1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; establishing a 
  1.3             demonstration project for grants to be used for 
  1.4             children with autism to purchase behavioral therapy 
  1.5             services. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [DEMONSTRATION PROJECT ON THE TREATMENT OF 
  1.8   AUTISM.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] The commissioner of human 
  1.10  services shall establish a demonstration project to permit 
  1.11  eligible participants the option of receiving a grant to be used 
  1.12  to provide behavioral therapy services to a child with autism.  
  1.13  This option shall be available for a period of three years.  If 
  1.14  an eligible participant chooses this option, these services must 
  1.15  take the place of any personal care services that the child is 
  1.16  eligible to receive through the medical assistance program for 
  1.17  the three-year period.  The amount of the grant shall be based 
  1.18  on the nonfederal dollars expended on the eligible participants 
  1.19  for personal care services through the medical assistance 
  1.20  program for the three-year period. 
  1.21     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY.] Families of children who have been 
  1.22  diagnosed with autism are eligible for medical assistance as 
  1.23  determined under Minnesota Statutes, sections 256B.055 and 
  1.24  256B.056, and those families who have been assigned a county 
  1.25  case manager are eligible to participate in the demonstration 
  2.1   project. 
  2.2      Subd. 3.  [APPROVAL.] The behavioral therapy services 
  2.3   purchased through the use of a grant must be approved as part of 
  2.4   the child's individual service plan, individual family service 
  2.5   plan, or individual educational plan.  Eligible participants 
  2.6   must spend the grant money for the direct cost of providing 
  2.7   behavioral therapy services in a manner consistent with the 
  2.8   child's service or educational plan.  
  2.9      Subd. 4.  [EVALUATION.] The commissioner shall evaluate the 
  2.10  results of the project to determine whether the level of 
  2.11  development improved in the children receiving behavioral 
  2.12  therapy services.  The commissioner shall report the results of 
  2.13  this evaluation to the legislature.