1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; providing for an 
  1.3             electronic Minnesota community services directory; 
  1.4             appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [256.999] [MINNESOTA COMMUNITY SERVICES 
  1.8   DIRECTORY.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITIONS.] The definitions in this 
  1.10  subdivision apply to this section.  
  1.11     (a) "Information and referral" means the process of linking 
  1.12  people in need with the appropriate services designated to 
  1.13  eliminate or alleviate that need.  
  1.14     (b) "Minnesota community services directory" means the 
  1.15  computerized database developed under this section containing a 
  1.16  comprehensive listing of all community services and information 
  1.17  pertinent to those services.  
  1.18     Subd. 2.  [AUTHORITY.] The department of human services may 
  1.19  plan, develop, and administer a system for the planning, 
  1.20  establishment, expansion, improvement, and operation of the 
  1.21  Minnesota community services directory under this section.  
  1.22     Subd. 3.  [PROGRAM SERVICES.] The department of human 
  1.23  services will develop a community services directory in 
  1.24  partnership with:  
  1.25     (1) First Call Minnesota, an existing not-for-profit 
  2.1   corporation established to develop a computerized network system 
  2.2   for information and referral; 
  2.3      (2) Access Minnesota, a demonstration project designed to 
  2.4   place public Internet access points, community routers, and 
  2.5   digital high-speed transmission lines throughout the state; 
  2.6      (3) regional, comprehensive information and referral 
  2.7   providers statewide; 
  2.8      (4) the University of Minnesota, including the Gopher 
  2.9   electronic network and the children, youth and family 
  2.10  consortium; 
  2.11     (5) the department of children, families, and learning and 
  2.12  the family service collaborative efforts throughout the state; 
  2.13  and 
  2.14     (6) state departments and state-funded agencies.  
  2.15     The director may make grants to public or private nonprofit 
  2.16  entities to fund projects which increase the capabilities of 
  2.17  general information and referral programs to gather and provide 
  2.18  information on community services.  General information and 
  2.19  referral programs must serve a defined area. 
  2.20     Subd. 4.  [GRANT PRIORITY.] Priority for awarding 
  2.21  information and referral grants must be given in the following 
  2.22  order:  
  2.23     (1) improve and upgrade existing general or regional 
  2.24  information and referral systems so that the comprehensive 
  2.25  database can be loaded into a centralized computer system; and 
  2.26     (2) create and maintain standard database systems so that 
  2.27  information on all state social and health services can be made 
  2.28  available upon request by computer communication systems or by 
  2.29  telephone.  
  2.30     Subd. 5.  [PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.] Regional or general 
  2.31  information and referral programs must meet the requirements in 
  2.32  this subdivision.  
  2.33     (a) Each agency must serve more than one county and must 
  2.34  have compiled a comprehensive, standardized database containing 
  2.35  all known social and health-related services in those counties.  
  2.36     (b) Each program must have established a referral process 
  3.1   that meets national information and referral standards and that 
  3.2   connects the public with the appropriate service.  Access to 
  3.3   this information must include telephone referral of no less than 
  3.4   40 hours per week.  
  3.5      (c) Public or private entities may apply to the director 
  3.6   for funding.  
  3.7      (d) Existing general or regional information and referral 
  3.8   agencies must be given a preference in the funding process.  A 
  3.9   local match of up to 25 percent is required. 
  3.10     Subd. 6.  [APPLICATION RULES.] Applicants for grants under 
  3.11  this section shall apply on forms provided by the department of 
  3.12  human services.  The department may adopt emergency rules and 
  3.13  shall adopt permanent rules to implement this section.  
  3.14     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.15     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.16  department of human services for grants to applicants to develop 
  3.17  the Minnesota community services directory under section 1.  The 
  3.18  appropriation is available until June 30, 1999.  The department 
  3.19  of human services is hereby directed to seek federal match 
  3.20  funding for state and local funding of information and referral 
  3.21  and transfer this match to the First Call Minnesota program.