1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; establishing a legislative task force on family foster 
1.3 	care and adoption; requiring a report; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. FAMILY FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION LEGISLATIVE TASK 
1.6 	FORCE.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Establishment; duties. The Family Foster Care and Adoption Legislative 
1.8 	Task Force is established to evaluate and make recommendations on improving foster care 
1.9 	licensing and adoption or kinship placement processes and ensuring that children with severe 
1.10 	disabilities have necessary specialized care in out-of-home placements. The task force must 
1.11 	evaluate and make recommendations on:
1.12 	(1) establishing required timelines under which agencies must complete foster care 
1.13 	licensing steps, adoption studies, and medical disclosures to prospective foster and kinship 
1.14 	caregivers and adoptive parents;
1.15 	(2) providing specialized case managers with relevant experience and expertise to 
1.16 	represent the interests of children in out-of-home placement who are medically fragile or 
1.17 	who have severe disabilities;
1.18 	(3) ensuring that foster caregivers with whom a child with severe disabilities is placed 
1.19 	receive additional support and training on caring for children with severe disabilities; and
1.20 	(4) providing additional channels through which prospective foster care licensees and 
1.21 	kinship or adoptive parents may express concerns or submit complaints about foster care 
2.1 	licensing, out-of-home placement or adoptive placement procedures, and child safety in an 
2.2 	out-of-home placement.
2.3 		Subd. 2.Membership. (a) The task force shall consist of the following 18 members:
2.4 	(1) two members from the house of representatives, including one appointed by the 
2.5 	speaker of the house of representatives and one appointed by the minority leader in the 
2.6 	house of representatives;
2.7 	(2) two members from the senate, including one appointed by the senate majority leader 
2.8 	and one appointed by the senate minority leader;
2.9 	(3) the commissioner of human services or the commissioner's designee;
2.10 	(4) one ombudsperson appointed by the Minnesota Office of Ombudsperson for Families;
2.11 	(5) two members representing county social services agencies, appointed by the 
2.12 	Minnesota Association of County Social Service Administrators;
2.13 	(6) two members representing tribal social services providers, appointed by the Minnesota 
2.14 	Indian Affairs Council;
2.15 	(7) two members of the public who are currently prospective adoptive parents or who 
2.16 	have adopted a child from foster care, one appointed by the speaker of the house of 
2.17 	representatives, and one appointed by the senate majority leader;
2.18 	(8) two members of the public who are family foster care license holders, one appointed 
2.19 	by the speaker of the house of representatives, and one appointed by the senate majority 
2.20 	leader;
2.21 	(9) two members representing disability advocacy organizations, one appointed by the 
2.22 	speaker of the house of representatives, and one appointed by the senate majority leader; 
2.23 	and
2.24 	(10) two members representing organizations that advocate for children in out-of-home 
2.25 	placement, one appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, and one appointed 
2.26 	by the senate majority leader.
2.27 	(b) Appointments to the task force must be made no later than August 1, 2021.
2.28 	(c) Member compensation and reimbursement for expenses are governed by Minnesota 
2.29 	Statutes, section 15.059, subdivision 3.
2.30 		Subd. 3.Chair; meetings. (a) The first meeting of the task force shall be cochaired by 
2.31 	the task force member from the majority party of the house of representatives and the task 
3.1 	force member from the majority party of the senate. The Legislative Coordinating 
3.2 	Commission must convene the first meeting of the task force no later than August 15, 2021. 
3.3 	The task force shall elect a chair and vice chair at the first meeting who shall preside at the 
3.4 	remainder of the task force meetings, and may elect other officers as necessary.
3.5 	(b) The task force is subject to the open meeting law under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 
3.6 	13D.
3.7 		Subd. 4.Administrative support. The Legislative Coordinating Commission must 
3.8 	provide administrative support and meeting space for the task force.
3.9 		Subd. 5.Report. No later than January 1, 2023, the task force must submit a written 
3.10 	report to the members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over human services 
3.11 	on the task force's evaluation conducted and recommendations developed relating to each 
3.12 	of the duties under subdivision 1, and include any draft legislation necessary to implement 
3.13 	the recommendations.
3.14 		Subd. 6.Expiration. The task force shall expire upon submission of the report required 
3.15 	under subdivision 5, or January 1, 2023, whichever is later.

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

3.17 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; FAMILY FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION 
3.18 	LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE.
 3.19 	$....... in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the general fund to the Legislative 
3.20 	Coordinating Commission for the Family Foster Care and Adoption Legislative Task Force. 
3.21 	This is a onetime appropriation.

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