1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; establishing a finger imaging system to identify 
1.3 	applicants for and recipients of public assistance programs; imposing penalties; 
1.4 	requiring a report;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 
1.5 	256.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [256.0161] PUBLIC ASSISTANCE; FINGER IMAGING SYSTEM.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Establishment; purpose. The commissioner of human services shall 
1.9 	establish a finger imaging system. Every applicant for or recipient of public assistance, 
1.10 	including minors, is required to be finger imaged under this section as a condition of 
1.11 	eligibility for public assistance. Absent a criminal court order, finger images obtained 
1.12 	under this section shall be used only for the purposes of determining eligibility for public 
1.13 	assistance and preventing multiple enrollments in assistance programs and may not be 
1.14 	accessed by any other agency of this state for any purpose. 
1.15 		Subd. 2.Duties; authority. (a) The commissioner shall:
1.16 	(1) implement a finger imaging system in all counties, with 50 percent of the costs of 
1.17 	implementation and usage to be paid by the commissioner and the remaining 50 percent 
1.18 	paid by individual counties;
1.19 	(2) maintain and manage a centralized database of finger images; and
1.20 	(3) notify applicants of public assistance of the finger imaging requirement at the 
1.21 	time of application.
1.22 	(b) The commissioner may develop a competitive request for proposals for a finger 
1.23 	imaging system and may contract with a firm the commissioner deems able to design 
1.24 	and implement the finger imaging system.
2.1 		Subd. 3.Suspected fraud; penalties. In the case of suspected fraud, the 
2.2 	commissioner shall develop: (1) a procedure for manual verification of an applicant's or 
2.3 	recipient's fingerprints by a person qualified to perform fingerprint verifications; and (2) a 
2.4 	hearing process for applicants or recipients suspected of fraud. Penalties for violations of 
2.5 	public assistance fraud may not be imposed under this section without manual verification 
2.6 	and a hearing under this subdivision.
2.7 		Subd. 4.Report. Beginning July 1, 2009, and annually thereafter, the commissioner 
2.8 	shall provide a written report to the chairs of house and senate committees having 
2.9 	jurisdiction over human services, ranking minority leaders, and the governor. The report 
2.10 	must include:
2.11 	(1) a comparison of caseload data before and after the implementation of the finger 
2.12 	imaging system;
2.13 	(2) attempts at and instances of multiple enrollments by applicants and recipients;
2.14 	(3) an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the system; and
2.15 	(4) recommendations to improve the system.

2.16 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2008.