1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; providing funding to the 
  1.3             board on aging for health insurance counseling and 
  1.4             assistance grants; appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [HEALTH INSURANCE COUNSELING.] 
  1.7      (a) $1,100,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  1.8   commissioner of human services for the biennium ending June 30, 
  1.9   2001. 
  1.10     (b) Of this appropriation, the commissioner shall transfer 
  1.11  $550,000 each fiscal year to the board on aging for the purpose 
  1.12  of awarding health insurance counseling and assistance grants to 
  1.13  the area agencies on aging.  Access to health insurance 
  1.14  counseling programs shall be provided by the senior linkage line 
  1.15  service of the board on aging and the area agencies on aging. 
  1.16     (c) Of the amount in paragraph (b), $200,000 per fiscal 
  1.17  year is for the area agencies on aging providing state-funded 
  1.18  health insurance counseling services.  The remaining funding 
  1.19  shall be distributed on a competitive basis to area agencies on 
  1.20  aging, based on criteria developed jointly by the board on aging 
  1.21  and the area agencies on aging. 
  1.22     (d) The board on aging shall explore opportunities for 
  1.23  obtaining alternative funding from nonstate sources, including 
  1.24  contributions from individuals seeking health insurance 
  1.25  counseling services.