1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; modifying the scholarship program for employees 
1.3 	of home and community-based service providers;amending Minnesota Statutes 
1.4 	2005 Supplement, section 256B.0918, subdivisions 1, 3, 4;  Laws 2005, First 
1.5 	Special Session chapter 4, article 9, section 5, subdivision 8.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2005 Supplement, section 256B.0918, subdivision 1, 
1.8 	is amended to read:
1.9 		Subdivision 1.Program criteria. Beginning on or after October 1, 2005, within 
1.10 	the limits of appropriations specifically available for this purpose, the commissioner shall 
1.11 	provide funding to qualified provider applicants for employee scholarships for education 
1.12 	in nursing and other health care fields. Employee scholarships must be for a course of 
1.13 	study that is expected to lead to career advancement with the provider or in the field 
1.14 	of long-term care, including home care or care of persons with disabilities, or nursing. 
1.15 	Providers that secure this funding must use it to award scholarships to employees who 
1.16 	work an average of at least 20 hours per week for the provider. Executive management 
1.17 	staff without direct care duties, registered nurses, and therapists are not eligible to receive 
1.18 	scholarships under this section.

1.19 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2005 Supplement, section 256B.0918, subdivision 3, 
1.20 	is amended to read:
1.21 		Subd. 3.Provider selection criteria. To be considered for scholarship funding, 
1.22 	the provider shall submit a completed application within the time frame specified by the 
1.23 	commissioner. In awarding funding, the commissioner shall consider the following:
2.1 	(1) the size of the provider as measured in annual billing to the medical assistance 
2.2 	program. To be eligible, a provider must receive at least $500,000$300,000 annually 
2.3 	in medical assistance payments;
2.4 	(2) the percentage of employees meeting the scholarship program recipient 
2.5 	requirements;
2.6 	(3) staff retention rates for paraprofessionals; and
2.7 	(4) other criteria determined by the commissioner.

2.8 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2005 Supplement, section 256B.0918, subdivision 4, 
2.9 	is amended to read:
2.10 		Subd. 4.Funding specifics. Within the limits of appropriations specifically 
2.11 	available for this purpose, for the rate period beginning on or after October 1, 2005, to 
2.12 	September 30, 2007, the commissioner shall provide to each provider listed in subdivision 
2.13 	2 and awarded funds under subdivision 3 a medical assistance rate increase to fund 
2.14 	scholarships up to two-tenthsthree-tenths percent of the medical assistance reimbursement 
2.15 	rate. The commissioner shall require providers to repay any portion of funds awarded 
2.16 	under subdivision 3 that is not used to fund scholarships. If applications exceed available 
2.17 	funding, funding shall be targeted to providers that employ a higher percentage of 
2.18 	paraprofessional staff or have lower rates of turnover of paraprofessional staff. During 
2.19 	the subsequent years of the program, the rate adjustment may be recalculated, at the 
2.20 	discretion of the commissioner. In making a recalculation the commissioner may consider 
2.21 	the provider's success at granting scholarships based on the amount spent during the 
2.22 	previous year and the availability of appropriations to continue the program.

2.23 	Sec. 4. Laws 2005, First Special Session chapter 4, article 9, section 5, subdivision 8, 
2.24 	is amended to read:

2.25	Subd. 8.Board of Nursing
 		3,078,000
		3,631,000
	
2.26 	
2.27 	BASE ADJUSTMENT. The base for the  
2.28 	board of nursing is increased by  $141,000 
2.29 	in fiscal year 2008 and by  $216,000 in fiscal 
2.30 	year 2009.  
2.31 	BOARD OF NURSING 
2.32 	APPROPRIATIONS  INCREASE. Of 
2.33 	this appropriation,  $120,000 the first year 
3.1 	and $126,000  the second year are for the 
3.2 	increased  cost of board operations, excluding  
3.3 	salary increases and $85,000 each year  is to 
3.4 	hire an advanced practice  registered nurse.  
3.5 	TRANSFERS FROM SPECIAL 
3.6 	REVENUE FUND.  Of this appropriation, 
3.7 	the following  transfers shall be made as 
3.8 	directed  from the state government special  
3.9 	revenue fund:  
3.10 	(a) $392,000 in fiscal year 2006,  $864,000 
3.11 	in fiscal year 2007, $930,000  in fiscal year 
3.12 	2008, and $930,000 in  fiscal year 2009 
3.13 	shall be transferred  to the general fund 
3.14 	and is appropriated  to the Department 
3.15 	of Human Services to  offset the state 
3.16 	share of the medical  assistance program 
3.17 	costs of the  long-term care and home and  
3.18 	community-based care employee  scholarship 
3.19 	program and associated  administrative costs.  
3.20 	At the end of  each biennium, any funds 
3.21 	not expended  for the scholarship program 
3.22 	and  associated administrative costs shall  
3.23 	be transferred to the state government 
3.24 	special revenue fund carried over to the 
3.25 	next biennium for the same purpose.  
3.26 	Notwithstanding  section 15, this paragraph 
3.27 	expires June  30, 2009 2011.  
3.28 	(b) $125,000 the first year and  $200,000 the 
3.29 	second year shall be  transferred to the health 
3.30 	professional  education loan forgiveness 
3.31 	program  account for loan forgiveness 
3.32 	for nurses  under Minnesota Statutes, 
3.33 	section  144.1501.  This appropriation shall  
3.34 	become part of base level funding for  the 
3.35 	commissioner for the biennium  beginning 
4.1 	July 1, 2007, but shall not  be part of base 
4.2 	level funding for the  biennium beginning 
4.3 	July 1, 2009.  Notwithstanding section 15, 
4.4 	this  paragraph expires on June 30, 2009.