1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; establishing 211 telephone 
  1.3             human services-related referral and information 
  1.4             system; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 
  1.5             237.036; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
  1.6             Statutes, chapter 256. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 237.036, is 
  1.9   amended to read: 
  1.10     237.036 [COIN-OPERATED OR PUBLIC PAY TELEPHONES.] 
  1.11     (a) Neither commission approval nor a commission 
  1.12  certificate is required to: 
  1.13     (1) site a coin-operated or public pay telephone in the 
  1.14  state; or 
  1.15     (2) implement changes in service, services offered, rates, 
  1.16  or location regarding a coin-operated or public pay telephone.  
  1.17  Registration under section 237.64 is required to own or operate 
  1.18  a coin-operated or public pay telephone in the state. 
  1.19     (b) This section does not change the authority of other 
  1.20  state or local government entities to regulate aspects of 
  1.21  coin-operated or public pay telephone ownership, location, or 
  1.22  operation; however, an entity may not regulate aspects of these 
  1.23  services that it did not regulate prior to May 26, 1999.  The 
  1.24  commission shall retain the authority delegated to it under 
  1.25  federal and state law to protect the public interest with regard 
  1.26  to coin-operated or public pay telephones. 
  2.1      (c) Owners and operators of coin-operated or public pay 
  2.2   telephones are exempt from sections 237.06, 237.07, 237.075, 
  2.3   237.09, 237.23, 237.295, and 237.39 and the annual reporting 
  2.4   requirement of section 237.11. 
  2.5      (d) Owners of coin-operated or public pay telephones shall: 
  2.6      (1) provide immediate coin-free access, to the extent 
  2.7   technically feasible, to 911 emergency service or to another 
  2.8   approved emergency service; and 
  2.9      (2) provide free access to the telecommunications relay 
  2.10  service for the communication impaired; and 
  2.11     (3) provide coin-free access, to the extent technically 
  2.12  feasible, to the referral and information system provided 
  2.13  through dialing 211. 
  2.14     (e) Owners of coin-operated or public pay telephones must 
  2.15  post at each coin-operated or public pay telephone location: 
  2.16     (1) customer service and complaint information, including 
  2.17  the name, address, and telephone number of the owner of the 
  2.18  coin-operated or public pay telephone and the operator service 
  2.19  handling calls from the coin-operated or public pay telephone; a 
  2.20  toll-free number of the appropriate telephone company for the 
  2.21  resolution of complaints; and the toll-free number of the public 
  2.22  utilities commission; and 
  2.23     (2) a toll-free number at which consumers can obtain 
  2.24  pricing information regarding rates, charges, terms, and 
  2.25  conditions of local and long-distance calls. 
  2.26     Sec. 2.  [256.0127] [211 REFERRAL AND INFORMATION SYSTEM.] 
  2.27     Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITIONS.] For the purposes of this 
  2.28  chapter, the terms defined in this section have the meanings 
  2.29  given to them. 
  2.30     (a) "Metropolitan area" means the counties of Anoka, 
  2.31  Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington. 
  2.32     (b) "Department" means the department of human services. 
  2.33     (c) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of human services.
  2.34     (d) "Referral answering point" means a communications 
  2.35  answering facility that can provide social service resource 
  2.36  referral information on a 24-hour basis. 
  3.1      (e) "211 service" means a telephone service that 
  3.2   automatically connects a person dialing 211 to an established 
  3.3   referral answering point. 
  3.4      (f) "211 provider" means the entity the commissioner 
  3.5   contracts with to administer the 211 system and to maintain the 
  3.6   information database. 
  3.7      Subd. 2.  [SERVICES PROVIDED.] (a) The 211 providers shall 
  3.8   assist the caller with accessing referral information of a human 
  3.9   services nature.  The referral information available through the 
  3.10  211 system database must include information on the services 
  3.11  available through state or local government health, human 
  3.12  services, education, or other governmental or nonprofit agencies.
  3.13     (b) The 211 providers shall link the caller with specialty 
  3.14  information and assistance programs. 
  3.15     Subd. 3.  [211 SYSTEM STANDARDS.] The department of human 
  3.16  services shall develop services standards that incorporate the 
  3.17  standards adopted by the alliance of information and referral 
  3.18  systems.  The department shall also develop and monitor the 211 
  3.19  system using a performance-based evaluation process to ensure 
  3.20  quality. 
  3.21     Subd. 4.  [TELEPHONE NUMBER 211; PAY TELEPHONE.] (a) The 
  3.22  digits 211 must be the telephone number available to all persons 
  3.23  who desire to access referral information for human services 
  3.24  available at each answering point. 
  3.25     (b) Each entity registered under section 237.64 to provide 
  3.26  coin-operated or public pay telephone service shall make the 
  3.27  technical changes necessary to permit dialing of the 211 numbers 
  3.28  without coin or other charge to the caller. 
  3.29     Subd. 5.  [FEDERAL FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION.] The department 
  3.30  of human services shall incorporate cost reimbursement claims 
  3.31  from the 211 service providers into the federal cost 
  3.32  reimbursement claiming processes of the department according to 
  3.33  federal laws and regulations.  Any reimbursement received is 
  3.34  appropriated to the commissioner who shall dedicate funding to 
  3.35  the 211 service providers. 
  3.36     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  4.1      Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day following final 
  4.2   enactment.