SF 1704

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/03/2017 09:19am

A bill for an act
relating to human services; modifying allocation and permitted uses of county
child protection funds; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016,
section 256M.41, subdivisions 2, 3.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 256M.41, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Prohibition on supplanting existing funds.

new text begin (a) new text end Funds received under this
section must be used to deleted text begin address staffing for child protection or expand child protection
services. Funds must not be used to supplant current county expenditures for these purposes. deleted text end new text begin :
new text end

new text begin (1) address staffing for child protection;
new text end

new text begin (2) expand child protection services;
new text end

new text begin (3) provide training to county child protection screening staff, investigators, or case
managers; and
new text end

new text begin (4) improve retention of county child protection screening staff, investigators, or case
managers.
new text end

new text begin (b) Funds must not be used to supplant current county expenditures for these purposes.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 256M.41, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Payments based on performance.

(a) The commissioner shall make payments
under this section to each county board on a calendar year basis in an amount determined
under paragraph (b).

(b) Calendar year allocations under subdivision 1 shall be paid to counties in the following
manner:

(1) deleted text begin 80 deleted text end new text begin 90 new text end percent of the allocation as determined in subdivision 1 must be paid to counties
on or before July 10 of each year;

(2) deleted text begin ten deleted text end new text begin five new text end percent of the allocation shall be withheld until the commissioner determines
if the county has met the performance outcome threshold of 90 percent based on face-to-face
contact with alleged child victims. In order to receive the performance allocation, the county
child protection workers must have a timely face-to-face contact with at least 90 percent of
all alleged child victims of screened-in maltreatment reports. The standard requires that
each initial face-to-face contact occur consistent with timelines defined in section 626.556,
subdivision 10, paragraph (i). The commissioner shall make threshold determinations in
January of each year and payments to counties meeting the performance outcome threshold
shall occur in February of each year. Any withheld funds from this appropriation for counties
that do not meet this requirement shall be reallocated by the commissioner to those counties
meeting the requirement; and

(3) deleted text begin ten deleted text end new text begin five new text end percent of the allocation shall be withheld until the commissioner determines
that the county has met the performance outcome threshold of 90 percent based on
face-to-face visits by the case manager. In order to receive the performance allocation, the
total number of visits made by caseworkers on a monthly basis to children in foster care
and children receiving child protection services while residing in their home must be at least
90 percent of the total number of such visits that would occur if every child were visited
once per month. The commissioner shall make such determinations in January of each year
and payments to counties meeting the performance outcome threshold shall occur in February
of each year. Any withheld funds from this appropriation for counties that do not meet this
requirement shall be reallocated by the commissioner to those counties meeting the
requirement. For 2015, the commissioner shall only apply the standard for monthly foster
care visits.

(c) The commissioner shall work with stakeholders and the Human Services Performance
Council under section 402A.16 to develop recommendations for specific outcome measures
that counties should meet in order to receive funds withheld under paragraph (b), and include
in those recommendations a determination as to whether the performance measures under
paragraph (b) should be modified or phased out. The commissioner shall report the
recommendations to the legislative committees having jurisdiction over child protection
issues by January 1, 2018.

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $...... is appropriated in fiscal year 2018 from the general fund to the commissioner of
human services for child protection grants to counties under Minnesota Statutes, section
256M.41. The unencumbered balance in the first year does not cancel but is available for
the second year.
new text end