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Committee hears bill to commission fiscal analysis of Minnesota child welfare funding
Summary
Lawmakers and experts told the House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee that a contracted fiscal analysis could identify federal and other funding streams Minnesota is not fully using; the committee laid House File 2,135 over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill after adopting a DE3 amendment.
House File 2,135, carried in the Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee by Representative Pinto, would direct the Department of Children, Youth and Families to contract with an external consultant to conduct a comprehensive fiscal analysis of Minnesota’s child welfare funding and report back to the Legislature.
The bill as amended (DE3) was adopted and the measure was laid over for possible inclusion in a later omnibus bill.
The bill’s author, Representative Pinto, said the study would examine the state’s complex mix of county, state and federal funding and aim to “maximize our receipt and use of funding streams and federal resources.” Tracy Laliberte, who testified for the University of Minnesota School of Social Work’s research and training center for child welfare, told the committee Minnesota is one of the states with the lowest state contribution to child welfare and that counties and tribes currently shoulder a disproportionate share of costs.
“We do not know the full composition and the gaps in the financial foundation of the Minnesota Child Welfare Services,” Laliberte said. She recommended an external, independent analysis to improve transparency and to identify federal and other funding sources the state and counties might be able to access.
Members asked about cost. Committee fiscal staff reported that a similar study last year carried a net cost to the state of about $170,000 after federal match; the committee did not adopt a specific appropriation in the DE3 and directed staff to return fiscal details as they become available.
Some members cautioned about overreliance on studies. Representative Olsen said some past reports have been expensive and offered little new guidance, but he acknowledged the complexity of Minnesota’s state-supervised, county-administered system and said the measure “may be necessary.”
Supporters and witnesses told the committee the study could identify unused federal opportunities such as provisions in the Family First Prevention Services Act and help counties with low property-tax bases access resources.
House File 2,135 (as amended) was laid over for possible inclusion in a later omnibus bill.
The bill will receive further fiscal analysis and possible drafting refinements before any final action.
