1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to welfare reform in the program of aid to 
  1.3             families with dependent children; authorizing a 
  1.4             program of wage subsidies; establishing pilot programs 
  1.5             with bonuses and sanctions to encourage education and 
  1.6             preventive health care; proposing coding for new law 
  1.7             in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [256.7395] [JOBS OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [STATE AGENCY PLAN.] The commissioner of 
  1.11  human services, in collaboration with the commissioners of 
  1.12  economic security and trade and economic development, shall 
  1.13  design a JOBS opportunity program for the purpose of moving AFDC 
  1.14  clients into the work force.  The commissioners shall complete 
  1.15  the project planning no later than October 30, 1996. 
  1.16     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS.] Caretakers in AFDC 
  1.17  households in the seven-county metropolitan area who have been 
  1.18  on assistance for at least six months and who are not enrolled 
  1.19  in the Minnesota family investment plan shall be eligible to 
  1.20  participate in the JOBS opportunity program.  Participants shall 
  1.21  be selected on a random basis from among eligible recipients and 
  1.22  if selected shall be required to participate, unless exempt from 
  1.23  registration under section 256.736, subdivision 3. 
  1.24     Subd. 3.  [PROGRAM DESIGN.] The commissioners of human 
  1.25  services and economic security shall collaborate with the social 
  1.26  service agencies in the designated metropolitan counties to 
  2.1   design employment and training services, and to develop 
  2.2   employment slots with public and private employers, for AFDC 
  2.3   recipients placed through the JOBS opportunity program.  The 
  2.4   commissioners of human services and economic security shall 
  2.5   contract with employers to deliver wage subsidies on behalf of 
  2.6   AFDC recipients.  The maximum monthly subsidy to be paid by the 
  2.7   state to an employer, on behalf of any AFDC recipient, shall be 
  2.8   the amount of assistance for which the recipient's household 
  2.9   would otherwise be eligible under sections 256.72 to 256.879.  
  2.10  Recipients must work a minimum number of hours, which shall be 
  2.11  the AFDC grant amount divided by the large employer minimum wage 
  2.12  under section 177.24, subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (1). 
  2.13  The wage to be paid to the recipient by the employer for the 
  2.14  minimum number of hours of work required by this subdivision 
  2.15  shall be the large employer minimum wage plus $2 per hour.  For 
  2.16  any hours worked beyond the minimum number of required hours, 
  2.17  the employer shall not be required to pay more than the minimum 
  2.18  wage established by law.  
  2.19     Subd. 4.  [BENEFITS.] AFDC recipients participating in the 
  2.20  JOBS opportunity program shall be eligible for medical 
  2.21  assistance and child care assistance, including transition year 
  2.22  child care assistance and extended medical assistance, in the 
  2.23  same manner as other AFDC recipients.  Participants shall not be 
  2.24  considered employees for purposes of unemployment compensation, 
  2.25  workers' compensation, retirement, or civil service status.  
  2.26  Claims for workers' compensation shall be handled as provided in 
  2.27  section 256.737, subdivision 7. 
  2.28     Subd. 5.  [TIME LIMIT ON ELIGIBILITY.] Individuals selected 
  2.29  for the JOBS opportunity program may participate for a maximum 
  2.30  number of months which shall be twice the number of months that 
  2.31  the household has been on AFDC, but in no event more than 24 
  2.32  months. 
  2.33     Subd. 6.  [SANCTIONS.] Caretakers who refuse an offer of 
  2.34  employment, or are fired from a JOBS opportunity employment slot 
  2.35  for cause, shall be sanctioned as provided in section 256.736, 
  2.36  subdivision 4. 
  3.1      Sec. 2.  [256.7396] [BONUS FOR SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.] 
  3.2      Subdivision 1.  [WAIVER.] The commissioner of human 
  3.3   services in collaboration with the commissioner of children, 
  3.4   families, and learning shall, using federal waivers if 
  3.5   necessary, establish a pilot program in one or more counties 
  3.6   selected by the commissioners to provide bonuses and sanctions 
  3.7   according to this section to encourage teenagers under the age 
  3.8   of 20 who are receiving AFDC to receive a high school diploma or 
  3.9   equivalency degree.  
  3.10     Subd. 2.  [MANDATORY PARTICIPANTS.] In counties selected 
  3.11  for participation in the pilot program, any of the following 
  3.12  individuals who do not have a high school diploma or an 
  3.13  equivalency degree and are not exempt under subdivision 3 shall 
  3.14  be required to participate in the program:  
  3.15     (1) teenagers who are receiving assistance as part of an 
  3.16  AFDC household; and 
  3.17     (2) all custodial parents under the age of 20 who are 
  3.18  receiving AFDC benefits. 
  3.19     Subd. 3.  [EXEMPTIONS.] Teenagers are exempt from mandatory 
  3.20  participation in the pilot program when any of the following 
  3.21  circumstances apply: 
  3.22     (1) the teenager is pregnant and the pregnancy is in the 
  3.23  third month or later; 
  3.24     (2) the teenager is the primary caregiver of a child who is 
  3.25  less than three months old; 
  3.26     (3) the child care needed by the teenager to attend school 
  3.27  is not available; 
  3.28     (4) the teenager or the teenager's child has an illness 
  3.29  that is expected to last one month or longer; or 
  3.30     (5) in the opinion of the county social worker, there are 
  3.31  exceptional circumstances which make participation impossible. 
  3.32     Subd. 4.  [ASSESSMENT.] All teenagers required to 
  3.33  participate under subdivision 2 must attend an assessment 
  3.34  interview.  If the teenager misses two scheduled assessments 
  3.35  without good reason, the family will lose $65 of the family's 
  3.36  AFDC grant for each month the teenager fails to complete the 
  4.1   required assessment. 
  4.2      Subd. 5.  [SCHOOL ATTENDANCE REQUIRED; BONUS; SANCTION.] (a)
  4.3   All teenagers participating in the pilot program are required to 
  4.4   attend a school or education program leading to a high school 
  4.5   diploma or equivalent according to a plan developed during the 
  4.6   assessment interview. 
  4.7      (b) All teenagers attending a regular high school or GED 
  4.8   program under an education plan are eligible for an additional 
  4.9   $65 for every month in which they have two or fewer unexcused 
  4.10  absences and no more than four total absences. 
  4.11     (c) If a teenager has more than two unexcused absences in a 
  4.12  month, the family AFDC grant is reduced by $65. 
  4.13     (d) If a teenager has two or fewer unexcused absences but 
  4.14  more than four total absences, there is no bonus paid and no 
  4.15  sanctions imposed. 
  4.16     Subd. 6.  [EXCUSED ABSENCES.] Absence from school shall be 
  4.17  excused in the following circumstances: 
  4.18     (1) the teenager or the teenager's child was ill, injured, 
  4.19  or incapacitated; 
  4.20     (2) the teenager's normal child care arrangement was 
  4.21  unavailable and no alternative was available; 
  4.22     (3) the teenager's normal transportation to school or child 
  4.23  care was unavailable and no alternative was available; 
  4.24     (4) the teenager or the teenager's child had a scheduled or 
  4.25  emergency appointment for medical, dental, or vision care; 
  4.26     (5) the teenager was needed to care for an ill family 
  4.27  member; 
  4.28     (6) a member of the teenager's family died; 
  4.29     (7) the teenager had a scheduled or emergency appointment 
  4.30  at a court or social services agency; or 
  4.31     (8) other exceptional circumstances. 
  4.32     In addition, absences caused by an illness or injury of the 
  4.33  teenager or the teenager's child are not counted if verified by 
  4.34  a physician's statement.  The determination of whether or not an 
  4.35  absence is excused shall be made by the local school 
  4.36  administrator. 
  5.1      Subd. 7.  [SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDED.] Teenagers 
  5.2   participating in the project are entitled to child care as 
  5.3   necessary to attend school.  They must also be provided with 
  5.4   transportation assistance for this purpose.  Each teenager shall 
  5.5   be assigned to a case manager, who is responsible for helping 
  5.6   the teenager remove barriers to school attendance. 
  5.7      Subd. 8.  [TRANSFER OF ATTENDANCE DATA.] Notwithstanding 
  5.8   the requirements of section 13.32, the commissioners of 
  5.9   children, families, and learning and human services shall 
  5.10  develop procedures to implement the transmittal of data on 
  5.11  necessary student attendance to county social services agencies 
  5.12  to implement the program authorized by this section. 
  5.13     Sec. 3.  [256.7397] [PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE PROGRAM.] 
  5.14     Subdivision 1.  [PLANNING.] The commissioners of human 
  5.15  services and health shall design a preventive health care pilot 
  5.16  project in accordance with this section to be implemented as 
  5.17  part of the AFDC program.  The pilot program design shall 
  5.18  include a counseling component and outcome indicators to measure 
  5.19  the effectiveness of the program. 
  5.20     Subd. 2.  [BONUS FOR PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE.] (a) Families 
  5.21  selected for the pilot project shall be required to do the 
  5.22  following: 
  5.23     (1) ensure that all preschool children in the recipient 
  5.24  unit are screened using the EPSDT [Early Periodic Screening 
  5.25  Diagnosis and Treatment] program screening schedule; 
  5.26     (2) ensure that school-aged children and all adults in the 
  5.27  recipient unit receive annual preventive health visits; and 
  5.28     (3) ensure regular prenatal visits by pregnant recipients. 
  5.29     (b) Families who meet the requirements of this subdivision 
  5.30  will be entitled to an additional allowance in the following 
  5.31  amounts: 
  5.32     (1) for each well-baby and well-child checkup prescribed 
  5.33  under the EPSDT screening schedule, an additional $14 per visit; 
  5.34     (2) $20 annually for each adult and school-aged child who 
  5.35  receives an annual checkup; and 
  5.36     (3) a $14 monthly increase in benefits during pregnancy for 
  6.1   AFDC recipients who follow the prescribed schedule of prenatal 
  6.2   visits. 
  6.3      Subd. 3.  [SANCTIONS.] (a) Recipient families who fail to 
  6.4   meet the requirements of subdivision 2 are subject to the 
  6.5   following sanctions: 
  6.6      (1) an annual disallowance of $25 for each child subject to 
  6.7   the EPSDT schedule who fails to receive the required checkups; 
  6.8      (2) an annual disallowance of $20 for each adult and 
  6.9   school-aged child not receiving an annual checkup; and 
  6.10     (3) no increase in benefits for pregnant AFDC recipients 
  6.11  who fail to follow the prescribed schedule of prenatal visits. 
  6.12     (b) It is the recipient's obligation to present proof that 
  6.13  they have received the required health checkups. 
  6.14     Subd. 4.  [EXCEPTIONS.] Sanctions can be waived for a 
  6.15  family subject to sanctions for not meeting the requirements of 
  6.16  subdivision 2 if the family agrees to counseling arranged by the 
  6.17  county social service worker and fulfills the preventive health 
  6.18  requirements within 60 days of the date that the sanctions would 
  6.19  have been incurred.