SF 1111

1st Engrossment - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 03/07/2019 04:08pm

A bill for an act
relating to human services; modifying child care assistance program provisions;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, sections 119B.011, subdivision 20, by adding
a subdivision; 119B.025, subdivision 1; 119B.03, subdivision 9; 119B.095, by
adding a subdivision.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 119B.011, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

Subd. 13b.

Homeless.

"Homeless" means a self-declared housing status as defined in
the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and United States Code, title 42, section
11302, paragraph (a).

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective September 21, 2020.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 119B.011, subdivision 20, is amended to read:

Subd. 20.

Transition year families.

"Transition year families" means families who have
received MFIP assistance, or who were eligible to receive MFIP assistance after choosing
to discontinue receipt of the cash portion of MFIP assistance under section 256J.31,
subdivision 12, or families who have received DWP assistance under section 256J.95 for
at least three one of the last six months before losing eligibility for MFIP or DWP.
Notwithstanding Minnesota Rules, parts 3400.0040, subpart 10, and 3400.0090, subpart 2,
transition year child care may be used to support employment, approved education or training
programs, or job search that meets the requirements of section 119B.10. Transition year
child care is not available to families who have been disqualified from MFIP or DWP due
to fraud.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective March 23, 2020.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 119B.025, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Applications.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c), clause (4), the
county shall verify the following at all initial child care applications using the universal
application:

(1) identity of adults;

(2) presence of the minor child in the home, if questionable;

(3) relationship of minor child to the parent, stepparent, legal guardian, eligible relative
caretaker, or the spouses of any of the foregoing;

(4) age;

(5) immigration status, if related to eligibility;

(6) Social Security number, if given;

(7) counted income;

(8) spousal support and child support payments made to persons outside the household;

(9) residence; and

(10) inconsistent information, if related to eligibility.

(b) The county must mail a notice of approval or denial of assistance to the applicant
within 30 calendar days after receiving the application. The county may extend the response
time by 15 calendar days if the applicant is informed of the extension.

(c) For an applicant who declares that the applicant is homeless and who meets the
definition of homeless in section 119B.011, subdivision 13b, the county must:

(1) if information is needed to determine eligibility, send a request for information to
the applicant within five working days after receiving the application;

(2) if the applicant is eligible, send a notice of approval of assistance within five working
days after receiving the application;

(3) if the applicant is ineligible, send a notice of denial of assistance within 30 days after
receiving the application. The county may extend the response time by 15 calendar days if
the applicant is informed of the extension;

(4) not require verifications required by paragraph (a) before issuing the notice of approval
or denial; and

(5) follow limits set by the commissioner for how frequently expedited application
processing may be used for an applicant under this paragraph.

(d) An applicant who declares that the applicant is homeless must submit proof of
eligibility within three months of the date the application was received. If proof of eligibility
is not submitted within three months, eligibility ends. A 15-day adverse action notice is
required to end eligibility.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective September 21, 2020.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 119B.03, subdivision 9, is amended to read:

Subd. 9.

Portability pool.

(a) The commissioner shall establish a pool of up to five
percent of the annual appropriation for the basic sliding fee program to provide continuous
child care assistance for eligible families who move between Minnesota counties. At the
end of each allocation period, any unspent funds in the portability pool must be used for
assistance under the basic sliding fee program. If expenditures from the portability pool
exceed the amount of money available, the reallocation pool must be reduced to cover these
shortages.

(b) To be eligible for portable basic sliding fee assistance, A family that has moved from
a county in which it was receiving basic sliding fee assistance to a county with a waiting
list for the basic sliding fee program must:

(1) meet the income and eligibility guidelines for the basic sliding fee program; and

(2) notify the new county of residence within 60 days of moving and submit information
to the new county of residence to verify eligibility for the basic sliding fee program family's
previous county of residence of the family's move to a new county of residence.

(c) The receiving county must:

(1) accept administrative responsibility for applicants for portable basic sliding fee
assistance at the end of the two months of assistance under the Unitary Residency Act;

(2) continue portability pool basic sliding fee assistance for the lesser of six months or
until the family is able to receive assistance under the county's regular basic sliding program;
and

(3) notify the commissioner through the quarterly reporting process of any family that
meets the criteria of the portable basic sliding fee assistance pool.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective December 2, 2019.

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 119B.095, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

Subd. 3.

Assistance for persons who are homeless.

An applicant who is homeless and
eligible for child care assistance is exempt from the activity participation requirements under
this chapter for three months. The applicant is eligible for 60 hours of child care assistance
per service period for three months from the date the county receives the application.
Additional hours may be authorized as needed based on the applicant's participation in
employment, education, or MFIP or DWP employment plans. To continue receiving child
care assistance after the initial three months, the applicant must verify that the applicant
meets eligibility and activity requirements for child care assistance under this chapter.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective September 21, 2020.