abeler and hann from reps web.jpgRep. Jim Abeler, chair of House HHS Finance Committee, and Sen. David Hann, chair of Senate HHS Committee. Photo courtesy of MN House of Representatives

This week has been fairly quiet regarding child welfare legislative hearings. On Monday, the Senate HHS Committee held a hearing on the recent Office of the Legislative Auditor’s Child Protection Screening evaluation (audio), and yesterday there was a hearing in the Senate HHS committee regarding modifications to the Child Care Assistance Program (audio), and one in the House HHS Reform Committee on the Autism Task Force (audio). Today we heard about licensing in human services in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and at 10:15am a hearing in the House HHS Finance Committee began discussing Indian Child Welfare Advisory Council and data sharing to reduce welfare fraud. Then, tomorrow the big children and family services bill will be heard in the House HHS Finance Committee (HF1967, companion to the Senate’s SF 1675).
Because of these few hearings, I wanted to dedicate this post to highlighting the child welfare-related aspects of the House HHS Finance Committee’s omnibus bill, HF2294, rather than review this week’s child welfare legislation. This bill is currently awaiting a hearing in the House Ways & Means Committee, and its Senate companion has yet to receive a hearing and still retains the original bill text (prior to the House HHS Finance Committee turning it into its omnibus bill). You can also see the following information in our MN Legislation bill tracking PDF.
Children & Family Services (Article 3)

  • Recognizes the importance of addressing child well-being, family engagement, & safety in accredited child care centers
  • Reestablishes the 25-day maximum for child care absent days (the last legislative session reduced this to 10), & provides exemptions for any documented medical condition/illness (as in, won’t count against the 25 days)
  • Requires the state to report drug convictions to DHS every 6 months to reduce welfare fraud
  • Requires data-sharing between the Depts. of Public Safety & Human Services regarding canceled identification cards, as well as those whose driver’s licenses have been suspended due to expiration of temporary legal presence, to reduce welfare fraud
  • Allows only 1 EBT card issued to each applicant, rather than separate cards
  • Restricts EBT card’s cash use to MN, IA, ND, SD, & WI
  • Disqualifies anyone found guilty of purchasing tobacco/alcohol using his/her EBT card from MFIP for 1 year for 1st offense, 2 years for 2nd, & permanently for 3rd
  • Restricts cash portion of MFIP via EBT card for anyone who has a felony-level drug conviction in the past ten years by requiring use of vendor pay rather than withdrawals from ATMs
  • Extends Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force (renamed Asset Development & Financial Literacy) through 6/1/14; requires this task force to write legislation that will help families acquire assets & increase their financial security through Family Assets for Independence & the Earned Income Tax Credit
  • Establishes grant programs to reduce poverty using Healthy Community Initiatives & Circles of Support
  • Creates the Minnesota Visible Child work group to improve the well-being of children who are or who have been homeless
  • Requires DHS to establish a consistent asset limit across its human services programs

Minnesota Children & Family Investment Program

  • Emphasizes the importance of child well-being & renames the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) to Minnesota Children and Family Investment Program (MCFIP)
  • MCFIP (currently known as MFIP) orientation to include the availability and benefits of early childhood health & developmental screening
  • MCFIP (MFIP) work activity to include attending a child’s early childhood activities, including developmental screenings, referrals, & follow-up services

Other

  • Provides a change in the formula for state funding to counties for vulnerable children & adults for 2014 & beyond
  • Requires the DHS commissioner to collaborate with one or more counties to issue a foster care license and authorize funding for people with autism
  • Requires a Return on Taxpayer Investment study related to human services & corrections
  • Establishes grants for Community Action Agencies & the MFIP Mentoring Pilot Program
  • Requires initiatives to reduce incidence of low birth weight
  • Requires WIC locations to include information about postpartum depression, including its impact on families