Bill > HF4195

This bill modifies existing law regarding grants for youth intervention programs, which are defined as non-residential, community-based programs offering advocacy, education, counseling, mentoring, and referral services to youth and their families facing personal, school, legal, or substance abuse issues, with the aim of resolving current problems and preventing future ones. The bill changes the requirement for the commissioner from "may" make grants to "must" make grants, though these are limited by available appropriations and cannot exceed $75,000 per grant. A key change is that these grants are now contingent upon the recipient agency securing local matching money equal to the grant amount from the community where the program operates, a requirement intended to leverage both state and community investments. Applications for these grants must now be submitted, and the commissioner is responsible for providing the application form, submission procedures, review criteria, and a description of what qualifies as local matching contributions. Additionally, the bill increases the portion of the appropriation that can be used for a grant to the Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association from five to six percent, for purposes such as collaboration, program development, training, technical assistance, and data tracking and reporting, and this association is exempt from the local matching requirement. Finally, the reporting requirements for the Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association are updated, with the report now needing to be submitted to committees with jurisdiction over children and youth, and the report must include more detailed information on grant recipients, services provided, and program outcomes.