1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; creating a food program 
  1.3             for certain individuals terminated from the federal 
  1.4             food stamp program; appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [TEMPORARY HUNGER PREVENTION AND COMMUNITY 
  1.7   DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE.] 
  1.8      The commissioner of human services shall create and 
  1.9   administer a program to be called the temporary hunger 
  1.10  prevention and community development initiative. 
  1.11     The purpose of the temporary hunger prevention and 
  1.12  community development initiative is to provide a nutritional 
  1.13  safety net for vulnerable residents of Minnesota who are without 
  1.14  resources to meet basic nutritional needs and who are found to 
  1.15  be at nutritional or medical risk.  The commissioner shall 
  1.16  establish the program so that the state may avoid incurring 
  1.17  greater health care costs that would be the inevitable result of 
  1.18  inadequate nutrition over a prolonged period of time. 
  1.19     The program shall consist of deposits into accounts for 
  1.20  food in the counties with electronic benefit transfer programs 
  1.21  and cash assistance or coupons in all other counties.  For 
  1.22  families and persons over the age of 50, the amount of the 
  1.23  assistance shall equal one-half of the average value of the food 
  1.24  stamp benefit for which the individual or family would otherwise 
  1.25  be eligible, but for the individual or family's noncitizen 
  2.1   status.  Legal noncitizens were terminated from the federal food 
  2.2   stamp program under Public Law Number 104-193.  The commissioner 
  2.3   of human services shall determine the most effective way to 
  2.4   administer the program. 
  2.5      Sec. 2.  [PROGRAM FUNDING.] 
  2.6      The temporary hunger prevention and community development 
  2.7   initiative program shall be funded by the state of Minnesota 
  2.8   through direct appropriation and through utilization of other 
  2.9   state and federal resources that may be available. 
  2.10     Sec. 3.  [PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.] 
  2.11     Subdivision 1.  [ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.] The temporary 
  2.12  hunger prevention and community development initiative program 
  2.13  shall serve individuals: 
  2.14     (1) who resided in this state as of July 1, 1997; 
  2.15     (2) who have at least one dependent child or are over 50 
  2.16  years of age; 
  2.17     (3) whose income is below 130 percent of federal poverty 
  2.18  guidelines; and 
  2.19     (4) who have no assets over the level allowed under the 
  2.20  food stamp program, excluding the possession of a motor vehicle 
  2.21  valued at $4,500 and a homestead.  
  2.22     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY FOR LEGAL NONCITIZENS.] An 
  2.23  individual who seeks assistance under the temporary hunger 
  2.24  prevention and community development initiative program because 
  2.25  of benefits lost due to citizenship status shall receive 
  2.26  assistance provided the legal noncitizen: 
  2.27     (1) is enrolled in a literacy class, English as a second 
  2.28  language class, or a citizenship class; 
  2.29     (2) is applying for admission to a literacy class, English 
  2.30  as a second language class, or a citizenship class, and is 
  2.31  enrolled within a reasonable time after application; 
  2.32     (3) is in the process of applying for a waiver from the 
  2.33  Immigration and Naturalization Service of the English language 
  2.34  or civics requirement of the citizenship test; 
  2.35     (4) has submitted an application for citizenship to the 
  2.36  Immigration and Naturalization Service and is waiting for a 
  3.1   testing date or a subsequent swearing in ceremony; or 
  3.2      (5) has been denied citizenship due to a failure to pass 
  3.3   the test after two attempts or due to a denial of the 
  3.4   application for naturalization because of an inability to 
  3.5   understand the rights and responsibilities of becoming a citizen.
  3.6      Subd. 3.  [DUTIES OF THE COMMISSIONER OF HUMAN 
  3.7   SERVICES.] The commissioner of human services shall report by 
  3.8   January 15 annually on the temporary hunger prevention and 
  3.9   community development initiative program to the house committee 
  3.10  on health and human services and the senate committee on health 
  3.11  and family security. 
  3.12     Subd. 4.  [APPROPRIATION.] $....... is appropriated to the 
  3.13  commissioner of human services from the general fund for the 
  3.14  biennium ending June 30, 1999, for the purposes of sections 1 to 
  3.15  3.