Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to make technical changes to various sections of the Minnesota Statutes related to children, youth, and family services. It follows up on a 2024 recodification to streamline and update statutes with requirements that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the services provided by welfare systems, ensure compliance with existing laws, and improve administrative procedures.

Main Provisions

• Technical Amendments: This bill introduces technical amendments to clarify, renumber, and align numerous statutes affecting children, youth, and family services. These adjustments aim to synchronize rules across various sections of Minnesota law to facilitate better administration without substantive changes.

• Data Sharing Enhancements: The bill authorizes data sharing among various state departments, including the newly established Department of Children, Youth, and Families, to improve service coordination and support more efficient compliance with federal and state requirements.

• Strengthening Oversight: The proposals are designed to strengthen oversight and accountability by specifying roles and responsibilities, particularly concerning licensing, service delivery, and data practices within child welfare systems.

• Codification of Council and Committees' Roles: It puts into legislation the functions and composition of advisory councils, such as the State Advisory Council on Mental Health and the Human Services Performance Council, to ensure they are effectively helping the government to create better health and welfare policies.

• Educational and Family Services Coordination: The bill enhances collaboration between educational and human service sectors to aid children with disabilities and ensure their educational and welfare needs are adequately met.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Expanded Department Roles: The bill details new responsibilities for the Department of Children, Youth, and Families and how it will interact with other state agencies. It ensures streamlined procedures for handling children and family services and transferring certain duties previously held by the Human Services Department to this new entity.

• Licensing and Regulation Simplification: By repealing redundant statutes and amending licensing requirements, this legislation aims to simplify the regulation of daycares, foster care, and residential services, ensuring they meet uniform standards across Minnesota.

• Judicial and Administrative Procedures: Updates are made to the statutory language related to court jurisdiction and procedures involving child protection and welfare cases to enable more effective legal oversight and interventions.

Relevant Terms

• Children, youth, families
• Licensing and regulation
• Data sharing
• Department roles
• Human services
• Welfare systems
• Oversight and accountability
• Educational services
• Performance management
• Technical amendments