1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to family and early childhood education; 
  1.3             modifying the at-home infant child care program; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 119B.061, 
  1.5             subdivisions 2 and 4.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 119B.061, 
  1.8   subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBLE FAMILIES.] (a) A family with an infant 
  1.10  under the age of one year is eligible for assistance if: 
  1.11     (1) the family is not receiving MFIP, other cash 
  1.12  assistance, or other child care assistance; 
  1.13     (2) the family has not previously received all of the 
  1.14  one-year exemption from the work requirement for infant care 
  1.15  under the MFIP program; 
  1.16     (3) the family has not previously received a life-long 
  1.17  total of 12 36 months of assistance under this section; and 
  1.18     (4) the family is participating in the basic sliding fee 
  1.19  program or provides verification of participation in an 
  1.20  authorized activity at the time of application and meets the 
  1.21  program requirements. 
  1.22     (b) A family is limited to 12 months of assistance per 
  1.23  child.  
  1.24     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 119B.061, 
  1.25  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  2.1      Subd. 4.  [ASSISTANCE.] (a) A family is limited to a 
  2.2   lifetime total of 12 36 months of assistance under this 
  2.3   section subdivision 2. The maximum rate of assistance is equal 
  2.4   to 75 90 percent of the rate established under section 119B.13 
  2.5   for care of infants in licensed family child care in the 
  2.6   applicant's county of residence.  Assistance must be calculated 
  2.7   to reflect the parent fee requirement under section 119B.12 for 
  2.8   the family's actual income level and family size while the 
  2.9   family is participating in the at-home infant child care program 
  2.10  under this section. 
  2.11     (b) A participating family must report income and other 
  2.12  family changes as specified in the county's plan under section 
  2.13  119B.08, subdivision 3.  The family must treat any assistance 
  2.14  received under this section as unearned income. 
  2.15     (c) Persons who are admitted to the at-home infant care 
  2.16  program retain their position in any basic sliding fee program 
  2.17  or on any waiting list attained at the time of admittance.  If 
  2.18  they are on the waiting list, they must advance as if they had 
  2.19  not been admitted to the program.  Persons leaving the at-home 
  2.20  infant care program re-enter the basic sliding fee program at 
  2.21  the position they would have occupied or the waiting list at the 
  2.22  position to which they would have advanced.  Persons who would 
  2.23  have attained eligibility for the basic sliding fee program must 
  2.24  be given assistance or advance to the top of the waiting list 
  2.25  when they leave the at-home infant care program.  Persons 
  2.26  admitted to the at-home infant care program who are not on a 
  2.27  basic sliding fee waiting list may apply to the basic sliding 
  2.28  fee program, and if eligible, be placed on the waiting list. 
  2.29     (d) The time that a family receives assistance under this 
  2.30  section must be deducted from the one-year exemption from work 
  2.31  requirements under the MFIP program. 
  2.32     (e) Assistance under this section does not establish an 
  2.33  employer-employee relationship between any member of the 
  2.34  assisted family and the county or state. 
  2.35     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.36     Sections 1 and 2 are effective July 1, 2001.