Minnesota Statutes 256J.50 – County Duties

Subdivision 1.Employment and training services component of MFIP.

(a) Each county must develop and provide an employment and training services component which is designed to put participants on the most direct path to unsubsidized employment. Participation in these services is mandatory for all MFIP caregivers.

Terms Used In Minnesota Statutes 256J.50

Agency: has the meaning given in section 256P. See Minnesota Statutes 256J.08
Application: means the submission by or on behalf of a family to a county agency of a completed, signed, and dated form, prescribed by the commissioner, that indicates the desire to receive assistance. See Minnesota Statutes 256J.08
Caregiver: means a minor child's birth or adoptive parent or parents and stepparent who live in the home with the minor child. See Minnesota Statutes 256J.08
children: includes children by birth or adoption;

(9) "day" comprises the time from midnight to the next midnight;

(10) "fiscal year" means the year by or for which accounts are reckoned;

(11) "hereafter" means a reference to the time after the time when the law containing such word takes effect;

(12) "heretofore" means a reference to the time previous to the time when the law containing such word takes effect;

(13) "judicial sale" means a sale conducted by an officer or person authorized for the purpose by some competent tribunal;

(14) "minor" means an individual under the age of 18 years;

(15) "money" means lawful money of the United States;

(16) "night time" means the time from sunset to sunrise;

(17) "non compos mentis" refers to an individual of unsound mind;

(18) "notary" means a notary public;

(19) "now" in any provision of a law referring to other laws in force, or to persons in office, or to any facts or circumstances as existing, relates to the laws in force, or to the persons in office, or to the facts or circumstances existing, respectively, on the effective date of such provision;

(20) "verified" when used in reference to writings, means supported by oath or affirmation. See Minnesota Statutes 645.45
County agency: means the agency designated by the county board to implement financial assistance for current programs and for MFIP and the agency responsible for enforcement of child support collection, and a county or multicounty agency that is authorized under sections 393. See Minnesota Statutes 256J.08
Family: includes :

(1) the following individuals who live together: a minor child or a group of minor children related to each other as siblings, half siblings, stepsiblings, or adoptive siblings, together with their natural, adoptive parents, stepparents, or caregiver as defined in subdivision 11; and

(2) a pregnant woman with no other children. See Minnesota Statutes 256J.08
Family violence: means the following, if committed against a family or household member by a family or household member:

(1) physical harm, bodily injury, or assault;

(2) the infliction of fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury, or assault; or

(3) terroristic threats, within the meaning of section 609. See Minnesota Statutes 256J.08
Medical assistance: means the program established under chapter 256B and Title XIX of the Social Security Act. See Minnesota Statutes 256J.08
MFIP: means the assistance program authorized in this chapter. See Minnesota Statutes 256J.08
Participant: includes any of the following:

(1) a person who is currently receiving cash assistance or the food portion available through MFIP;

(2) a person who withdraws a cash or food assistance payment by electronic transfer or receives and cashes an MFIP assistance check or food coupons and is subsequently determined to be ineligible for assistance for that period of time is a participant, regardless whether that assistance is repaid;

(3) the caregiver relative and the minor child whose needs are included in the assistance payment;

(4) a person in an assistance unit who does not receive a cash and food assistance payment because the case has been suspended from MFIP; and

(5) a person who receives cash payments under family stabilization services under section 256J. See Minnesota Statutes 256J.08
Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
Person trained in domestic violence: means an individual who works for an organization that is designated by the Minnesota Center for Crime Victims Services as providing services to victims of domestic violence, or a county staff person who has received similar specialized training, and includes any other person or organization designated by a qualifying organization under this section. See Minnesota Statutes 256J.08
Recertification: means the periodic review of eligibility factors to determine an assistance unit's continued eligibility. See Minnesota Statutes 256J.08

(b) A county must provide employment and training services under sections 256J.515 to 256J.74 within 30 days after the caregiver is determined eligible for MFIP.

[See Note.]

Subd. 4.Service providing agencies.

Unless the provisions of subdivision 8 apply, a county must select at least two employment and training service providers. A county may opt to provide services on its own as one of these providers.

Subd. 5.

[Repealed, 1Sp2003 c 14 art 1 s 107]

Subd. 6.Explanatory materials required.

The county must:

(1) explain to applicants and recipients and provide explanatory materials regarding the relationship between the 60-month time limit on assistance funded with TANF dollars and the receipt of various benefits, including cash assistance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, medical assistance, and child care assistance; and

(2) provide assistance to applicants and recipients to enable them to minimize the use of their 60 allowable months of TANF-funded assistance.

Subd. 7.

[Repealed, 1Sp2003 c 14 art 1 s 107]

Subd. 8.County duty to ensure employment and training choices for participants.

Each county, or group of counties working cooperatively, shall make available to participants the choice of at least two employment and training service providers as defined under section 256J.49, subdivision 4, except in counties utilizing workforce centers that use multiple employment and training services, offer multiple services options under a collaborative effort and can document that participants have choice among employment and training services designed to meet specialized needs.

Subd. 9.Exception; financial hardship.

Notwithstanding subdivision 8, a county that explains in the service agreement required under section 256J.626, subdivision 4, that the provision of alternative employment and training service providers would result in financial hardship for the county is not required to make available more than one employment and training provider.

Subd. 10.Required notification to victims of family violence.

(a) County agencies and their contractors must provide universal notification to all applicants and recipients of MFIP that:

(1) referrals to counseling and supportive services are available for victims of family violence;

(2) nonpermanent resident battered individuals married to United States citizens or permanent residents may be eligible to petition for permanent residency under the federal Violence Against Women Act, and that referrals to appropriate legal services are available;

(3) victims of family violence are exempt from the 60-month limit on assistance if they are complying with an employment plan under section 256J.521, subdivision 3; and

(4) victims of family violence may choose to have regular work requirements waived while the individual is complying with an employment plan under section 256J.521, subdivision 3.

(b) If an employment plan under section 256J.521, subdivision 3, is denied, the county or a job counselor must provide reasons why the plan is not approved and document how the denial of the plan does not interfere with the safety of the participant or children.

Notification must be in writing and orally at the time of application and recertification, when the individual is referred to the title IV-D child support agency, and at the beginning of any job training or work placement assistance program.

Subd. 11.Coordination.

The county agency and the county agency’s employment and training providers must consult and coordinate with other providers of employment and training services to identify existing resources, in order to prevent duplication of services, to assure that other programs’ services are available to enable participants to achieve self-sufficiency, and to assure that costs for these other services for which participants are eligible are not incurred by MFIP. At a minimum, the county agency and its providers must coordinate with Jobs Training and Partnership Act providers and with any other relevant employment, training, and education programs in the county.

Subd. 12.Access to persons trained in domestic violence.

In a county where there is no staff person who is trained in domestic violence, as that term is defined in section 256J.08, subdivision 67a, the county must work with the nearest organization that is designated as providing services to victims of domestic violence to develop a process, which ensures that domestic violence victims have access to a person trained in domestic violence.