1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to human services; requiring the commissioner 
  1.3             of human services to seek a waiver to permit AFDC 
  1.4             payments to be made on behalf of children voluntarily 
  1.5             placed in foster care by their minor mothers. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [VOLUNTARY FOSTER CARE.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [WAIVER REQUEST.] The commissioner of human 
  1.9   services shall seek a waiver of the requirements in the AFDC 
  1.10  program in order to permit development of a pilot project in ten 
  1.11  counties.  The pilot project would permit the commissioner to:  
  1.12     (1) make AFDC-foster care payments on behalf of a dependent 
  1.13  child who is voluntarily placed in foster care by a minor 
  1.14  mother; and 
  1.15     (2) make AFDC payments on behalf of a dependent child and a 
  1.16  minor mother who voluntarily move into supportive living 
  1.17  arrangements.  
  1.18     This waiver request shall be submitted as part of any 
  1.19  waiver package submitted by the commissioner during the biennium 
  1.20  beginning July 1, 1995, and if approved by the federal agency 
  1.21  shall be implemented after legislative approval of the plan 
  1.22  required by subdivision 2. 
  1.23     Subd. 2.  [COMMISSIONER'S PLAN.] (a) The commissioner shall 
  1.24  develop a plan for a pilot project to be implemented in ten 
  1.25  counties to permit minor mothers to:  
  2.1      (1) voluntarily place their children in foster care; or 
  2.2      (2) move into supportive living arrangements with their 
  2.3   dependent children. 
  2.4      (b) The counties included in the pilot projects shall be 
  2.5   chosen by the commissioner and shall be a mix of urban and rural 
  2.6   counties.  The pilot projects shall be developed to allow minor 
  2.7   mothers an alternative to abortion, adoption, or single 
  2.8   parenting.  The voluntary foster care placement of children 
  2.9   alone, or the placement of children with their minor mothers, 
  2.10  shall be paid for through the AFDC program.  In addition, the 
  2.11  commissioner shall seek, and may use, funds from other sources, 
  2.12  including grant and foundation money, to implement the projects 
  2.13  authorized by this section.  Dependent children and their 
  2.14  mothers shall be eligible for medical assistance and child care 
  2.15  benefits.  In preparing the plan required by this section, the 
  2.16  commissioner shall recommend any changes needed in Minnesota 
  2.17  Statutes, sections 257.071 and 257.33, in order to facilitate 
  2.18  placement of children for a period of one to four years.  The 
  2.19  commissioner shall also include in the plan:  
  2.20     (1) a description of the social services that will be 
  2.21  offered to the minor mothers; 
  2.22     (2) the nature of the foster care agreements that will be 
  2.23  necessary to effectuate the placements, including provisions for 
  2.24  visitation rights; and 
  2.25     (3) and the standards that will be used to evaluate the 
  2.26  pilot project. 
  2.27     The commissioner shall submit the plan to the legislature 
  2.28  by February 15, 1996.