1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to human services; requiring the Minnesota 
  1.3             board on aging to establish and administer a 
  1.4             prescription drug assistance program; transferring 
  1.5             appropriations; amending Minnesota Statutes 2002, 
  1.6             section 256.975, by adding a subdivision. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 256.975, is 
  1.9   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 9.  [PRESCRIPTION DRUG ASSISTANCE.] (a) The Minnesota 
  1.11  board on aging shall establish and administer a prescription 
  1.12  drug assistance program to assist individuals in accessing 
  1.13  programs offered by pharmaceutical manufacturers that provide 
  1.14  free or discounted prescription drugs or provide coverage for 
  1.15  prescription drugs.  The board shall use computer software 
  1.16  programs to link individuals with the pharmaceutical assistance 
  1.17  programs most appropriate for the individual.  The board shall 
  1.18  make information on the prescription drug assistance program 
  1.19  available to interested individuals and health care providers 
  1.20  and shall coordinate the program with the statewide information 
  1.21  and assistance services provided through the Senior LinkAge Line 
  1.22  under subdivision 7. 
  1.23     (b) The board shall coordinate the program with the 
  1.24  prescription drug program under section 256.955, and shall work 
  1.25  with the commissioner to ensure that, to the greatest extent 
  1.26  possible, prescription drug program enrollees are transferred 
  2.1   and prescription drug program applicants are referred to the 
  2.2   prescription drug assistance program. 
  2.3      Sec. 2.  [TRANSFER.] 
  2.4      Of the appropriation from the general fund for the 
  2.5   prescription drug program under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  2.6   256.955, for the biennium ending June 30, 2005, $....... is for 
  2.7   the commissioner of human services to establish and administer 
  2.8   the prescription drug assistance program through the Minnesota 
  2.9   board on aging under section 1.