1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; continuing food programs 
  1.3             for legal noncitizens; appropriating money; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1997 Supplement, section 256J.11, 
  1.5             subdivision 2, as amended; proposing coding for new 
  1.6             law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256D. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [256D.60] [NONCITIZEN FOOD PROGRAM.] 
  1.9      Beginning October 1, 1998, adult or minor legal noncitizens 
  1.10  who:  (1) were residing in this state as of July 1, 1997, (2) 
  1.11  lost their eligibility for the federal food stamp program under 
  1.12  the provisions of Public Law Number 104-193, title IV, (3) are 
  1.13  receiving general assistance or supplemental security income, 
  1.14  and (4) comply with the eligibility requirements in section 
  1.15  256D.05, subdivision 8, paragraph (b), are eligible to receive 
  1.16  food stamp coupons purchased by the commissioner of human 
  1.17  services from the federal government.  Coupons shall be issued 
  1.18  each month from the funds available to the commissioner for 
  1.19  noncitizens who are residents of participating counties and 
  1.20  eligible for the supplement under this section.  The amount of 
  1.21  the coupons must be excluded as income under the AFDC, refugee 
  1.22  cash assistance, general assistance, MFIP, MFIP-R, MFIP-S, food 
  1.23  stamp programs, state housing subsidy programs, low-income 
  1.24  energy assistance programs, and other programs that do not count 
  1.25  food stamps as income.  If the federal government reinstates 
  1.26  federal food stamp benefits for the noncitizen population 
  2.1   covered under this section, then noncitizens under this section 
  2.2   will cease receiving food stamps funded by the state and begin 
  2.3   receiving federal food stamp benefits. 
  2.4      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1997 Supplement, section 
  2.5   256J.11, subdivision 2, as amended by Laws 1997, Third Special 
  2.6   Session chapter 1, section 1, is amended to read: 
  2.7      Subd. 2.  [NONCITIZENS; FOOD PORTION.] (a) For the period 
  2.8   September 1, 1997, to October 31, 1997, noncitizens who do not 
  2.9   meet one of the exemptions in section 412 of the Personal 
  2.10  Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, 
  2.11  but were residing in this state as of July 1, 1997, are eligible 
  2.12  for the 6/10 of the average value of food stamps for the same 
  2.13  family size and composition until MFIP-S is operative in the 
  2.14  noncitizen's county of financial responsibility and thereafter, 
  2.15  the 6/10 of the food portion of MFIP-S.  However, federal food 
  2.16  stamp dollars cannot be used to fund the food portion of MFIP-S 
  2.17  benefits for an individual under this subdivision. 
  2.18     (b) For the period November 1, 1997, to June September 30, 
  2.19  1998, noncitizens who do not meet one of the exemptions in 
  2.20  section 412 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
  2.21  Reconciliation Act of 1996, but were residing in this state as 
  2.22  of July 1, 1997, and are receiving cash assistance under the 
  2.23  AFDC, family general assistance, MFIP or MFIP-S programs are 
  2.24  eligible for the average value of food stamps for the same 
  2.25  family size and composition until MFIP-S is operative in the 
  2.26  noncitizen's county of financial responsibility and thereafter, 
  2.27  the food portion of MFIP-S.  However, federal food stamp dollars 
  2.28  cannot be used to fund the food portion of MFIP-S benefits for 
  2.29  an individual under this subdivision.  The assistance provided 
  2.30  under this subdivision, which is designated as a supplement to 
  2.31  replace lost benefits under the federal food stamp program, must 
  2.32  be disregarded as income in all programs that do not count food 
  2.33  stamps as income where the commissioner has the authority to 
  2.34  make the income disregard determination for the program. 
  2.35     (c) Beginning October 1, 1998, noncitizens under this 
  2.36  subdivision will begin receiving the food portion of MFIP-S 
  3.1   benefits in the form of food stamps which the commissioner of 
  3.2   human services will purchase from the federal government with 
  3.3   state funding. 
  3.4      Sec. 3.  [MFIP-S FOOD PORTION.] 
  3.5      $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.6   commissioner of human services to purchase food stamp coupons 
  3.7   from the federal government and cover administrative costs 
  3.8   related to implementing sections 1 and 2.