1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; providing for a Minnesota 
  1.3             community services directory; appropriating money; 
  1.4             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.5             chapter 256.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [256.996] [MINNESOTA COMMUNITY SERVICES 
  1.8   DIRECTORY.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITIONS.] The definitions in this 
  1.10  subdivision apply to this section. 
  1.11     (a) "Consortium" means the children, youth, and families 
  1.12  consortium of the University of Minnesota. 
  1.13     (b) "Information and referral" means the process of linking 
  1.14  people in need with the appropriate services designated to 
  1.15  eliminate or alleviate that need. 
  1.16     (c) "Minnesota community services directory" means the 
  1.17  computerized database developed under this section containing a 
  1.18  comprehensive listing of all community services and information 
  1.19  pertinent to those services. 
  1.20     Subd. 2.  [AUTHORITY.] The consortium may plan, develop, 
  1.21  and administer a system for the planning, establishment, 
  1.22  expansion, improvement, and operation of the Minnesota community 
  1.23  services directory under this section. 
  1.24     Subd. 3.  [PROGRAM SERVICES.] The director of the 
  1.25  consortium shall develop a Minnesota community services 
  2.1   directory in partnership with:  (1) First Call Net, an existing 
  2.2   partnership established to develop a computerized network system 
  2.3   for information and referral; (2) Access Minnesota, a 
  2.4   demonstration project designed to place public Internet access 
  2.5   points, community routers, and digital high-speed transmission 
  2.6   lines throughout the state; (3) regional, comprehensive 
  2.7   information and referral providers statewide; (4) the University 
  2.8   of Minnesota, including the "Gopher" electronic network; and (5) 
  2.9   state departments and state-funded agencies.  The director may 
  2.10  make grants to public or private nonprofit entities to fund 
  2.11  projects which increase the capabilities of general information 
  2.12  and referral programs to gather and provide information on 
  2.13  community services.  General information and referral programs 
  2.14  must serve a defined geographic area. 
  2.15     Subd. 4.  [GRANT PRIORITY.] Priority for awarding 
  2.16  information and referral grants must be given in the following 
  2.17  order: 
  2.18     (1) improve and upgrade existing general or regional 
  2.19  information and referral systems so that the comprehensive 
  2.20  database can be loaded onto a centralized computer system; and 
  2.21     (2) create and maintain standard database systems so that 
  2.22  eventually information on all state social and health services 
  2.23  can be made available upon request by computer communication 
  2.24  systems or by telephone. 
  2.25     Subd. 5.  [PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.] Regional or general 
  2.26  information and referral programs must meet the requirements in 
  2.27  this subdivision. 
  2.28     (a) Except for the metropolitan area, each agency must 
  2.29  serve more than one county and must have compiled a 
  2.30  comprehensive, standardized database containing all known social 
  2.31  and health-related services in those counties. 
  2.32     (b) Each program must have established a referral process 
  2.33  that meets national information and referral standards and that 
  2.34  connects the public with the appropriate service.  Access to 
  2.35  this information must include telephone referral of no less than 
  2.36  40 hours per week. 
  3.1      (c) Public or private entities may apply to the director 
  3.2   for funding.  
  3.3      (d) Existing general or regional information and referral 
  3.4   agencies must be given a preference in the funding process.  A 
  3.5   local match of up to 25 percent is required. 
  3.6      Subd. 6.  [APPLICATION; RULES.] Applicants for grants under 
  3.7   this section shall apply on forms provided by the director of 
  3.8   the consortium.  The director may adopt emergency rules and 
  3.9   shall adopt permanent rules to implement this section. 
  3.10     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.11     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.12  children, youth, and families consortium of the University of 
  3.13  Minnesota for technical assistance staff and for grants to 
  3.14  applicants to develop the Minnesota community services directory 
  3.15  under section 1.  The appropriation is available until June 30, 
  3.16  1996.