1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to human services; appropriating money to the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing 
1.3 	Services Division; appropriating money for services for people who are deaf, 
1.4 	deafblind, or hard-of-hearing.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. APPROPRIATION; DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING SERVICES 
1.7 	DIVISION.
 1.8 	$750,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $750,000 in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated from 
1.9 	the general fund to the commissioner of human services for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing 
1.10 	Services Division under Minnesota Statutes, section 256C.233. The funds must be used 
1.11 	for the following purposes:
1.12 	(1) to provide linguistically and culturally appropriate psychiatric services for 
1.13 	children who are deaf, deafblind, or hard-of-hearing;
1.14 	(2) to hire an age-related hearing loss specialist;
1.15 	(3) to ensure that each regional advisory committee meets at least quarterly;
1.16 	(4) to increase the number of deafblind Minnesotans receiving services;
1.17 	(5) to conduct an analysis of how the regional offices and staff are distributed in 
1.18 	order to determine if the current distribution best serves the needs of the deaf, deafblind, 
1.19 	and hard-of-hearing community throughout Minnesota; and
1.20 	(6) to conduct an analysis of whether services are being provided in the best and 
1.21 	most efficient way possible, with input from deafblind Minnesotans receiving services.

1.22 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF, 
1.23 	DEAFBLIND, AND HARD-OF-HEARING.
 2.1 	$250,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $250,000 in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated from 
2.2 	the general fund to the commissioner of human services for deaf and hard-of-hearing 
2.3 	grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 256C.261. The funds must be used to increase 
2.4 	the number of deafblind Minnesotans receiving services.