Minnesota Session Laws - 2000, Regular Session

                            CHAPTER 429-H.F.No. 2671 
                  An act relating to human services; excluding certain 
                  earned income from income for the purposes of 
                  assistance; mental retardation protection; requiring 
                  legislative recommendations. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  [INCOME EXCLUSION OR DISREGARD.] 
           (a) The earned income that a temporary census employee for 
        the 2000 census receives from the United States Census Bureau is 
        excluded from income under Minnesota Statutes, sections 
        256B.056, subdivision 4; 256D.03, subdivision 3; 256J.21, 
        subdivision 2; and 256L.01, subdivision 5, and disregarded as 
        income under Minnesota Statutes, sections 256D.06, subdivision 
        1; and 256D.435, subdivision 5. 
           (b) An income exclusion or disregard under paragraph (a) 
        applies to a person receiving benefits on or before March 1, 
        2000, under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256B, 256J, or 256L, or 
        sections 256D.03, subdivision 3, 256D.06, or 256D.33 to 256D.54. 
           Sec. 2.  [RECOMMENDATIONS ON TRANSFERRING PUBLIC 
        GUARDIANSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES.] 
           The commissioner of human services, in consultation with 
        representatives of interested groups, including family members, 
        advocacy organizations, counties, service providers, the office 
        of the ombudsman for mental health and mental retardation, and 
        others, must develop specific legislative recommendations on 
        transferring public guardianship responsibilities and related 
        duties and authority under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 252A, 
        from the commissioner of human services and counties to another 
        entity that can independently and responsibly fulfill the 
        guardianship and related obligations.  To be eligible to perform 
        these transferred duties, an entity must either be a 
        multi-purpose agency that provides a broad range of social 
        services or a new or existing office within state government 
        that does not currently have operational or financial duties 
        under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 252A, and it must provide 
        assurances that it will act in the best interests of each ward 
        or conservatee, per Minnesota Statutes, section 525.539, 
        subdivision 7.  The legislative recommendations, including cost 
        estimates, shall be provided to the chairs of the house of 
        representatives health and human services policy committee and 
        the senate health and family security policy committee by 
        December 15, 2000.  
           Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
           Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day following final 
        enactment. 
           Presented to the governor April 17, 2000 
           Signed by the governor April 20, 2000, 10:25 a.m.