1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to human services; establishing a grant 
  1.3             program to provide shelter and counseling for 
  1.4             homeless, runaway, or thrown-away youth at risk of 
  1.5             being prostituted or presently being used in 
  1.6             prostitution; appropriating money; proposing coding 
  1.7             for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 260B. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [260B.551] [YOUTH SHELTER AND JUVENILE 
  1.10  PROSTITUTION PREVENTION GRANTS.] 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A grant program is 
  1.12  established to increase the availability of shelter for 
  1.13  homeless, runaway, or thrown-away youth at risk of being 
  1.14  prostituted or currently being used in prostitution.  The goal 
  1.15  of the grants is to significantly increase the number of 
  1.16  existing beds for these youth in Minnesota.  By providing 
  1.17  emergency and transitional housing, the number of youth at risk 
  1.18  of being sexually exploited or actually being sexually exploited 
  1.19  will be reduced. 
  1.20     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY.] The commissioner of human services 
  1.21  shall make shelter and prevention grants to nonprofit 
  1.22  corporations or government agencies to provide emergency and 
  1.23  transitional housing for children and teens.  The commissioner 
  1.24  shall consider the needs for emergency and transitional shelter 
  1.25  throughout Minnesota, and give priority to applicants who offer 
  1.26  24-hour emergency facilities.  To be eligible for a grant, a 
  2.1   nonprofit corporation must meet the following criteria: 
  2.2      (1) the applicant must have a commitment to helping the 
  2.3   community, children, or preventing juvenile prostitution, if the 
  2.4   organization does not have any past experience with youth 
  2.5   involved or at risk of being used in prostitution then the 
  2.6   organization must demonstrate their knowledge of the best 
  2.7   practices in this area and develop a plan to follow these 
  2.8   practices; 
  2.9      (2) the grant must be used to create and maintain shelter 
  2.10  for homeless, runaway, and thrown-away youth; 
  2.11     (3) the applicant may not use the grant to conduct general 
  2.12  education or awareness programs unrelated to the operation of a 
  2.13  shelter; 
  2.14     (4) the applicant must present a plan to communicate with 
  2.15  local law enforcement officials, social services, and the 
  2.16  department of human services consistent with state and federal 
  2.17  law; and 
  2.18     (5) the applicant must present a plan to encourage a 
  2.19  homeless, runaway, or thrown-away youth to either reconnect with 
  2.20  their family or transition into long-term housing. 
  2.21     Subd. 3.  [GRANT APPLICATION.] A nonprofit corporation or 
  2.22  government agency must submit an application to the commissioner 
  2.23  of human services in the form and manner the commissioner 
  2.24  establishes.  The application must describe how the applicant 
  2.25  meets the eligibility criteria under subdivision 2.  The 
  2.26  commissioner may require the applicant to provide additional 
  2.27  information. 
  2.28     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.29     $5,000,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.30  commissioner of human services for the fiscal year ending June 
  2.31  30, 2001, for youth shelter and prostitution prevention grants 
  2.32  under section 1. 
  2.33     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.34     Sections 1 and 2 are effective July 1, 2000.