SF 4559

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 05/05/2020 07:40am

A bill for an act
relating to human services; establishing a Human Services Transformation
Commission; requiring reports; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin FINDINGS.
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new text begin The legislature finds that it is necessary to reform the Department of Human Services.
The legislature finds that a Human Services Transformation Commission should be
established to recommend changes to Minnesota's human services delivery system. It is
necessary to redesign and transform human service programs in Minnesota to:
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new text begin (1) promote better outcomes for Minnesotans;
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new text begin (2) improve the department's program efficiencies and reduce expenditures;
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new text begin (3) increase the department's administrative efficiencies and promote program
simplification;
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new text begin (4) improve the department's partnership with counties, tribes, and private entities that
provide services to residents;
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new text begin (5) create the department's capacity to govern complex service delivery networks;
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new text begin (6) modernize the department's data collection and data sharing agreements with counties
and provider partners.
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Sec. 2. new text begin HUMAN SERVICES TRANSFORMATION COMMISSION.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Membership; compensation; chair. new text end

new text begin (a) The Human Services
Transformation Commission consists of 14 members:
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new text begin (1) eight members appointed by the governor, two of whom must be current Minnesota
county commissioners with leadership experience in health and human service programming,
one of whom must be a current county human services administrator, one of whom is selected
to represent Minnesota tribal nations, two of whom must be business leaders with experience
in health and human services program design, and two of whom must have experience
managing large business enterprises that deliver health and human services programming;
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new text begin (2) three members appointed by the senate majority leader; and
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new text begin (3) three members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
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new text begin (b) The senate majority leader and speaker of the house must appoint individuals with
experience in health and human service programming, technology reform, and complex
business enterprises. Appointees must not be current legislators or state agency heads.
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new text begin (c) The commission shall select two members as cochairs.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Administrative and research support; ex officio membership. new text end

new text begin The
commissioners of human services and health, or their designees, shall serve as ex officio
members of the commission. The commissioner of human services and other state agency
heads, as requested by the commission, shall provide access to subject matter experts; any
data requested by the commission consistent with federal and state data practice laws,
including data that can be anonymized to allow for it to be shared; and analytical support,
to facilitate the work of the commission.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Staff; office space; equipment. new text end

new text begin The commission shall select a director to serve
as the chief administrative officer of the commission. The director may hire advisors,
consultants, and employees, as authorized by the commission, and prescribe their duties.
Employees shall be state employees serving in the unclassified service. The commissioner
of administration shall provide to the commission office space and access to office equipment
and administrative services.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Duties. new text end

new text begin (a) By April 1, 2021, the Human Services Transformation Commission
shall complete an assessment of Minnesota's current human services delivery system,
including a description and evaluation of the effectiveness of the system. The final assessment
should include a comparison of how the overall design of Minnesota's human service delivery
system compares to that of other states, as well as an assessment of Minnesota's response
to the COVID-19 pandemic. The commission may include recommendations for initial
enhancements, cost savings measures, structural reforms, or other changes by policymakers,
the Department of Health and Human Services, external consultants, counties or others.
new text end

new text begin (b) By December 1, 2021, the Human Services Transformation Commission shall
recommend how to change, modernize and transform Minnesota's human service program
delivery system to effectively meet the needs of Minnesotans for the next 20 years. In
developing these recommendations, the commission shall:
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new text begin (1) consider the advice and recommendations provided by the Human Services Redesign
Advisors established under subdivision 6;
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new text begin (2) consider the work of previous commissions, the Department of Human Services
integrated services business model and other systems transformation work conducted by
the department and the legislative auditor;
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new text begin (3) describe how the commission's recommendations will improve outcomes, increase
administrative efficiencies, simplify health and human service program delivery, and improve
processes, and innovate technology; and
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new text begin (4) describe how the recommendations will eliminate conflicting and duplicative roles
and responsibilities among state agencies, counties, and tribes.
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new text begin (c) By October 1, 2022, the Human Services Transformation Commission shall revise
its preliminary recommendations based on responses from policymakers and stakeholders,
and develop and present to the legislature and governor an action plan and timeline for
transforming Minnesota's human service system that includes but is not limited to
implementation of revised state agency structures; redesign of technology systems and the
coordination of relevant state agencies to ensure effective implementation of technology
solutions; realignment of roles, responsibilities, and functions for overseeing, administering,
and directly providing human services; and realignment of financial responsibility and
accountability for paying for the costs of programs. This report must provide:
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new text begin (1) an outline of implementation timelines and costs;
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new text begin (2) principles and expectations for routine user testing of human services technology
systems by program participants such as the counties, tribes, and private provider partners;
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new text begin (3) proposed law changes;
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new text begin (4) a set of milestones to track the progress of implementation; and
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new text begin (5) criteria for evaluating the success of implementation.
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new text begin (d) By January 15, 2023, the Human Services Transformation Commission shall develop
and present to the governor and legislature recommendations on whether the work of the
commission should continue and, if recommended to do so, a description of what the
additional work of the commission would include.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Research. new text end

new text begin The commission may contract with the University of Minnesota to
conduct a comprehensive study of human service programs in Minnesota.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Human Services Redesign Advisory Council. new text end

new text begin (a) The Human Services
Redesign Advisory Council shall consist of 17 members:
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new text begin (1) nine members shall be appointed by the governor, including three county human
service administrators, two persons representing tribal nations, and four persons who
participate in state human services programs;
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new text begin (2) four members shall be appointed by the senate, two by the senate majority leader
and two by the senate minority leader; and
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new text begin (3) four members by the house of representatives, two by the speaker of the house and
two by the minority leader.
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new text begin (b) The appointees shall represent a constituency served by federal, state, or local human
services programs or entities that deliver human services in Minnesota.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Council duties. new text end

new text begin The advisory council has lead responsibility for:
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new text begin (1) determining the structure of the existing Minnesota human service delivery system,
including the financial accountabilities of existing human service programs assigned to the
Department of Human Services and the role of the department, other state agencies, counties,
tribes, health care providers, mental health and social service providers, and the federal
government in providing and paying for those services;
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new text begin (2) articulating current human service program design, service delivery systems, program
implementation and program design, culture, and service delivery system factors that
contribute to outcome disparities;
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new text begin (3) analyzing and describing the key trends impacting the delivery of human services,
including the influence of demographic, social, cultural, financial capacity, mobility, or
other trends, and advice on how the commission should think about those trends when
developing recommendations to the legislature and the governor;
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new text begin (4) identifying technology enhancements that program participants believe would
streamline and improve human service program delivery and outcomes; and
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new text begin (5) providing the commission, by March 1, 2021, a report summarizing the results of
the work completed under clauses (1) to (4).
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new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin In addition to the required reports above, the commission shall report
by January 1, 2021, and every other year thereafter, on its use of appropriated and donated
resources and an outline of its proposed work for the following two years.
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Sec. 3. new text begin COMMISSION RESOURCES; APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Contributions. new text end

new text begin The commission is authorized to receive cash and in-kind
contributions from public and nonpublic foundations, higher education institutions, or others
to support the costs related to research, analysis, meeting facilitation, redesign, and
development of reforms to the state's human service delivery system. Funds contributed for
this purpose are appropriated to the commission and are not contingent upon any
consideration.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Appropriations. new text end

new text begin $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2021 from the general
fund to the Human Service Transformation Commission for the purposes of section 2 and
is available until June 30, 2023.
new text end