The Minnesota Legislature is working with Governor Dayton to determine their budget targets for the passage of the next biennial budget. Committees have chosen the bills that will make it into their respective omnibus bills, and the House and Senate have discussed their versions. The bill we’ve been tracking most closely is SF 800 / HF 945, the Omnibus Health and Human Services bill.

The House and Senate versions of this bill have different provisions and funding allocations, so a conference committee consisting of five Senators and five Representatives will iron out the differences to take back to the full House and Senate for a vote before sending it to Governor Dayton. The Senate has published a summary that lists the provisions included in their version, and the House has its own summary. A spreadsheet with the proposed funding levels from the House, Senate and Governor for each item has also been shared. Leaders will continue their negotiations to finalize budget items in this bill.

Major provisions related to child welfare that are included in the Health and Human Services omnibus bill include:

  • Permits youth to re-enter foster care if they left foster care within six months of their 18th birthday, up to age 21.
  • Requires CPS to provide information to mandated reporters who make a report of alleged child maltreatment
  • Establishes the Minnesota Birth to Eight Project in Dakota County, which would track developmental milestones in children participating in WIC and a home visit plan who are early language learners and voluntarily agree to participate.
  • Instructs DHS to create a program to reduce disruptions in out-of-home placement by ensuring placements are trauma-informed and child-focused, and to provide a variety of training, services and supports to providers to ensure placement stability.
  • Requires the Commissioner of Health to establish a strategic plan to address needs of sex trafficking victims in Minnesota.
  • Requires the Commissioner of Human Services to conduct a study on current children’s mental health treatment options in Minnesota, determining need for psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTF) and community-based services, with input from stakeholders and models in use in other states, and write a report with recommendations for a continuum of care for children’s mental health care to the legislature.

Another bill that is nearing passage is Senate File 1386 and House File 1702, McKenna’s Law  requires counties to notify any child over the age 10 that is the subject of a Child In Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) petition their eligibility for legal representation. Additionally, only the child can waive their right to legal representation.

A bill that would recodify the child protection statutes, authored by Representative Kresha (R), adds definitions for child fatality, findings and information, immediately, interested persons acting on behalf of the child, and maltreatment, and reorders statutory rules for screening, intake, assessment and ongoing child protection services.

The House has appointed new members to the Legislative Task Force on Child Protection, with Representative Kresha maintaining his position as co-chair. The Senate has appointed Senator Michelle Fischbach as co-chair. There have been no meetings yet this year and future meetings have yet to be scheduled. We will continue to watch for updates from this group as they develop.