SF 4704

1st Engrossment - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/26/2024 10:21am

A bill for an act
relating to housing; implementing recommendations of the Workgroup on
Expediting Rental Assistance for improving application approval times for the
family homelessness prevention and assistance program, the emergency assistance
program, and emergency general assistance; requiring reports; proposing coding
for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 462A.

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

ARTICLE 1

HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

Section 1.

new text begin [462A.2096] ANNUAL PROJECTION OF EMERGENCY RENTAL
ASSISTANCE NEEDS.
new text end

new text begin The agency must develop a projection of emergency rental assistance needs in
consultation with the commissioner of human services and representatives from county and
Tribal housing administrators and housing nonprofit agencies. The projection must identify
the amount of funding required to meet all emergency rental assistance needs, including
the family homelessness prevention and assistance program, the emergency assistance
program, and emergency general assistance. By January 15 each year, the commissioner
must submit a report on the projected need for emergency rental assistance to the chairs and
ranking minority members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over housing
and human services finance and policy.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin DATA COLLECTION TO MEASURE TIMELINESS OF RENTAL
ASSISTANCE.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency must work with the
commissioner of human services to develop criteria for measuring the timeliness of
processing applications for rental assistance. The commissioner of the Minnesota Housing
Finance Agency must collect data to monitor application speeds of the family homelessness
prevention and assistance program and use the collected data to inform improvements to
application processing systems. By January 15, 2027, the commissioner of the Minnesota
Housing Finance Agency must submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members
of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over housing finance and policy. The report
must include analysis of the data collected and whether goals have been met to (1) process
an emergency rental assistance application within two weeks of the receipt of a complete
application, and (2) if approved, make payment to a landlord within 30 days of the receipt
of a complete application.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin E-SIGNATURE OPTIONS FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, working with the
commissioner of human services shall develop uniform e-signature options to be used in
applications for the family homelessness prevention and assistance program. No later than
June 30, 2026, the commissioner shall require administrators of the family homelessness
prevention and assistance program to incorporate and implement the developed e-signature
options. The commissioner must notify the chairs and ranking minority members of the
legislative committees with jurisdiction over housing of the date when the e-signature options
are implemented.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin VERIFICATION PROCEDURES FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, working with program
administrators, must develop recommendations to simplify the process of verifying
information in applications for the family homelessness prevention and assistance program.
In developing recommendations, the commissioner must consider:
new text end

new text begin (1) allowing self-attestation of emergencies, assets, and income;
new text end

new text begin (2) allowing verbal authorization by applicants to allow emergency rental assistance
administrators to communicate with landlords and utility providers regarding applications
for assistance; and
new text end

new text begin (3) allowing landlords to apply for emergency rental assistance on tenants' behalf.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner must:
new text end

new text begin (1) prepare recommendations by January 1, 2025;
new text end

new text begin (2) adopt any recommendations by July 1, 2025; and
new text end

new text begin (3) provide technical assistance to counties, Tribes, and other emergency rental assistance
administrators to implement these recommendations.
new text end

new text begin (c) By January 13, 2025, the commissioner must report to the chairs and ranking minority
members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over housing detailing the proposed
recommendations required by this section. By July 7, 2025, the commissioner must report
to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction
over housing detailing the recommendations adopted as required by this section.
new text end

ARTICLE 2

HUMAN SERVICES

Section 1. new text begin DATA COLLECTION TO MEASURE TIMELINESS OF RENTAL
ASSISTANCE.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of human services must work with the commissioner of the Minnesota
Housing Finance Agency to develop criteria for measuring the timeliness of processing
applications for rental assistance. The commissioner of human services must collect data
to monitor application speeds for emergency assistance and emergency general assistance,
and use the collected data to inform improvements to application processing systems. By
January 15, 2027, the commissioner of human services must submit a report to the chairs
and ranking minority members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over human
services finance and policy. The report must include analysis of the data collected and
whether goals have been met to (1) process an emergency rental assistance application
within two weeks of the receipt of a complete application, and (2) if approved, make payment
to a landlord within 30 days of the receipt of a complete application.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin DIRECTION TO COMMISSIONER OF HUMAN SERVICES; MAXIS
MODIFICATIONS.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of human services must make modifications to the MAXIS system
to ensure it has greater flexibility in issuing assistance payments while maintaining controls
to monitor and prevent inaccurate, unnecessary, or fraudulent payments. The commissioner
must identify gaps and plan modifications as needed to fulfill the stated goals in this act.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM MODIFICATIONS.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of human services, in consultation with the commissioner of the
Minnesota Housing Finance Agency must develop program recommendations for emergency
rental assistance that have the flexibility to provide relief for crises within a time frame that
corresponds to the emergency and that are simple enough for applicants to understand across
all emergency rental assistance programs. In the development of these recommendations,
the commissioners must:
new text end

new text begin (1) recognize differences between administrative and legislative authority and propose
legislative changes to the definition of emergency general assistance;
new text end

new text begin (2) adopt policies and practices that prioritize comprehensible eligibility criteria and
definitions that prioritize accessible, humanizing approaches when assisting persons through
a crisis; and
new text end

new text begin (3) develop guidance for emergency rental assistance program administrators that
encourage the program administrators to be flexible with the required forms of documentation
for the program and to avoid establishing documentation requirements that are likely to be
barriers to participation in emergency rental assistance by eligible households.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin E-SIGNATURE OPTIONS FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of human services, working with the commissioner of the Minnesota
Housing Finance Agency shall develop uniform e-signature options to be used in applications
for emergency general assistance and emergency assistance. No later than June 30, 2026,
the commissioner shall require administrators of emergency general assistance and emergency
assistance to incorporate and implement the developed e-signature options. The commissioner
must notify the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with
jurisdiction over human services of the date when the e-signature options are implemented.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin PROMOTING ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR PROCESSING EMERGENCY
ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of human services, in consultation with county and Tribal human
services agencies, the Minnesota Association of County Social Services Administrators,
the Minnesota Tribal Collaborative, and other stakeholders shall identify and evaluate
strategies to promote adequate funding for processing emergency rental assistance
applications. The commissioner shall:
new text end

new text begin (1) evaluate state and federal reimbursement for administrative support staff;
new text end

new text begin (2) determine adequate compensation for processors based on objective data such as
market studies or livable wage markers;
new text end

new text begin (3) determine if state funding increases are necessary to process emergency rental
assistance applications in a timely manner; and
new text end

new text begin (4) establish a process to determine an equitable funding formula that is adjustable as
needed.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner shall report the results of the evaluation of funding for processing
emergency assistance applications and any related recommendations to the chairs and
ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over emergency
assistance by January 1, 2026. The report must also include any draft legislation necessary
to implement the recommendations.
new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin VERIFICATION PROCEDURES FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of human services shall consult with local officials to develop
recommendations aimed at simplifying the process of verifying the information in
applications for emergency general assistance and emergency assistance. In developing
recommendations, the commissioner must consider:
new text end

new text begin (1) allowing self-attestation of emergencies, assets, and income;
new text end

new text begin (2) allowing verbal authorization by applicants to allow emergency rental assistance
administrators to communicate with landlords and utility providers regarding applications
for assistance; and
new text end

new text begin (3) allowing landlords to apply for emergency rental assistance on tenants' behalf.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner must:
new text end

new text begin (1) prepare recommendations by January 1, 2025;
new text end

new text begin (2) adopt any recommendations by July 1, 2025; and
new text end

new text begin (3) provide technical assistance to counties, Tribes, and other emergency rental assistance
administrators to implement these recommendations.
new text end

new text begin (c) By January 13, 2025, the commissioner must report to the chairs and ranking minority
members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over human services detailing the
proposed recommendations required by this section. By July 7, 2025, the commissioner
must report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with
jurisdiction over human services detailing the recommendations adopted as required by this
section.
new text end