1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; providing for a truancy 
  1.3             prevention pilot program; appropriating money; 
  1.4             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.5             chapter 256J. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [256J.80] [TRUANCY PREVENTION PROGRAM.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [PILOT PROJECTS.] The commissioner of human 
  1.9   services, in consultation with the commissioner of children, 
  1.10  families, and learning, shall develop a truancy prevention pilot 
  1.11  program to prevent tardiness and ensure school attendance of 
  1.12  children receiving assistance under this chapter.  The pilot 
  1.13  program shall be developed in at least two school districts, one 
  1.14  rural and one urban.  The pilots shall be developed in 
  1.15  collaboration with local school districts and county social 
  1.16  service agencies and shall serve families on MFIP whose children 
  1.17  are under the age of 13 and are subject to the compulsory 
  1.18  attendance requirements of section 120A.22, and are frequently 
  1.19  tardy or are not attending school regularly, as defined by the 
  1.20  local school district.  The program shall require the local 
  1.21  schools to refer these families to county social service 
  1.22  agencies for an assessment and development of a corrective 
  1.23  action plan to ensure punctual and regular school attendance by 
  1.24  the children in the family.  The corrective action plan must 
  1.25  require that the children demonstrate satisfactory attendance as 
  2.1   defined by the local school district.  Families that fail to 
  2.2   follow the corrective action plan shall be reported to the 
  2.3   county agency and shall be subject to sanction under section 
  2.4   256J.46, subdivision 1, paragraphs (a) and (b).  The 
  2.5   commissioner of human services may at its discretion expand the 
  2.6   program to other districts with the districts' agreement and 
  2.7   shall present a report to the legislature by November 30, 2002, 
  2.8   on the success of the implementation of the pilot projects 
  2.9   authorized by this section.  
  2.10     Subd. 2.  [TRANSFER OF ATTENDANCE DATA.] Notwithstanding 
  2.11  section 13.32, the commissioners of children, families, and 
  2.12  learning and human services shall develop procedures to 
  2.13  implement the transmittal of data on student attendance to 
  2.14  county social services agencies to implement the program 
  2.15  authorized by this section.  
  2.16     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.17     $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2002 from the 
  2.18  general fund to the commissioner of human services for the 
  2.19  purposes of section 1.  This appropriation is available until 
  2.20  June 30, 2003.