1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; establishing an advisory committee to simplify 
1.3 	program administration; requiring fiscal notes to adequately reflect county costs; 
1.4 	requiring a performance-based approach for managing human services; requiring 
1.5 	information sharing on county consolidation and collaboration; amending 
1.6 	Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 256.01, by adding a subdivision.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 256.01, is amended by adding a 
1.9 	subdivision to read:
1.10 		Subd. 23.Administrative efficiency. (a) The commissioner shall establish 
1.11 	an advisory committee consisting of department staff and county representatives to 
1.12 	identify ways to simplify and streamline human services laws and administrative 
1.13 	requirements. The committee shall review laws, policies, and procedures with the goal 
1.14 	of reducing inconsistency between programs and complexity within programs in order 
1.15 	to improve administrative efficiency and reduce the risk of recipient noncompliance. 
1.16 	The commissioner shall report annually to chairs of house and senate human services 
1.17 	committees, beginning January 15, 2008, with recommendations to implement 
1.18 	improvements developed by the advisory group.
1.19 	(b) The commissioner, in consultation with the committee, shall ensure that 
1.20 	fiscal notes prepared on pending legislation contain timely, reasonable estimates of any 
1.21 	large-scale local fiscal impacts.
1.22 	(c) The commissioner, in consultation with the committee, shall establish a 
1.23 	performance-based approach for managing human services that includes:
1.24 	(1) measures of effectiveness, efficiency, and availability of services that can be used 
1.25 	on a statewide and county-specific basis for all human services programs;
2.1 	(2) performance targets for each measure; and
2.2 	(3) periodic county-by-county performance reports to county human services 
2.3 	agencies, their governing boards, and the legislature.
2.4 	(d) The commissioner, in consultation with the committee, shall periodically 
2.5 	share information with the counties to assist the counties in analyzing the merits of 
2.6 	consolidation or collaborations with other counties for human services program delivery. 
2.7 	The information must include, but not be limited to:
2.8 	(1) periodic evaluation of the impact of ongoing county consolidations and 
2.9 	collaborations;
2.10 	(2) guidance on the positive and negative features of formal methods of cooperation 
2.11 	compared with less formal methods; and
2.12 	(3) statewide cost data to help counties analyze the potential or actual fiscal impact 
2.13 	of consolidation.