1997 Minnesota Statutes

     256.031 Minnesota family investment plan. 

    Subdivision 1.    Citation.  Sections 256.031 to 
 256.0361 may be cited as the Minnesota family investment plan. 

    Subd. 1a.    Use of federal authority.  Federal 
 authority as cited in sections 256.031 to 256.0361 and 256.047 
 is reference to United States Code, title 42, chapter 7, 
 subchapter II, section 402, and subchapter IV, sections 601 and 
 602, and Code of Federal Regulations, title 45, as constructed 
 on the day prior to their federal repeal. 

    Subd. 2.    Legislative findings.  The legislature 
 recognizes the need to fundamentally change the way government 
 supports families.  The legislature finds that many features of 
 the current system of public assistance do not help families 
 carry out their two basic functions:  the economic support of 
 the family unit and the care and nurturing of children.  The 
 legislature recognizes that the Minnesota family investment plan 
 is an investment strategy that will support and strengthen the 
 family's social and financial functions.  This investment in 
 families will provide long-term benefits through stronger and 
 more independent families. 

    Subd. 3.    Authorization for the demonstration.  (a) 
 The commissioner of human services, in consultation with the 
 commissioners of children, families, and learning, finance, 
 economic security, health, and planning, and the director of the 
 higher education services office, is authorized to proceed with 
 the planning and designing of the Minnesota family investment 
 plan and to implement the plan to test policies, methods, and 
 cost impact on an experimental basis by using field trials.  The 
 commissioner, under the authority in section 256.01, subdivision 
 2, shall implement the plan according to sections 256.031 to 
 256.0361 and Public Law Numbers 101-202 and 101-239, section 
 8015, as amended.  If major and unpredicted costs to the program 
 occur, the commissioner may take corrective action consistent 
 with Public Law Numbers 101-202 and 101-239, which may include 
 termination of the program.  Before taking such corrective 
 action, the commissioner shall consult with the chairs of the 
 senate family services committee, the house health and human 
 services committee, the health care and family services division 
 of the senate family services and health care committees and the 
 human services division of the house health and human services 
 committee, or, if the legislature is not in session, consult 
 with the legislative advisory commission. 

    (b) The field trials shall be conducted as permitted under 
 federal law, for as many years as necessary, and in different 
 geographical settings, to provide reliable instruction about the 
 desirability of expanding the program statewide. 

    (c) The commissioner shall select the counties which shall 
 serve as field trial or comparison sites based on criteria which 
 ensure reliable evaluation of the program.  

    (d) The commissioner is authorized to determine the number 
 of families and characteristics of subgroups to be included in 
 the evaluation.  

    (i) A family that applies for or is currently receiving 
 financial assistance from aid to families with dependent 
 children; family general assistance or work readiness; or food 
 stamps may be tested for eligibility for aid to families with 
 dependent children or family general assistance and may be 
 assigned by the commissioner to a test or a comparison group for 
 the purposes of evaluating the family investment plan.  A family 
 found not eligible for aid to families with dependent children 
 or family general assistance will be tested for eligibility for 
 the food stamp program.  If found eligible for the food stamp 
 program, the commissioner may randomly assign the family to a 
 test group, comparison group, or neither group.  Families 
 assigned to a test group receive benefits and services through 
 the family investment plan.  Families assigned to a comparison 
 group receive benefits and services through existing programs.  
 A family may not select the group to which it is assigned.  Once 
 assigned to a group, an eligible family must remain in that 
 group for the duration of the project. 

    (ii) To evaluate the effectiveness of the family investment 
 plan, the commissioner may designate a subgroup of families from 
 the test group who shall be exempt from section 256.035, 
 subdivision 1, and shall not receive case management services 
 under section 256.035, subdivision 6a.  Families are eligible 
 for services under section 256.736 to the same extent as 
 families receiving AFDC.  

    Subd. 4.    Goals of the Minnesota family investment plan. 
  The commissioner shall design the program to meet the 
 following goals: 

    (1) to support families' transition to financial 
 independence by emphasizing options, removing barriers to work 
 and education, providing necessary support services, and 
 building a supportive network of education, employment and 
 training, health, social, counseling, and family-based services; 

    (2) to allow resources to be more effectively and 
 efficiently focused on investing in families by removing the 
 complexity of current rules and procedures and consolidating 
 public assistance programs; 

    (3) to prevent long-term dependence on public assistance 
 through paternity establishment, child support enforcement, 
 emphasis on education and training, and early intervention with 
 minor parents; and 

    (4) to provide families with an opportunity to increase 
 their living standard by rewarding efforts aimed at transition 
 to employment and by allowing families to keep a greater portion 
 of earnings when they become employed. 

    Subd. 5.    Federal waivers.  According to sections 
 256.031 to 256.0361 and federal laws authorizing the program, 
 the commissioner shall seek waivers of federal requirements of:  
 United States Code, title 42, section 601 et seq., and United 
 States Code, title 7, section 2011 et seq., needed to implement 
 the Minnesota family investment plan in a manner consistent with 
 the goals and objectives of the program.  The commissioner shall 
 seek terms from the federal government that are consistent with 
 the goals of the Minnesota family investment plan.  The 
 commissioner shall also seek terms from the federal government 
 that will maximize federal financial participation so that the 
 extra costs to the state of implementing the program are 
 minimized, to the extent that those terms are consistent with 
 the goals of the Minnesota family investment plan.  An agreement 
 with the federal government under this section shall provide 
 that the agreements may be canceled by the state or federal 
 government upon 180 days' notice or immediately upon mutual 
 agreement.  If the agreement is canceled, families which cease 
 receiving assistance under the Minnesota family investment plan 
 who are eligible for the aid to families with dependent 
 children, Minnesota family investment program-statewide, general 
 assistance, medical assistance, general assistance medical care, 
 or the food stamp program must be placed with their consent on 
 the programs for which they are eligible. 

    Subd. 6.    End of field trials.  Upon agreement with 
 the federal government, the field trials of the Minnesota family 
 investment plan will end June 30, 1998.  Families in the 
 comparison group under subdivision 3, paragraph (d), clause (i), 
 receiving aid to families with dependent children under sections 
 256.72 to 256.87, and STRIDE services under section 256.736 will 
 continue in those programs until June 30, 1998.  After June 30, 
 1998, families who cease receiving assistance under the 
 Minnesota family investment plan and comparison group families 
 who cease receiving assistance under AFDC and STRIDE who are 
 eligible for the Minnesota family investment program-statewide 
 (MFIP-S), medical assistance, general assistance medical care, 
 or the food stamp program shall be placed with their consent on 
 the programs for which they are eligible. 

    HIST: 1989 c 282 art 5 s 6; 1991 c 292 art 5 s 12; 1992 c 513 
 art 8 s 2; 1993 c 4 s 25; 1994 c 483 s 1; 1995 c 212 art 3 s 59; 
 1Sp1995 c 3 art 16 s 13; 1996 c 465 art 3 s 2; 1997 c 85 art 3 s 
 1; art 4 s 11