund or tax credit programs include, but are not limited 
2.21 	to, the dependent care credit under section 290.067, the Minnesota working family credit 
2.22 	under section 290.0671, the property tax refund and rental credit under section 290A.04, 
2.23 	and the Minnesota education credit under section 290.0674;
2.24 	(9) between the Department of Human Services, the Department of Employment and 
2.25 	Economic Development, and when applicable, the Department of Education, for the following 
2.26 	purposes:
2.27 	(i) to monitor the eligibility of the data subject for unemployment benefits, for any 
2.28 	employment or training program administered, supervised, or certified by that agency;
2.29 	(ii) to administer any rehabilitation program or child care assistance program, whether 
2.30 	alone or in conjunction with the welfare system;
2.31 	(iii) to monitor and evaluate the Minnesota family investment program or the child care 
2.32 	assistance program by exchanging data on recipients and former recipients of food support, 
2.33 	cash assistance under chapter 256, 256D, 256J, or 256K, child care assistance under chapter 
3.1 	119B, medical programs under chapter 256B or 256L, or a medical program formerly 
3.2 	codified under chapter 256D; and
3.3 	(iv) to analyze public assistance employment services and program utilization, cost, 
3.4 	effectiveness, and outcomes as implemented under the authority established in Title II, 
3.5 	Sections 201-204 of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999. 
3.6 	Health records governed by sections 144.291 to 144.298 and "protected health information" 
3.7 	as defined in Code of Federal Regulations, title 45, section 160.103, and governed by Code 
3.8 	of Federal Regulations, title 45, parts 160-164, including health care claims utilization 
3.9 	information, must not be exchanged under this clause;
3.10 	(10) to appropriate parties in connection with an emergency if knowledge of the 
3.11 	information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the individual or other individuals 
3.12 	or persons;
3.13 	(11) data maintained by residential programs as defined in section 245A.02 may be 
3.14 	disclosed to the protection and advocacy system established in this state according to Part 
3.15 	C of Public Law 98-527 to protect the legal and human rights of persons with developmental 
3.16 	disabilities or other related conditions who live in residential facilities for these persons if 
3.17 	the protection and advocacy system receives a complaint by or on behalf of that person and 
3.18 	the person does not have a legal guardian or the state or a designee of the state is the legal 
3.19 	guardian of the person;
3.20 	(12) to the county medical examiner or the county coroner for identifying or locating 
3.21 	relatives or friends of a deceased person;
3.22 	(13) data on a child support obligor who makes payments to the public agency may be 
3.23 	disclosed to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education to the extent necessary to determine 
3.24 	eligibility under section 136A.121, subdivision 2, clause (5);
3.25 	(14) participant Social Security numbers and names collected by the telephone assistance 
3.26 	program may be disclosed to the Department of Revenue to conduct an electronic data 
3.27 	match with the property tax refund database to determine eligibility under section 237.70, 
3.28 	subdivision 4a;
3.29 	(15) the current address of a Minnesota family investment program participant may be 
3.30 	disclosed to law enforcement officers who provide the name of the participant and notify 
3.31 	the agency that:
3.32 	(i) the participant:
4.1 	(A) is a fugitive felon fleeing to avoid prosecution, or custody or confinement after 
4.2 	conviction, for a crime or attempt to commit a crime that is a felony under the laws of the 
4.3 	jurisdiction from which the individual is fleeing; or
4.4 	(B) is violating a condition of probation or parole imposed under state or federal law;
4.5 	(ii) the location or apprehension of the felon is within the law enforcement officer's 
4.6 	official duties; and
4.7 	(iii) the request is made in writing and in the proper exercise of those duties;
4.8 	(16) the current address of a recipient of general assistance may be disclosed to probation 
4.9 	officers and corrections agents who are supervising the recipient and to law enforcement 
4.10 	officers who are investigating the recipient in connection with a felony level offense;
4.11 	(17) information obtained from food support applicant or recipient households may be 
4.12 	disclosed to local, state, or federal law enforcement officials, upon their written request, for 
4.13 	the purpose of investigating an alleged violation of the Food Stamp Act, according to Code 
4.14 	of Federal Regulations, title 7, section 272.1(c);
4.15 	(18) the address, Social Security number, and, if available, photograph of any member 
4.16 	of a household receiving food support shall be made available, on request, to a local, state, 
4.17 	or federal law enforcement officer if the officer furnishes the agency with the name of the 
4.18 	member and notifies the agency that:
4.19 	(i) the member:
4.20 	(A) is fleeing to avoid prosecution, or custody or confinement after conviction, for a 
4.21 	crime or attempt to commit a crime that is a felony in the jurisdiction the member is fleeing;
4.22 	(B) is violating a condition of probation or parole imposed under state or federal law; 
4.23 	or
4.24 	(C) has information that is necessary for the officer to conduct an official duty related 
4.25 	to conduct described in subitem (A) or (B);
4.26 	(ii) locating or apprehending the member is within the officer's official duties; and
4.27 	(iii) the request is made in writing and in the proper exercise of the officer's official duty;
4.28 	(19) the current address of a recipient of Minnesota family investment program, general 
4.29 	assistance, or food support may be disclosed to law enforcement officers who, in writing, 
4.30 	provide the name of the recipient and notify the agency that the recipient is a person required 
4.31 	to register under section 243.166, but is not residing at the address at which the recipient is 
4.32 	registered under section 243.166;
5.1 	(20) certain information regarding child support obligors who are in arrears may be 
5.2 	made public according to section 518A.74;
5.3 	(21) data on child support payments made by a child support obligor and data on the 
5.4 	distribution of those payments excluding identifying information on obligees may be 
5.5 	disclosed to all obligees to whom the obligor owes support, and data on the enforcement 
5.6 	actions undertaken by the public authority, the status of those actions, and data on the income 
5.7 	of the obligor or obligee may be disclosed to the other party;
5.8 	(22) data in the work reporting system may be disclosed under section 256.998, 
5.9 	subdivision 7;
5.10 	(23) to the Department of Education for the purpose of matching Department of Education 
5.11 	student data with public assistance data to determine students eligible for free and 
5.12 	reduced-price meals, meal supplements, and free milk according to United States Code, 
5.13 	title 42, sections 1758, 1761, 1766, 1766a, 1772, and 1773; to match Department of Education 
5.14 	student data with public assistance data to determine students eligible for early learning 
5.15 	scholarships under section 124D.165; to allocate federal and state funds that are distributed 
5.16 	based on income of the student's family; and to verify receipt of energy assistance for the 
5.17 	telephone assistance plan;
5.18 	(24) the current address and telephone number of program recipients and emergency 
5.19 	contacts may be released to the commissioner of health or a community health board as 
5.20 	defined in section 145A.02, subdivision 5, when the commissioner or community health 
5.21 	board has reason to believe that a program recipient is a disease case, carrier, suspect case, 
5.22 	or at risk of illness, and the data are necessary to locate the person;
5.23 	(25) to other state agencies, statewide systems, and political subdivisions of this state, 
5.24 	including the attorney general, and agencies of other states, interstate information networks, 
5.25 	federal agencies, and other entities as required by federal regulation or law for the 
5.26 	administration of the child support enforcement program;
5.27 	(26) to personnel of public assistance programs as defined in section 256.741, for access 
5.28 	to the child support system database for the purpose of administration, including monitoring 
5.29 	and evaluation of those public assistance programs;
5.30 	(27) to monitor and evaluate the Minnesota family investment program by exchanging 
5.31 	data between the Departments of Human Services and Education, on recipients and former 
5.32 	recipients of food support, cash assistance under chapter 256, 256D, 256J, or 256K, child 
5.33 	care assistance under chapter 119B, medical programs under chapter 256B or 256L, or a 
5.34 	medical program formerly codified under chapter 256D;
6.1 	(28) to evaluate child support program performance and to identify and prevent fraud 
6.2 	in the child support program by exchanging data between the Department of Human Services, 
6.3 	Department of Revenue under section 270B.14, subdivision 1, paragraphs (a) and (b), 
6.4 	without regard to the limitation of use in paragraph (c), Department of Health, Department 
6.5 	of Employment and Economic Development, and other state agencies as is reasonably 
6.6 	necessary to perform these functions;
6.7 	(29) counties and the Department of Human Services operating child care assistance 
6.8 	programs under chapter 119B may disseminate data on program participants, applicants, 
6.9 	and providers to the commissioner of education;
6.10 	(30) child support data on the child, the parents, and relatives of the child may be 
6.11 	disclosed to agencies administering programs under titles IV-B and IV-E of the Social 
6.12 	Security Act, as authorized by federal law;
6.13 	(31) to a health care provider governed by sections 144.291 to 144.298, to the extent 
6.14 	necessary to coordinate services;
6.15 	(32) to the chief administrative officer of a school to coordinate services for a student 
6.16 	and family; data that may be disclosed under this clause are limited to name, date of birth, 
6.17 	gender, and address; or
6.18 	(33) to county correctional agencies to the extent necessary to coordinate services and 
6.19 	diversion programs; data that may be disclosed under this clause are limited to name, client 
6.20 	demographics, program, case status, and county worker information.
6.21 	(b) Information on persons who have been treated for drug or alcohol abuse may only 
6.22 	be disclosed according to the requirements of Code of Federal Regulations, title 42, sections 
6.23 	2.1 to 2.67.
6.24 	(c) Data provided to law enforcement agencies under paragraph (a), clause (15), (16), 
6.25 	(17), or (18), or paragraph (b), are investigative data and are confidential or protected 
6.26 	nonpublic while the investigation is active. The data are private after the investigation 
6.27 	becomes inactive under section 13.82, subdivision 5, paragraph (a) or (b).
6.28 	(d) Mental health data shall be treated as provided in subdivisions 7, 8, and 9, but are 
6.29 	not subject to the access provisions of subdivision 10, paragraph (b).
6.30 	For the purposes of this subdivision, a request will be deemed to be made in writing if 
6.31 	made through a computer interface system.

6.32 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

7.1 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 13.461, is amended by adding a subdivision to 
7.2 	read:
7.3 		Subd. 33.Child care assistance programs. Data relating to universal identifiers in child 
7.4 	care assistance programs under chapter 119B are governed by section 119A.70.

7.5 	Sec. 5. [119A.70] UNIVERSAL IDENTIFIER.
7.6 		Subdivision 1.Definition. For purposes of this section, "commissioners" means the 
7.7 	commissioners of education, health, and human services.
7.8 		Subd. 2.Identifier established. By July 1, 2021, the commissioners must jointly 
7.9 	implement a universal identifier or similar cross referencing system that allows for 
7.10 	identification of individual children across programs.
7.11 		Subd. 3.Applicable programs. The universal identifier applies for a child participating 
7.12 	in one or more of the following:
7.13 	(1) child care assistance programs under chapter 119B;
7.14 	(2) early childhood developmental screening under section 121A.17;
7.15 	(3) early childhood family education programs under section 124D.13;
7.16 	(4) early learning scholarships under section 124D.165;
7.17 	(5) family home visiting programs under section 145A.17;
7.18 	(6) Head Start and Early Head Start programs under sections 119A.50 to 119A.545;
7.19 	(7) kindergarten readiness assessment under section 124D.162;
7.20 	(8) school readiness programs under sections 124D.15 and 124D.16; and
7.21 	(9) voluntary prekindergarten programs under section 124D.151.
7.22 		Subd. 4.Purposes. (a) The commissioners may only access private data disseminated 
7.23 	through a universal identifier to:
7.24 	(1) provide coordinated early care and education service delivery, including through 
7.25 	family referrals and follow-up activities;
7.26 	(2) reduce burdens on families and program participants;
7.27 	(3) identify early care and education service gaps;
7.28 	(4) eliminate unnecessary overlap or duplication of services;
7.29 	(5) create efficiency in program administration;
8.1 	(6) identify developmental outcomes for children; and
8.2 	(7) evaluate the impacts and effectiveness of the programs under subdivision 2.
8.3 	(b) Personally identifiable data must not be used for the purposes specified in paragraph 
8.4 	(a), clauses (6) and (7).
8.5 		Subd. 5.Data sharing; consent. (a) The commissioners must jointly develop a form 
8.6 	by which the parent or guardian of a child participating in an early care and education 
8.7 	program under subdivision 3 may consent to share private data. The consent form must 
8.8 	specify what data is being shared, what government entities will have access to the shared 
8.9 	data, and the purpose for the data sharing. The consenting parent or guardian may withdraw 
8.10 	consent, in writing, at any time.
8.11 	(b) The ability of a parent or child to receive services is not affected by a refusal to give 
8.12 	consent under this subdivision.
8.13 		Subd. 6.Data sharing; authority. (a) The following private data on individuals may 
8.14 	be disseminated under this subdivision:
8.15 	(1) educational data, as defined in section 13.32, subdivision 1, paragraph (a); and
8.16 	(2) data collected, maintained, used, or disseminated by the welfare system as defined 
8.17 	in section 13.46, subdivision 1, paragraph (c).
8.18 	(b) For the purposes specified in subdivision 4:
8.19 	(1) the commissioner of education may disseminate to the commissioners of health and 
8.20 	human services private data relating to an individual's participation in the programs specified 
8.21 	in subdivision 3, clauses (2) to (4), and (6) to (9);
8.22 	(2) the commissioner of health may disseminate to the commissioners of education and 
8.23 	human services private data relating to an individual's participation in family home visiting 
8.24 	programs under section 145A.17; and
8.25 	(3) the commissioner of human services may disseminate to the commissioners of 
8.26 	education and health private data relating to an individual's participation in child care 
8.27 	assistance programs under chapter 119B.
8.28 	(c) The commissioners may only access private data on an individual whose parent or 
8.29 	guardian has consented to share data as provided under subdivision 5.
8.30 		Subd. 7.Data sharing; access; audit trail. (a) Each of the commissioners must establish 
8.31 	written procedures to ensure that department employees or independent contractors have 
8.32 	access to private data only if authorized. Each of the commissioners may authorize an 
9.1 	employee or independent contractor to access private data only if access is necessary to 
9.2 	fulfill official duties and meets the requirements of this section.
9.3 	(b) The commissioners must implement a data audit trail. All actions in which private 
9.4 	data related to the universal identifier are entered, updated, accessed, shared, or disseminated 
9.5 	must be recorded in the data audit trail. Data contained in the audit trail are public to the 
9.6 	extent that the data are not otherwise classified by law.

9.7 	Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 124D.142, is amended to read:
9.8 	124D.142 QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM.
9.9 		Subdivision 1.System established. (a) There is established a quality rating and 
9.10 	improvement system (QRIS) framework, known as Parent Aware, to ensure that Minnesota's 
9.11 	children have access to high-quality early learning and care programs in a range of settings 
9.12 	so that they are fully ready for kindergarten by 2020. Creation of a
9.13 		Subd. 2.System components. The standards-based voluntary quality rating and 
9.14 	improvement system includes:
9.15 	(1) quality opportunities in order to improve the educational outcomes of children so 
9.16 	that they are ready for school. The;
9.17 	(2) a framework shall be based on the Minnesota quality rating system rating tool and 
9.18 	a common set of child outcome and program standards and informed by evaluation results;
9.19 	(2) (3) a tool to increase the number of publicly funded and regulated early learning and 
9.20 	care services in both public and private market programs that are high quality.;
9.21 	(4) voluntary participation so that if a program or provider chooses to participate, the 
9.22 	program or provider will be rated and may receive public funding associated with the rating. 
9.23 	The state shall develop a plan to link future early learning and care state funding to the 
9.24 	framework in a manner that complies with federal requirements; and
9.25 	(3) (5) tracking progress toward statewide access to high-quality early learning and care 
9.26 	programs, progress toward the number of low-income children whose parents can access 
9.27 	quality programs, and progress toward increasing the number of children who are fully 
9.28 	prepared to enter kindergarten.
9.29 	(b) In planning a statewide quality rating and improvement system framework in 
9.30 	paragraph (a), the state shall use evaluation results of the Minnesota quality rating system 
9.31 	rating tool in use in fiscal year 2008 to recommend:
10.1 	(1) a framework of a common set of child outcome and program standards for a voluntary 
10.2 	statewide quality rating and improvement system;
10.3 	(2) a plan to link future funding to the framework described in paragraph (a), clause (2); 
10.4 	and
10.5 	(3) a plan for how the state will realign existing state and federal administrative resources 
10.6 	to implement the voluntary quality rating and improvement system framework. The state 
10.7 	shall provide the recommendation in this paragraph to the early childhood education finance 
10.8 	committees of the legislature by March 15, 2011.
10.9 	(c) Prior to the creation of a statewide quality rating and improvement system in paragraph 
10.10 	(a), the state shall employ the Minnesota quality rating system rating tool in use in fiscal 
10.11 	year 2008 in the original Minnesota Early Learning Foundation pilot areas and additional 
10.12 	pilot areas supported by private or public funds with its modification as a result of the 
10.13 	evaluation results of the pilot project.
10.14 		Subd. 3.System revision and improvement. Following each evaluation under 
10.15 	subdivision 4, and more frequently as appropriate, the commissioner of human services 
10.16 	must revise the quality rating and improvement system. Each revision following an evaluation 
10.17 	must address the evaluation results.
10.18 		Subd. 4.Evaluation. (a) By February 1, 2020, and by February 1 in every fourth year 
10.19 	thereafter, the commissioner of human services must arrange an independent evaluation of 
10.20 	the quality rating and improvement system's effectiveness and impact on (1) children's 
10.21 	progress toward school readiness, (2) quality of the early care and education system supply 
10.22 	and workforce, and (3) parents' ability to access and use meaningful information about early 
10.23 	care and education program quality.
10.24 	(b) The evaluation must be performed by a consultant or staff from another agency. An 
10.25 	evaluator must have experience in program evaluation and must not be regularly involved 
10.26 	in implementation of the quality rating and improvement system.
10.27 	(c) At a minimum, each evaluation must:
10.28 	(1) analyze effectiveness of the quality rating and improvement system, including but 
10.29 	not limited to review of:
10.30 	(i) whether quality indicators and measures used in the quality rating and improvement 
10.31 	system are consistent with evidence and research findings on early care and education 
10.32 	program quality; and
11.1 	(ii) patterns or differences in observed quality of participating early care and education 
11.2 	programs in comparison to programs at other quality rating and improvement system star 
11.3 	rating levels and accounting for other factors;
11.4 	(2) perform evidence-based assessment of children's developmental gains in ways that 
11.5 	are appropriate for children's linguistic and cultural backgrounds;
11.6 	(3) analyze the extent to which differences in developmental gains among children 
11.7 	correspond to the star ratings of the early care and education programs;
11.8 	(4) analyze accessibility for providers to participate in the quality rating and improvement 
11.9 	system, including ease of application and supports for a provider to receive or improve a 
11.10 	rating;
11.11 	(5) examine the availability of providers throughout the state participating in the quality 
11.12 	rating and improvement system; and
11.13 	(6) for the requirements specified in clauses (3) to (5), provide disaggregated findings 
11.14 	by:
11.15 	(i) demographic factors, including geographic area, family income level, and racial and 
11.16 	ethnic groups;
11.17 	(ii) type of associated program or mixed delivery combination, including early childhood 
11.18 	family education program, early learning scholarship program, basic sliding fee child care 
11.19 	assistance under section 119B.03, Head Start and Early Head Start, MFIP child care 
11.20 	assistance under section 119B.05, school readiness program, and voluntary prekindergarten 
11.21 	program;
11.22 	(iii) type of provider, including family child care provider, child care center, Head Start 
11.23 	and Early Head Start, and school-based early childhood provider, grouped by whether or 
11.24 	not the provider holds a credential or is accredited; and
11.25 	(iv) any other categories identified by the commissioner or entity performing the 
11.26 	evaluation.

11.27 	Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 124D.162, is amended to read:
11.28 	124D.162 KINDERGARTEN READINESS ASSESSMENT.
11.29 		Subdivision 1.Implementation. The commissioner of education may must implement 
11.30 	a kindergarten readiness assessment representative of incoming kindergartners to:
11.31 	(1) identify preparedness of a child for success in school;
12.1 	(2) inform instructional decision-making;
12.2 	(3) improve understanding of connections between kindergarten readiness and later 
12.3 	academic achievement; and
12.4 	(4) produce data that can assist in evaluation of the effectiveness of early childhood 
12.5 	programs.
12.6 		Subd. 2.Assessment development. (a) The measurement tools used for assessment 
12.7 	must be research based, developmentally appropriate, valid and reliable, aligned to the state 
12.8 	early childhood indicators of progress and kindergarten academic standards, and based on 
12.9 	the Department of Education Kindergarten Readiness Assessment at kindergarten entrance 
12.10 	study.
12.11 	(b) The commissioner must provide districts with a process for measuring on a 
12.12 	comparable basis the kindergarten readiness of incoming kindergartners.
12.13 		Subd. 3.Reporting. Districts that use the commissioner-provided process must annually 
12.14 	report kindergarten readiness results under this section to the department in the form and 
12.15 	manner determined by the commissioner. The commissioner must publicly report 
12.16 	kindergarten readiness results as part of the performance reports required under section 
12.17 	120B.36 and consistent with section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (a), clause (2).

12.18 	Sec. 8. EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION COORDINATION TASK FORCE.
 12.19 		Subdivision 1.Task force established. An Early Care and Education Coordination Task 
12.20 	Force is established to identify and examine methods to enhance administrative coordination 
12.21 	of the child care assistance programs under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 119B, and the early 
12.22 	learning scholarship program under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.165. The goal of the 
12.23 	task force is to identify ways to increase accountability and efficiency, reduce complexity 
12.24 	and fragmentation, and reduce burdens on both families and providers, through improved 
12.25 	coordination and program alignment.
12.26 		Subd. 2.Membership. The task force consists of the following members:
12.27 	(1) the commissioner of human services or a designee;
12.28 	(2) the commissioner of education or a designee;
12.29 	(3) a representative appointed by the council under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.141;
12.30 	(4) two early learning scholarship area administrators, of which one must be from outside 
12.31 	of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, appointed by the commissioner of education;
13.1 	(5) a representative of school districts and school district employees, appointed by the 
13.2 	commissioner of education;
13.3 	(6) two representatives from counties, of which one must be from outside of the Twin 
13.4 	Cities metropolitan area, appointed by the Association of Minnesota Counties;
13.5 	(7) a representative from a federally recognized tribe, appointed by the Indian Affairs 
13.6 	Council under Minnesota Statutes, section 3.922;
13.7 	(8) a representative from a Head Start program, appointed by the Minnesota Head Start 
13.8 	Association;
13.9 	(9) a representative from a licensed child care center, appointed by the commissioner 
13.10 	of human services;
13.11 	(10) a licensed family child care provider, appointed by the commissioner of human 
13.12 	services;
13.13 	(11) an individual from a family who receives or has recently received assistance under 
13.14 	the MFIP child care assistance program, appointed by the commissioner of human services;
13.15 	(12) an individual from a family who receives or has recently received assistance under 
13.16 	the basic sliding fee child care assistance program, appointed by the commissioner of human 
13.17 	services; and
13.18 	(13) an individual from a family in which a child has recently received an early learning 
13.19 	scholarship, appointed by the commissioner of education.
13.20 		Subd. 3.Task force duties. The task force must:
13.21 	(1) identify challenges and concerns among providers and among recipients of child 
13.22 	care assistance and early learning scholarships, and must be representative of perspectives 
13.23 	throughout the state and different racial, cultural, and ethnic groups;
13.24 	(2) review and evaluate changes to align child care assistance and early learning 
13.25 	scholarship program quality and administration, including eligibility, billing, payment, and 
13.26 	child and family identification;
13.27 	(3) analyze data sharing requirements and data privacy protections to meet task force 
13.28 	goals and recommendations;
13.29 	(4) develop recommendations for a consolidated universal application process;
13.30 	(5) review layering and duplication of funds;
13.31 	(6) identify barriers to coordination due to federal requirements;
14.1 	(7) develop preliminary estimates of costs and uses of funds for identified task force 
14.2 	options and recommendations;
14.3 	(8) provide recommendations to the Departments of Human Services and Education and 
14.4 	to the legislature; and
14.5 	(9) examine any other related program or policy changes that the task force identifies.
14.6 		Subd. 4.Administration. (a) Each appointing entity under subdivision 2 must make 
14.7 	appointments and notify the Department of Human Services by August 1, 2019.
14.8 	(b) The commissioner of human services or the commissioner's designee must convene 
14.9 	the initial meeting of the task force no later than September 1, 2019. At the initial meeting, 
14.10 	the members of the task force must elect a chair or cochairs from among its task force 
14.11 	members.
14.12 	(c) Upon request of the task force, the commissioners of human services and education 
14.13 	must provide data, information, meeting space, and administrative services, using existing 
14.14 	resources.
14.15 	(d) The task force may accept gifts and grants if accepted on behalf of the state and 
14.16 	constitute donations to the Department of Human Services. Funds received under this 
14.17 	paragraph are appropriated to the commissioner of human services for purposes of the task 
14.18 	force.
14.19 		Subd. 5.Legislative report. By February 15, 2020, the task force must submit a report 
14.20 	to the members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over early childhood, human 
14.21 	services, and education. At a minimum, the report must:
14.22 	(1) provide an overview of the current child care assistance and early learning scholarship 
14.23 	programs;
14.24 	(2) summarize the work of the task force and its findings;
14.25 	(3) identify any impending or completed administrative changes as a result of task force 
14.26 	recommendations; and
14.27 	(4) identify options or recommendations for other program changes, including but not 
14.28 	limited to proposed legislation.
14.29 		Subd. 6.Expiration. The task force under this section expires June 30, 2020.

14.30 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

15.1 	Sec. 9. APPROPRIATIONS.
 15.2 		Subdivision 1.Department of Education. The sums indicated in this section are 
15.3 	appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education for the fiscal years 
15.4 	designated. For appropriations under this section, any balance in the first year does not 
15.5 	cancel but is available in the second year.
15.6 		Subd. 2.Quality rating and improvement system. (a) For transfer to the commissioner 
15.7 	of human services for the purposes of the quality rating and improvement system under 
15.8 	Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.142, including expanding the system, increasing provider 
15.9 	supports, and system evaluation:

15.10		$
	.......
	.....
	2020
	
15.11		$
	.......
	.....
	2021
	
15.12 	(b) The amounts in paragraph (a) are in addition to any federal funding under the child 
15.13 	care and development block grant authorized under Public Law 101-508 in that year for the 
15.14 	system under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.142.
15.15 		Subd. 3.Kindergarten assessment. For the kindergarten assessment program under 
15.16 	Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.162:

15.17		$
	.......
	.....
	2020
	
15.18		$
	.......
	.....
	2021
	
15.19 		Subd. 4.Universal identifier. For implementation of a universal identifier system under 
15.20 	Minnesota Statutes, section 119A.70:

15.21		$
	.......
	.....
	2020
	
15.22		$
	.......
	.....
	2021
	
15.23 		Subd. 5.Early Care and Education Coordination Task Force. (a) For the Early Care 
15.24 	and Education Coordination Task Force under section 8:

15.25		$
	.......
	.....
	2020
	
15.26 	(b) This is a onetime appropriation.