Bill > SF446

This bill modifies home and community-based services standards for out-of-home respite care services for children by establishing new requirements for providing such services in unlicensed residential settings. Specifically, the bill allows licensed providers to offer respite care in unlicensed settings under strict conditions, including completing background studies, obtaining case manager assessments of the residential setting, getting legal representative authorization, limiting the number of children served (no more than four), ensuring individual bedrooms, prohibiting mixed-age services, restricting service duration (no more than 46 calendar days per year and ten consecutive days), maintaining a clean licensing record, and ensuring that only employees of the license holder are present during service provision. The bill requires comprehensive documentation of background studies, service dates, residential assessments, and legal approvals. Notably, the bill explicitly states that these provisions do not apply to children in foster care and sets an effective date of January 1, 2026, or upon federal approval, whichever occurs later. The goal appears to be creating flexible yet safe options for respite care services for children with specific safeguards to protect their well-being.

Government Affairs, Health and Social Services

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF0446&ssn=0&y=2025