1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to children; requiring the commissioner of 
  1.3             human services to convene an advisory task force to 
  1.4             study foster care, adoption assistance, and relative 
  1.5             custody assistance. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON FOSTER CARE, ADOPTION 
  1.8   ASSISTANCE, AND RELATIVE CUSTODY ASSISTANCE.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [ADVISORY TASK FORCE ESTABLISHED.] (a) The 
  1.10  commissioner of human services must convene an advisory task 
  1.11  force to study foster care and the adoption assistance and 
  1.12  relative custody assistance programs.  The advisory task force 
  1.13  must study and make findings and recommendations regarding the 
  1.14  following: 
  1.15     (1) the funding systems and payment rates for foster care, 
  1.16  adoption assistance, and relative custody assistance; 
  1.17     (2) how the state's funding systems and payment rates for 
  1.18  foster care, adoption assistance, and relative custody 
  1.19  assistance compare to other states, particularly states that 
  1.20  border Minnesota; 
  1.21     (3) the trends regarding the number and characteristics of 
  1.22  children in placement in foster care, adoptive, and relative 
  1.23  homes, and the outcomes of those placements, including 
  1.24  differences in future employment and use of social services by 
  1.25  children who are adopted and children who age out of the foster 
  2.1   care system; 
  2.2      (4) how the funding systems and payment rates for foster 
  2.3   care, adoption assistance, and relative custody assistance 
  2.4   affect and influence placement decisions and outcomes for 
  2.5   children; 
  2.6      (5) how past changes to federal and state statutes, rules, 
  2.7   and funding systems regarding foster care, adoption assistance, 
  2.8   and relative custody assistance have affected the number of 
  2.9   children served by the programs, placement decisions, and 
  2.10  outcomes for children; 
  2.11     (6) how the foster care, adoption assistance, and relative 
  2.12  custody assistance programs, including the funding systems and 
  2.13  payment rates for the programs, could be changed to improve 
  2.14  outcomes for children; and 
  2.15     (7) how any savings, including potential savings in foster 
  2.16  care costs, court costs, and other social services costs, which 
  2.17  occur when a child is placed in an adoptive home or relative's 
  2.18  home rather than in a foster home, compare to the costs of 
  2.19  increasing the payment rates for the adoption assistance and 
  2.20  relative custody assistance programs. 
  2.21     (b) The advisory task force must include members 
  2.22  representing foster care providers, adoptive parents, parents 
  2.23  who receive relative custody assistance, parents with special 
  2.24  needs children, parents who care for sibling groups, social 
  2.25  service agencies and adoption agencies, counties, child 
  2.26  advocates, private attorneys experienced in the area of 
  2.27  adoption, and other interested parties, as determined by the 
  2.28  commissioner of human services. 
  2.29     (c) The advisory task force is governed by Minnesota 
  2.30  Statutes, section 15.059, subdivision 6, except that the task 
  2.31  force expires January 15, 2003. 
  2.32     Subd. 2.  [REPORT REQUIRED.] By January 15, 2003, the 
  2.33  commissioner of human services must report to the chairs and 
  2.34  ranking minority members of the senate and house committees 
  2.35  having jurisdiction over issues relating to human services on 
  2.36  the findings and recommendations of the advisory task force.