FIRST CONFERENCE REPORT
The Committee of Conference on the matters of difference between the two Houses concerning
Senate Bill No. 124, entitled
A bill to make appropriations for the department of human services for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016; and to provide for the expenditure of the appropriations.
Recommends:
First: That the House recede from the Substitute of the House as passed by the House.
Second: That the Senate and House agree to the Substitute of the Senate as passed by the Senate, amended to read as follows:
(attached)
Third: That the Senate and House agree to the title of the bill to read as follows:
A bill to make and supplement appropriations for the department of human services for the fiscal years ending September 30, 2015 and September 30, 2016; and to provide for the expenditure of the appropriations.
_______________________ ________________________
Peter MacGregor Earl Poleski
_______________________ ________________________
John Proos Michael D. McCready
_______________________ ________________________
Vincent Gregory Brian Banks
Conferees for the Senate Conferees for the House
SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 124
A bill to make and supplement appropriations for the
department of human services for the fiscal years ending September
30, 2015 and September 30, 2016; and to provide for the expenditure
of the appropriations.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
PART 1
LINE-ITEM APPROPRIATIONS
Sec. 101. There is appropriated for the department of human
services for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, from the
following funds:
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
APPROPRIATION SUMMARY
Full-time equated classified positions....... 11,749.9
Unclassified positions............................ 3.0
Total full-time equated positions............ 11,752.9
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ 5,514,814,700
Interdepartmental grant revenues:
Total interdepartmental grants and intradepartmental
transfers............................................ 11,420,100
ADJUSTED GROSS APPROPRIATION........................... $ 5,503,394,600
Federal revenues:
Social security act, temporary assistance for needy
families............................................. 516,393,700
Capped federal revenues................................ 596,696,200
Total other federal revenues........................... 3,270,260,000
Special revenue funds:
Total private revenues................................. 26,710,400
Total local revenues................................... 37,388,000
Total other state restricted revenues.................. 113,743,800
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ 942,202,500
State general fund/general purpose schedule:
Ongoing state general fund/general
purpose.................................. 941,802,500
One-time state general fund/general
purpose...................................... 400,000
Sec. 102. DEPARTMENTWIDE ADMINISTRATION
Total full-time equated positions............... 471.5
Full-time equated unclassified positions.......... 3.0
Full-time equated classified positions.......... 468.5
Unclassified salaries--3.0 FTE positions............... $ 356,500
Central administration--274.5 FTE positions............ 30,410,000
Contractual services, supplies, and materials.......... 12,680,800
Demonstration projects--7.0 FTE positions.............. 6,905,100
Office of inspector general--130.0 FTE positions....... 13,236,300
Child welfare licensing--57.0 FTE positions............ 5,539,800
State office of administrative hearings and rules...... 8,353,900
Travel................................................. 9,208,900
Rent and state office facilities....................... 49,663,900
Worker's compensation.................................. 2,461,300
Terminal pay and other employee costs.................. 10,320,200
Information technology projects and services........... 114,969,100
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ 264,105,800
Appropriated from:
Interdepartmental grant revenues:
IDG from department of education....................... 2,963,500
ADJUSTED GROSS APPROPRIATION........................... $ 261,142,300
Appropriated from:
Federal revenues:
Social security act, temporary assistance for needy
families............................................. 37,861,900
Capped federal revenues................................ 43,648,700
Total other federal revenues........................... 81,770,200
Special revenue funds:
Total private revenues................................. 3,806,800
Total local revenues................................... 16,400
Total state restricted revenues........................ 5,400
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ 94,032,900
Sec. 103. CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT
Full-time equated classified positions.......... 185.7
Child support enforcement operations--179.7 FTE
positions............................................ $ 21,910,600
Legal support contracts................................ 113,359,100
Child support incentive payments....................... 24,409,600
State disbursement unit--6.0 FTE positions............. 8,080,700
Child support automation............................... 41,877,600
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ 209,637,600
Appropriated from:
Federal revenues:
Capped federal revenues................................ 11,395,000
Total other federal revenues........................... 164,110,900
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ 34,131,700
Sec. 104. COMMUNITY SERVICES AND OUTREACH
Full-time equated classified positions........... 46.6
Bureau of community services and outreach--16.0 FTE
positions............................................ $ 2,065,600
Community services block grant......................... 25,840,000
Weatherization assistance.............................. 16,340,000
School success partnership program..................... 450,000
Homeless programs...................................... 15,721,900
Domestic violence prevention and treatment--14.6 FTE
positions............................................ 15,727,100
Rape prevention and services--0.5 FTE positions........ 5,072,300
Child advocacy centers--0.5 FTE position............... 2,000,000
Michigan community service commission--15.0 FTE
positions............................................ 11,593,900
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ 94,810,800
Appropriated from:
Federal revenues:
Social security act, temporary assistance for needy
families............................................. 11,673,100
Capped federal revenues................................ 66,215,400
Special revenue funds:
Private - collections.................................. 44,100
Compulsive gambling prevention fund.................... 1,040,500
Sexual assault victims' prevention and treatment fund.. 3,000,000
Child advocacy centers fund............................ 2,000,000
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ 10,837,700
Sec. 105. ADULT PROTECTIVE AND SUPPORT SERVICES
Full-time equated classified positions.......... 443.0
Guardian contract...................................... $ 540,200
Adult services policy and administration--18.0 FTE
positions............................................ 2,279,400
Elder law of Michigan MiCAFE contract.................. 350,000
Elder abuse prosecuting attorney....................... 300,000
Adult services field staff--425.0 FTE positions........ 43,807,400
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ 47,277,000
Appropriated from:
Federal revenues:
Social security act, temporary assistance for needy
families............................................. 40,000
Capped federal revenues................................ 17,663,800
Total other federal revenues........................... 14,551,300
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ 15,021,900
Sec. 106. CHILD WELFARE SERVICES
Full-time equated classified positions........ 3,835.2
Children's services administration--166.0 FTE
positions............................................ $ 18,637,200
Title IV-E compliance and accountability office--4.0
FTE positions........................................ 412,000
Child welfare institute--45.0 FTE positions............ 7,687,400
Child welfare field staff - caseload
compliance--2,511.0 FTE positions.................... 225,483,300
Child welfare field staff - noncaseload
compliance--320.0 FTE positions...................... 32,881,200
Education planners--15.0 FTE positions................. 1,485,300
Peer coaches--45.5 FTE positions....................... 5,567,700
Child welfare first line supervisors--578.0 FTE
positions............................................ 70,618,000
Second line supervisors and technical staff--54.0
FTE positions........................................ 8,650,900
Permanency resource managers--28.0 FTE positions....... 3,095,400
Contractual services, supplies, and materials.......... 9,274,000
Settlement monitor..................................... 1,885,800
Foster care payments................................... 187,783,300
Guardianship assistance program........................ 9,223,400
Child care fund........................................ 177,131,800
Child care fund administration--6.2 FTE positions...... 788,100
Adoption subsidies..................................... 229,337,200
Adoption support services--10.0 FTE positions.......... 27,243,600
Youth in transition--4.5 FTE positions................. 15,006,900
Child welfare medical/psychiatric evaluations.......... 8,735,500
Psychotropic oversight................................. 618,200
Performance based funding implementation--3.0 FTE
positions............................................ 1,772,100
Serious emotional disturbance mental health services... 6,340,500
Interstate compact..................................... 179,600
Strong families/safe children.......................... 12,350,100
Family preservation programs........................... 38,857,500
Family preservation and prevention services
administration--9.0 FTE positions.................... 1,263,100
Child abuse and neglect - children's justice
act--1.0 FTE position................................ 619,100
Children's trust fund--12.0 FTE positions.............. 3,301,800
Attorney general contract.............................. 4,224,900
Prosecuting attorney general contracts................. 2,561,700
Child protection....................................... 873,900
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ 1,113,890,500
Appropriated from:
Interdepartmental grant revenues:
IDG from department of education....................... 89,100
ADJUSTED GROSS APPROPRIATION........................... $ 1,113,801,400
Appropriated from:
Federal revenues:
Social security act, temporary assistance for needy
families............................................. 314,774,900
Capped federal revenues................................ 109,045,700
Total other federal revenues........................... 244,234,500
Special revenue funds:
Private - collections.................................. 2,805,900
Local funds - county chargeback........................ 14,194,000
Children's trust fund.................................. 2,076,900
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ 426,669,500
Sec. 107. JUVENILE JUSTICE SERVICES
Full-time equated classified positions.......... 112.0
W.J. Maxey Training School............................. $ 1,000,000
Bay Pines Center--42.0 FTE positions................... 4,823,100
Shawono Center--42.0 FTE positions..................... 4,908,200
County juvenile officers............................... 3,904,300
Community support services--3.0 FTE positions.......... 2,097,900
Juvenile justice, administration and
maintenance--22.0 FTE positions...................... 3,491,800
Juvenile accountability block grant--0.5 FTE position.. 1,281,300
Committee on juvenile justice administration--2.5
FTE positions........................................ 343,500
Committee on juvenile justice grants................... 3,000,000
In-home community care................................. 400,000
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ 25,250,100
Appropriated from:
Federal revenues:
Capped federal revenues................................ 9,232,700
Special revenue funds:
Local funds - state share education funds.............. 2,189,900
Local funds - county chargeback........................ 3,518,800
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ 10,308,700
Sec. 108. FIELD OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT SERVICES
Full-time equated classified positions........ 6,063.5
Public assistance field staff--4,693.5 FTE positions... $ 463,295,300
Contractual services, supplies, and materials.......... 17,224,900
Healthy Michigan plan administration................... 19,536,300
Medical/psychiatric evaluations........................ 1,420,100
Donated funds positions--538.0 FTE positions........... 60,147,600
Training and program support--17.0 FTE positions....... 2,047,700
Volunteer services and reimbursement................... 942,400
Field policy and administration--66.0 FTE positions.... 8,394,000
Nutrition education--2.0 FTE positions................. 23,036,600
Employment and training support services............... 4,219,100
Michigan rehabilitation services--526.0 FTE positions.. 130,927,900
Independent living..................................... 12,031,600
Wage employment verification reporting................. 847,300
Electronic benefit transfer (EBT)...................... 8,509,000
Administrative support workers--221.0 FTE positions.... 12,453,700
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ 765,033,500
Appropriated from:
Interdepartmental grant revenues:
IDG from department of corrections..................... 100,000
IDG from department of education....................... 7,503,700
ADJUSTED GROSS APPROPRIATION........................... $ 757,429,800
Appropriated from:
Federal revenues:
Social security act, temporary assistance for needy
families............................................. 102,025,900
Capped federal revenues................................ 136,392,200
Federal supplemental security income................... 8,588,600
Total other federal revenues........................... 237,459,200
Special revenue funds:
Local funds - donated funds............................ 10,934,300
Local vocational rehabilitation match.................. 6,534,600
Private funds - donated funds.......................... 18,199,000
Private funds - gifts, bequests, and donations......... 1,854,600
Rehabilitation service fees............................ 1,442,000
Second injury fund..................................... 149,400
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ 233,850,000
Sec. 109. DISABILITY DETERMINATION SERVICES
Full-time equated classified positions.......... 587.4
Disability determination operations--583.3 FTE
positions............................................ $ 109,419,900
Retirement disability determination--4.1 FTE positions. 591,200
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ 110,011,100
Appropriated from:
Interdepartmental grant revenues:
IDG from DTMB - office of retirement services.......... 763,800
ADJUSTED GROSS APPROPRIATION........................... $ 109,247,300
Appropriated from:
Federal revenues:
Total other federal revenues........................... 106,009,400
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ 3,237,900
Sec. 110. PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
Full-time equated classified positions............ 8.0
Family independence program............................ $ 112,992,700
State disability assistance payments................... 14,018,300
Food assistance program benefits....................... 2,419,025,900
State supplementation.................................. 63,194,100
State supplementation administration................... 2,381,100
Low-income home energy assistance program.............. 174,951,600
Food bank funding...................................... 1,795,000
Multicultural integration funding...................... 3,015,500
Indigent burial........................................ 4,300,000
Emergency services local office allocations............ 10,357,500
Michigan energy assistance program--1.0 FTE position... 50,000,000
Refugee assistance program--7.0 FTE positions.......... 27,966,600
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ 2,883,998,300
Appropriated from:
Federal revenues:
Social security act, temporary assistance for needy
families............................................. 49,617,900
Capped federal revenues................................ 203,102,700
Total other federal revenues........................... 2,413,535,900
Special revenue funds:
Child support collections.............................. 12,168,700
Supplemental security income recoveries................ 5,470,900
Public assistance recoupment revenue................... 6,290,000
Low-income energy assistance fund...................... 50,000,000
Michigan merit award trust fund........................ 30,100,000
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ 113,712,200
Sec. 111. ONE-TIME BASIS ONLY APPROPRIATIONS
Employment and training support services............... $ 800,000
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ 800,000
Appropriated from:
Federal revenues:
Social security act, temporary assistance for needy
families............................................. 400,000
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ 400,000
PART 1B
SUPPLEMENTAL LINE-ITEM APPROPRIATIONS
Sec. 151. There is appropriated for the department of human
services for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, from the
following funds:
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
APPROPRIATION SUMMARY
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ (19,055,200)
Interdepartmental grant revenues:
Total interdepartmental grants and intradepartmental
transfers............................................ 0
ADJUSTED GROSS APPROPRIATION........................... $ (19,055,200)
Federal revenues:
Social security act, temporary assistance for needy
families............................................. (8,896,200)
Capped federal revenues................................ 3,787,500
Total other federal revenues........................... (9,917,200)
Special revenue funds:
Total local revenues................................... (2,288,800)
Total private revenues................................. 485,300
Total other state restricted revenues.................. (3,676,200)
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ 1,450,400
Sec. 152. CHILD WELFARE SERVICES
Child care fund........................................ $ (4,356,300)
Adoption subsidies..................................... (10,119,500)
Guardianship assistance program........................ 881,800
Foster care............................................ 4,855,600
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ (8,738,400)
Appropriated from:
Federal revenues:
Social security act, temporary assistance for needy
families............................................. (3,894,000)
Capped federal revenues................................ 3,787,500
Total other federal revenues........................... (9,917,200)
Special revenue funds:
Private - collections.................................. 485,300
Local funds - county chargeback........................ (2,288,800)
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ 3,088,800
Sec. 153. PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
Family independence program............................ $ (10,734,300)
State disability assistance payments................... 351,500
State supplementation.................................. 66,000
GROSS APPROPRIATION.................................... $ (10,316,800)
Appropriated from:
Federal revenues:
Social security act, temporary assistance for needy
families............................................. (5,002,200)
Special revenue funds:
Child support collections.............................. (2,576,900)
Public assistance recoupment revenue................... (720,000)
Supplemental security income recoveries................ (379,300)
State general fund/general purpose..................... $ (1,638,400)
PART 2
PROVISIONS CONCERNING APPROPRIATIONS
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015-2016
GENERAL SECTIONS
Sec. 201. Pursuant to section 30 of article IX of the state
constitution of 1963, total state spending from state resources
under part 1 for fiscal year 2015-2016 is $1,055,946,300.00 and
state spending from state resources to be paid to local units of
government for fiscal year 2015-2016 is $93,327,700.00. The
itemized statement below identifies appropriations from which
spending to local units of government will occur:
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
Child care fund........................................ $ 89,250,000
County juvenile officers............................... 3,100,000
State disability assistance payments................... 966,000
Family independence program............................ 11,700
TOTAL.................................................. $ 93,327,700
Sec. 202. The appropriations authorized under this part are
subject to the management and budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1101
to 18.1594.
Sec. 203. As used in this part and part 1:
(a) "AFC" means adult foster care.
(b) "Current fiscal year" means the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2016.
(c) "Department" means the department of human services.
(d) "FTE" means full-time equated.
(e) "IDG" means interdepartmental grant.
(f) "MiCAFE" means Michigan's coordinated access to food for
the elderly.
(g) "Previous fiscal year" means the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2015.
(h) "Settlement" means the settlement agreement entered in the
case of Dwayne B. v Snyder, docket no. 2:06-cv-13548 in the United
States district court for the eastern district of Michigan.
(i) "SSI" means supplemental security income.
(j) "Temporary assistance for needy families" or "TANF" or
"title IV-A" means part A of title IV of the social security act,
42 USC 601 to 619.
(k) "Title IV-D" means part D of title IV of the social
security act, 42 USC 651 to 669b.
(l) "Title IV-E" means part E of title IV of the social
security act, 42 USC 670 to 679c.
Sec. 205. Pursuant to section 1b of the social welfare act,
1939 PA 280, MCL 400.1b, the department shall treat part 1 and this
part as a time-limited addendum to the social welfare act, 1939 PA
280, MCL 400.1 to 400.119b.
Sec. 206. In addition to the metrics required under section
447 of the management and budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1447, for
each new program or program enhancement for which funds in excess
of $1,000,000.00 are appropriated in part 1, the department shall
provide not later than November 1, 2015 a list of program-specific
metrics intended to measure its performance based on a return on
taxpayer investment. The department shall deliver the program-
specific metrics to members of the senate and house subcommittees
that have subject matter jurisdiction for this budget, fiscal
agencies, and the state budget director. The department shall
provide an update on its progress in tracking program-specific
metrics and the status of program success at an appropriations
subcommittee meeting called for by the subcommittee chair.
Sec. 207. (1) Sanctions, suspensions, conditions for
provisional license status, and other penalties shall not be more
stringent for private service providers than for public entities
performing equivalent or similar services.
(2) Neither the department nor private service providers or
licensees shall be granted preferential treatment or considered
automatically to be in compliance with administrative rules based
on whether they have collective bargaining agreements with direct
care workers. Private service providers or licensees without
collective bargaining agreements shall not be subjected to
additional requirements or conditions of licensure based on their
lack of collective bargaining agreements.
Sec. 208. Unless otherwise specified, the department shall use
the Internet to fulfill the reporting requirements of this part.
This requirement shall include transmission of reports via
electronic mail to the recipients identified for each reporting
requirement, and it shall include placement of reports on the
Internet.
Sec. 209. Funds appropriated in part 1 shall not be used for
the purchase of foreign goods or services, or both, if
competitively priced and of comparable quality American goods or
services, or both, are available. Preference should be given to
goods or services, or both, manufactured or provided by Michigan
businesses, if they are competitively priced and of comparable
quality. In addition, preference should be given to goods or
services, or both, that are manufactured or provided by Michigan
businesses owned and operated by veterans, if they are
competitively priced and of comparable quality.
Sec. 211. Funds appropriated in part 1 shall not be used by a
principal executive department, state agency, or authority to hire
a person to provide legal services that are the responsibility of
the attorney general. This prohibition does not apply to legal
services for bonding activities and for those outside services that
the attorney general authorizes.
Sec. 212. (1) In addition to funds appropriated in part 1 for
all programs and services, there is appropriated for write-offs of
accounts receivable, deferrals, and for prior year obligations in
excess of applicable prior year appropriations, an amount equal to
total write-offs and prior year obligations, but not to exceed
amounts available in prior year revenues or current year revenues
that are in excess of the authorized amount.
(2) The department's ability to satisfy appropriation fund
sources in part 1 shall not be limited to collections and accruals
pertaining to services provided in the current fiscal year, but
shall also include reimbursements, refunds, adjustments, and
settlements from prior years.
Sec. 213. The department may retain all of the state's share
of food assistance overissuance collections as an offset to general
fund/general purpose costs. Retained collections shall be applied
against federal funds deductions in all appropriation units where
department costs related to the investigation and recoupment of
food assistance overissuances are incurred. Retained collections in
excess of such costs shall be applied against the federal funds
deducted in the executive operations appropriation unit.
Sec. 214. On a quarterly basis, the department shall report on
the number of FTEs in pay status by type of staff.
Sec. 215. If a legislative objective of this part or of a bill
or amendment to a bill to amend the social welfare act, 1939 PA
280, MCL 400.1 to 400.119b, cannot be implemented because
implementation would conflict with or violate federal regulations,
the department shall notify the state budget director, the chairs
of the house and senate subcommittees on the department budget, and
the house and senate fiscal agencies and policy offices of that
fact.
Sec. 217. The departments and agencies receiving
appropriations in part 1 shall prepare a report on out-of-state
travel expenses not later than January 1 of each year. The travel
report shall be a listing of all travel by classified and
unclassified employees outside this state in the immediately
preceding fiscal year that was funded in whole or in part with
funds appropriated in the department's budget. The report shall be
submitted to the house and senate appropriations committees, the
house and senate fiscal agencies, and the state budget director.
The report shall include the following information:
(a) The dates of each travel occurrence.
(b) The transportation and related costs of each travel
occurrence, including the proportion funded with state general
fund/general purpose revenues, the proportion funded with state
restricted revenues, the proportion funded with federal revenues,
and the proportion funded with other revenues.
Sec. 218. From the funds appropriated in part 1 for travel
reimbursements to employees, the department shall allocate up to
$100,000.00 toward reimbursing counties for the out-of-pocket
travel costs of the local county department board members and
county department directors to attend 1 meeting per year of the
Michigan County Social Services Association.
Sec. 219. The department shall cooperate with the department
of technology, management, and budget to maintain a searchable
website accessible by the public at no cost that includes, but is
not limited to, all of the following for each department or agency:
(a) Fiscal year-to-date expenditures by category.
(b) Fiscal year-to-date expenditures by appropriation unit.
(c) Fiscal year-to-date payments to a selected vendor,
including the vendor name, payment date, payment amount, and
payment description.
(d) The number of active department employees by job
classification.
(e) Job specifications and wage rates.
Sec. 220. The department shall ensure that faith-based
organizations are able to apply and compete for services, programs,
or contracts that they are qualified and suitable to fulfill. The
department shall not disqualify faith-based organizations solely on
the basis of the religious nature of their organization or their
guiding principles or statements of faith.
Sec. 221. If the revenue collected by the department from
private and local sources exceeds the amount spent from amounts
appropriated in part 1, the revenue may be carried forward, with
approval from the state budget director, into the subsequent fiscal
year.
Sec. 222. (1) The department shall provide written
notification to the chairpersons of the senate and house
appropriations subcommittees on the budget for the department of
any policy changes at least 30 days before the implementation date.
(2) The department shall make the entire policy and procedures
manual available and accessible to the public via the department
website.
(3) The department shall report no later than April 1 of the
current fiscal year on each specific policy change made to
implement a public act affecting the department that took effect
during the prior calendar year to the house and senate
appropriations subcommittees on the budget for the department, the
joint committee on administrative rules, and the senate and house
fiscal agencies. The department shall attach each policy bulletin
issued during the prior calendar year to this report.
Sec. 229. Unless already provided in the previous fiscal year,
the department shall submit to the senate and house appropriations
subcommittees on the department budget, the senate and house fiscal
agencies, the senate and house policy offices, and the state budget
office by December 1 of the current fiscal year a report on the
recommendations of the workgroup established in section 229 of
article X of 2014 PA 252 on aligning spending on Michigan Works!
job readiness programs with the declining family independence
program caseload. The report shall include, but is not limited to,
the proposed amount of TANF funding provided to Michigan Works!
Sec. 233. By the end of each fiscal quarter of the current
fiscal year, the department shall report to the senate and house
appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the senate
and house fiscal agencies, and the senate and house policy offices
on the status of the merger, executed according to Executive Order
No. 2015-4, of the department of community health and the
department of human services to create the department of health and
human services. The report shall include all of the following
information:
(a) The impact on client service delivery or access to
services.
(b) Any cost increases or reductions that resulted from rent
or building occupancy changes.
(c) Any office closures or consolidations, or new office
locations, including hoteling stations.
(d) The number of FTE positions that were eliminated or added
due to duplication of efforts.
(e) Any other costs or savings associated with the merger.
Sec. 234. The department shall include specific outcome and
performance reporting requirements in the interagency agreement
with the Michigan strategic fund for TANF funding to provide job
readiness and welfare-to-work programming. TANF funding provided to
the Michigan strategic fund in the current fiscal year is
contingent on compliance with the data and reporting requirements
described in this section. The interagency agreement must require
the Michigan strategic fund to provide all of the following items
by January 1 of the current fiscal year for the previous year to
the senate and house appropriations committees:
(a) An itemized spending report on TANF funding, including all
of the following:
(i) Direct services to clients.
(ii) Administrative expenditures.
(b) The number of family independence program (FIP) clients
served through the TANF funding, including all of the following:
(i) The number and percentage who obtained employment through
Michigan Works!
(ii) The number and percentage who fulfilled their TANF work
requirement through other job readiness programming.
(iii) Average TANF spending per client.
(iv) The number and percentage of clients who were referred to
Michigan Works! but did not receive a job or job readiness
placement and the reasons why.
Sec. 240. The department shall notify the house and senate
appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the house
and senate fiscal agencies, and the house and senate policy offices
of any changes to a child welfare master contract template,
including the adoption master contract template, the independent
living plus master contract template, the placing agency foster
care master contract template, and the residential foster care
juvenile justice master contract template, not less than 30 days
before the change takes effect.
Sec. 264. The department shall not take disciplinary action
against an employee for communicating with a member of the
legislature or his or her staff.
Sec. 265. Within 14 days after the release of the executive
budget recommendation, the department shall cooperate with the
state budget office to provide the senate and house appropriations
chairs, the senate and house appropriations subcommittees chairs,
and the senate and house fiscal agencies with an annual report on
estimated state restricted fund balances, state restricted fund
projected revenues, and state restricted fund expenditures for the
fiscal years ending September 30, 2015 and September 30, 2016.
Sec. 274. (1) The department, in collaboration with the state
budget office, shall submit to the house and senate appropriations
subcommittees on the department budget, the house and senate fiscal
agencies, and the house and senate policy offices 1 week after the
day the governor submits to the legislature the budget for the
ensuing fiscal year a report on spending and revenue projections
for each of the capped federal funds listed below. The report shall
contain actual spending and revenue in the previous fiscal year,
spending and revenue projections for the current fiscal year as
enacted, and spending and revenue projections within the executive
budget proposal for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2015 for
each individual line item for the department budget. The report
shall also include federal funds transferred to other departments.
The capped federal funds shall include, but not be limited to, all
of the following:
(a) TANF.
(b) Title XX social services block grant.
(c) Title IV-B part I child welfare services block grant.
(d) Title IV-B part II promoting safe and stable families
funds.
(e) Low-income home energy assistance program.
(2) By February 15 of the current fiscal year, the department
shall prepare an annual report of its efforts to identify
additional TANF maintenance of effort sources and rationale for any
increases or decreases from all of the following, but not limited
to:
(a) Other departments.
(b) Local units of government.
(c) Private sources.
Sec. 279. (1) All master contracts relating to human services
shall be performance-based contracts that employ a client-centered
results-oriented process that is based on measurable performance
indicators and desired outcomes and includes the annual assessment
of the quality of services provided.
(2) By February 1 of the current fiscal year, the department
shall provide the senate and house appropriations subcommittees on
the department budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies and
policy offices, and the state budget office a report detailing
measurable performance indicators, desired outcomes, and an
assessment of the quality of services provided by the department
during the previous fiscal year.
Sec. 280. By the fifth business day of each month, the
department shall provide a report to the house and senate
appropriations committees, the house and senate fiscal agencies,
the house and senate policy offices, and the state budget director
that provides all of the following for each line item in part 1
containing personnel-related costs, including the specific
individual amounts for salaries and wages, payroll taxes, and
fringe benefits:
(a) FTE authorization.
(b) Spending authorization for personnel-related costs, by
fund source, under the spending plan.
(c) Actual year-to-date expenditures for personnel-related
costs, by fund source, through the end of the prior month.
(d) The projected year-end balance or shortfall for personnel-
related costs, by fund source, based on actual monthly spending
levels through the end of the prior month.
(e) A specific plan for addressing any projected shortfall for
personnel-related costs at either the gross or fund source level.
Sec. 284. (1) In addition to the funds appropriated in part 1,
there is appropriated an amount not to exceed $200,000,000.00 for
federal contingency funds. These funds are not available for
expenditure until they have been transferred to another line item
in part 1 under section 393(2) of the management and budget act,
1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1393. These funds shall not be made available
to increase TANF authorization.
(2) In addition to the funds appropriated in part 1, there is
appropriated an amount not to exceed $5,000,000.00 for state
restricted contingency funds. These funds are not available for
expenditure until they have been transferred to another line item
in part 1 under section 393(2) of the management and budget act,
1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1393.
(3) In addition to the funds appropriated in part 1, there is
appropriated an amount not to exceed $20,000,000.00 for local
contingency funds. These funds are not available for expenditure
until they have been transferred to another line item in part 1
under section 393(2) of the management and budget act, 1984 PA 431,
MCL 18.1393.
(4) In addition to the funds appropriated in part 1, there is
appropriated an amount not to exceed $20,000,000.00 for private
contingency funds. These funds are not available for expenditure
until they have been transferred to another line item in part 1
under section 393(2) of the management and budget act, 1984 PA 431,
MCL 18.1393.
Sec. 290. Any public advertisement for state assistance shall
also inform the public of the welfare fraud hotline operated by the
department.
Sec. 291. (1) The department shall verify, using the e-verify
system, that all new department employees, and new hire employees
of contractors and subcontractors paid from funds appropriated in
part 1, are legally present in the United States. The department
may verify this information directly or may require contractors and
subcontractors to verify the information and submit a certification
to the department.
(2) By February 15 of the current fiscal year, the department
shall submit to the house and senate appropriations subcommittees
on the department budget, the house and senate fiscal agencies, and
the house and senate policy offices a report on the number of new
department employees and new hire employees of contractors and
subcontractors that were found to not be legally present in the
United States.
Sec. 296. Not later than November 30, the state budget office
shall prepare and transmit a report that provides for estimates of
the total general fund/general purpose appropriation lapses at the
close of the prior fiscal year. This report shall summarize the
projected year-end general fund/general purpose appropriation
lapses by major departmental program or program areas. The report
shall be transmitted to the chairpersons of the senate and house
appropriations committees and the senate and house fiscal agencies.
Sec. 297. Total authorized appropriations from all sources
under part 1 for legacy costs for the fiscal year ending September
30, 2016 is $271,619,000.00. From this amount, total agency
appropriations for pension-related legacy costs are estimated at
$154,170,400.00. Total agency appropriations for retiree health
care legacy costs are estimated at $117,448,600.00.
Sec. 298. By March 1 of the current fiscal year, the
department shall provide to the senate and house appropriations
subcommittees on the department budget, the senate and house fiscal
agencies, and the senate and house policy offices an annual report
on the supervisor-to-staff ratio by department divisions and
subdivisions.
Sec. 299. The department shall maintain, on a publicly
accessible website, a department scorecard that identifies, tracks,
and regularly updates key metrics that are used to monitor and
improve the department's performance.
DEPARTMENTWIDE ADMINISTRATION
Sec. 307. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for
demonstration projects, $500,000.00 shall be distributed as
provided in subsection (2). The amount distributed under this
subsection shall not exceed 50% of the total operating expenses of
the program described in subsection (2), with the remaining 50%
paid by local United Way organizations and other nonprofit
organizations and foundations.
(2) Funds distributed under subsection (1) shall be
distributed to Michigan 2-1-1, a nonprofit corporation organized
under the laws of this state that is exempt from federal income tax
under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code, 26 USC
501(c)(3), and whose mission is to coordinate and support a
statewide 2-1-1 system. Michigan 2-1-1 shall use the funds only to
fulfill the Michigan 2-1-1 business plan adopted by Michigan 2-1-1
in January 2005.
(3) Michigan 2-1-1 shall refer to the department any calls
received reporting fraud, waste, or abuse of state-administered
public assistance.
(4) Michigan 2-1-1 shall report annually to the department and
the house and senate standing committees with primary jurisdiction
over matters relating to human services and telecommunications on
2-1-1 system performance, including, but not limited to, call
volume by community health and human service needs and unmet needs
identified through caller data and customer satisfaction metrics.
Sec. 310. It is the intent of the legislature that the
department shall work with youth-oriented nonprofit organizations
to provide mentoring programming for children of incarcerated
parents and other at-risk children.
Sec. 315. (1) The department, in conjunction with the
department of community health, organizations representing disabled
and elderly adults, representatives of assisted living facilities,
and the legislature, shall conduct a workgroup that explores
licensing standards and practices and performance measures for
facilities providing adult assisted living services in order to
ensure safe, adequately supervised, and protective environments for
those individuals and families seeking assisted living services.
(2) By November 1, 2015, the department shall provide to the
senate and house appropriations subcommittees on the department
budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies, the senate and house
policy offices, and the state budget office a report on the
findings of the workgroup that is described in subsection (1).
Sec. 316. From the funds appropriated in part 1 for terminal
leave payouts and other employee costs, the department shall not
spend in excess of its annual gross appropriation unless it
identifies and requests a legislative transfer from another
budgetary line item supporting administrative costs, as provided by
section 393(2) of the management and budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL
18.1393.
Sec. 320. Effective October 1, 2015, the department shall not
expend funds appropriated in part 1 for rental payments or
operational expenses for state lease number 2719 for the premises
located at 103 Court Street in Munising, Michigan.
Sec. 321. Effective October 1, 2015, the department shall not
expend funds appropriated in part 1 for rental payments or
operational expenses for state lease number 7692 for the premises
located at 660 South Saginaw in Flint, Michigan.
ADULT PROTECTIVE AND SUPPORT SERVICES
Sec. 401. (1) Funds appropriated in part 1 for independent
living shall be used to support centers for independent living in
delivering mandated independent living core services in compliance
with federal rules and regulations for the centers, by existing
centers for independent living to serve underserved areas, and for
projects to build the capacity of centers for independent living to
deliver independent living services. Applications for the funds
shall be reviewed in accordance with criteria and procedures
established by the department. The funds appropriated in part 1 may
be used to leverage federal vocational rehabilitation innovation
and expansion funds consistent with 34 CFR 361.35 up to
$5,543,000.00, if available. If the possibility of matching federal
funds exists, the centers for independent living network will
negotiate a mutually beneficial contractual arrangement with
Michigan rehabilitation services. Funds shall be used in a manner
consistent with the state plan for independent living. Services
provided should assist people with disabilities to move toward
self-sufficiency, including support for accessing transportation
and health care, obtaining employment, community living, nursing
home transition, information and referral services, education,
youth transition services, veterans, and stigma reduction
activities and community education. This includes the independent
living guide project that specifically focuses on economic self-
sufficiency.
(2) The Michigan centers for independent living shall provide
a report by March 1 of the current fiscal year to the house and
senate appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the
house and senate fiscal agencies, the house and senate policy
offices, and the state budget office on direct customer and system
outcomes and performance measures.
Sec. 402. The Michigan rehabilitation services shall work
collaboratively with the bureau of services for blind persons,
service organizations, and government entities to identify
qualified match dollars to maximize use of available federal
vocational rehabilitation funds.
Sec. 403. The department shall provide an annual report by
February 1 to the house and senate appropriations subcommittees on
the department budget, the house and senate fiscal agencies, and
house and senate policy offices on the efforts taken to remedy and
improve the deficiencies found in the most recent auditor general
report on Michigan rehabilitation services. The report shall
include all of the following items:
(a) Reductions and changes in administration costs and
staffing.
(b) Service delivery plans and implementation steps achieved.
(c) Reorganization plans and implementation steps achieved.
(d) Plans to integrate Michigan rehabilitative services
programs into other services provided by the department.
(e) Quarterly expenditures by major spending category.
(f) Employment and job retention rates from both Michigan
rehabilitation services and its nonprofit partners.
(g) Success rate of each district in achieving the program
goals.
Sec. 405. It is the intent of the legislature that Michigan
rehabilitation services shall not implement an order of selection
for vocational and rehabilitative services. If the department is at
risk of entering into an order of selection for services, the
department shall notify the chairs of the senate and house
subcommittees on the department budget and the senate and house
fiscal agencies and policy offices within 2 weeks of receiving
notification.
Sec. 406. From the funds appropriated in part 1 for Michigan
rehabilitation services, the department shall allocate
$6,100,300.00, including federal matching funds, to service
contracts with accredited, community-based rehabilitation
organizations for job development and other community employment-
related support services.
Sec. 420. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1, the
department shall contract with the Prosecuting Attorneys
Association of Michigan to provide the support and services
necessary to increase the capability of the state's prosecutors,
adult protective service system, and criminal justice system to
effectively identify, investigate, and prosecute elder abuse and
financial exploitation.
(2) By March 1 of the current fiscal year, the prosecuting
attorneys association shall provide a report on the efficacy of the
contract to the state budget office, the house and senate
appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the house
and senate fiscal agencies, and the house and senate policy
offices.
Sec. 423. From the funds appropriated in part 1 for Elder Law
of Michigan MiCAFE contract, the department shall allocate not less
than $350,000.00 to the Elder Law of Michigan MiCAFE to assist this
state's elderly population to participate in the food assistance
program. Of the $350,000.00 allocated under this section, the
department shall use $175,000.00, which are general fund/general
purpose funds, as state matching funds for not less than
$175,000.00 in United States Department of Agriculture funding to
provide outreach program activities, such as eligibility screen and
information services, as part of a statewide food assistance
hotline.
Sec. 425. From the funds appropriated in part 1, the
department shall provide individuals not more than $500.00 for
vehicle repairs, including any repairs done in the previous 12
months. However, the department may in its discretion pay for
repairs up to $900.00. Payments under this section shall include
the combined total of payments made by the department and work
participation program.
CHILD WELFARE SERVICES
Sec. 501. (1) A goal is established that not more than 27% of
all children in foster care at any given time during the current
fiscal year will have been in foster care for 24 months or more.
(2) By March 1 of the current fiscal year, the department
shall provide to the senate and house appropriations subcommittees
on the department budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies, the
senate and house policy offices, and the state budget office a
report describing the steps that will be taken to achieve the
specific goal established in this section and on the percentage of
children who currently are in foster care and who have been in
foster care a total of 24 or more months.
Sec. 502. From the funds appropriated in part 1 for foster
care, the department shall provide 50% reimbursement to Indian
tribal governments for foster care expenditures for children who
are under the jurisdiction of Indian tribal courts and who are not
otherwise eligible for federal foster care cost sharing.
Sec. 503. (1) In accordance with the final report of the
Michigan child welfare performance-based funding task force issued
in response to section 503 of article X of 2013 PA 59, the
department shall continue to develop actuarially sound case rates
for necessary out-of-home child welfare services that achieve
permanency by the department and private child placing agencies in
a prospective payment system under a performance-based funding
model.
(2) The department shall continue to develop a prospective
rate payment system for private agencies that includes funding for
adoption incentive payments. The full cost prospective rate payment
system will identify and cover contractual costs paid through the
case rate developed by an independent actuary.
(3) By September 30, 2016, the department shall complete a
full cost analysis of the performance-based funding model with
respect to the current fiscal year, including relevant information
on the actuarial rate-setting process, and provide a report on the
analysis to the senate and house appropriations subcommittees on
the department budget.
(4) In accordance with the final report of the Michigan child
welfare performance-based funding task force issued in response to
section 503 of article X of 2013 PA 59, the department shall
implement a 5-year independent, third-party evaluation of the
performance-based funding model. The evaluator shall be selected
through a competitive process by a rating committee that includes,
but is not limited to, representatives from the department and
private child placing agencies.
(5) The department shall only phase the implementation of the
performance-based funding model into additional counties where the
department, private child welfare agencies, the county, and the
court operating within that county have agreed to implement the
performance-based funding model.
(6) The department, in conjunction with members from both the
house of representatives and senate, private child placing
agencies, the courts, and counties shall implement the
recommendations that are described in the workgroup report that was
provided in section 503 of article X of 2013 PA 59 to establish a
performance-based funding for public and private child welfare
services providers. The department shall provide a quarterly report
on the status of the performance-based contracting model to the
senate and house appropriations subcommittees on the department
budget, the senate and house standing committees on families and
human services, and the senate and house fiscal agencies and policy
offices.
(7) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for the performance-
based funding model pilot, the department may develop a master
agreement with a consortium, recognized by the Internal Revenue
Service as tax-exempt as defined under section 501(c)(3) of the
internal revenue code of 1986, 26 USC 501, consisting of a network
of affiliated child welfare service providers, to accept and
comprehensively assess referred youth, assign cases to members of
its continuum or leverage services from other entities, and make
appropriate case management decisions during the duration of a
case. The consortium shall operate an integrated continuum of care
structure, with services provided by both private and public
agencies, based on individual case needs. The consortium shall
demonstrate significant organizational capacity and competencies,
including experience with managing risk-based contracts, financial
strength, experienced staff and leadership, and appropriate
governance structure.
Sec. 504. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for
performance-based funding implementation, the department shall
provide $500,000.00 in 1-time funding to support a portion of the
first-year start-up costs to operate a consortium in Kent County
for a performance-based child welfare contracting pilot program.
Allowable start-up costs include $300,000.00 for administration,
facilities, initial salaries, and wages and $200,000.00 for
information technology infrastructure.
(2) The department may establish a master agreement with a
consortium. The consortium must be recognized by this state as a
nonprofit organization and must have submitted an application to
the Internal Revenue Service for 501(c)(3) status. The consortium
shall consist of a network of affiliated child welfare service
providers that will accept and comprehensively assess referred
youth, assign cases to members of its continuum or leverage
services from other entities, and make appropriate case management
decisions during the duration of a case.
(3) The consortium shall operate an integrated continuum of
care structure, with services provided by private or public
agencies, based on individual case needs. The consortium shall
demonstrate significant organizational capacity and competencies,
including financial strength, experienced staff and leadership, and
appropriate governance structure.
(4) By March 1 of the current fiscal year, the consortium
shall provide to the department and the house and senate
appropriations subcommittees on the department budget a report on
the status of the implementation of the consortium, including, but
not limited to, actual expenditures.
Sec. 505. By March 1 of the current fiscal year, the
department and Wayne County shall provide to the senate and house
appropriations committees on the department budget, the senate and
house fiscal agencies and policy offices, and the state budget
office a report for youth served in the previous fiscal year and in
the first quarter of the current fiscal year outlining the number
of youth served within each juvenile justice system, the type of
setting for each youth, performance outcomes, and financial costs
or savings.
Sec. 507. The department's ability to satisfy appropriation
deducts in part 1 for foster care private collections shall not be
limited to collections and accruals pertaining to services provided
only in the current fiscal year but may include revenues collected
during the current fiscal year for services provided in prior
fiscal years.
Sec. 508. (1) In addition to the amount appropriated in part 1
for children's trust fund grants, money granted or money received
as gifts or donations to the children's trust fund created by 1982
PA 249, MCL 21.171 to 21.172, is appropriated for expenditure.
(2) The department and the child abuse neglect and prevention
board shall collaborate to ensure that administrative delays are
avoided and the local grant recipients and direct service providers
receive money in an expeditious manner. The department and board
shall make available the children's trust fund contract funds to
grantees within 31 days of the start date of the funded project.
Sec. 511. The department shall provide quarterly reports to
the senate and house appropriations subcommittees on the department
budget, the senate and house standing committees on families and
human services, and the senate and house fiscal agencies and policy
offices on the number and percentage of children who received
timely health examinations after entry into foster care and the
number and percentage of children entering foster care who received
a required mental health examination after entry into foster care.
Sec. 513. (1) The department shall not expend funds
appropriated in part 1 to pay for the direct placement by the
department of a child in an out-of-state facility unless all of the
following conditions are met:
(a) There is no appropriate placement available in this state
as determined by the department interstate compact office.
(b) An out-of-state placement exists that is nearer to the
child's home than the closest appropriate in-state placement as
determined by the department interstate compact office.
(c) The out-of-state facility meets all of the licensing
standards of this state for a comparable facility.
(d) The out-of-state facility meets all of the applicable
licensing standards of the state in which it is located.
(e) The department has done an on-site visit to the out-of-
state facility, reviewed the facility records, reviewed licensing
records and reports on the facility, and believes that the facility
is an appropriate placement for the child.
(2) The department shall not expend money for a child placed
in an out-of-state facility without approval of the deputy director
for children's services. The department shall notify the
appropriate state agency in that state including the name of the
out-of-state provider who accepted the placement.
(3) The department shall submit an annual report to the state
court administrative office, the house and senate appropriations
subcommittees on the department budget, the house and senate fiscal
agencies, and the house and senate policy offices on the number of
Michigan children residing in out-of-state facilities at the time
of the report, the total cost and average per diem cost of these
out-of-state placements to this state, and a list of each such
placement arranged by the Michigan county of residence for each
child.
(4) The department shall submit an annual report by February
15 of the current fiscal year on per diem costs of each residential
care provider that has an established state rate and is located or
doing business in this state.
(5) It is the intent of the legislature that the department
shall work in conjunction with the courts and the state court
administrative office to identify data needed to calculate
statewide recidivism rates for adjudicated youth placed in either
residential secure or nonsecure facilities, defined at 6 months
after a youth is released from placement.
(6) By March 1 of the current fiscal year, the department
shall notify the legislature on the status of efforts to accomplish
the intent of subsection (5).
Sec. 514. The department shall make a comprehensive report
concerning children's protective services (CPS) to the legislature,
including the senate and house policy offices and the state budget
director, by January 1 of the current fiscal year, that shall
include all of the following:
(a) Statistical information including, at a minimum, all of
the following:
(i) The total number of reports of child abuse or neglect
investigated under the child protection law, 1975 PA 238, MCL
722.621 to 722.638, and the number of cases classified under
category I or category II and the number of cases classified under
category III, category IV, or category V.
(ii) Characteristics of perpetrators of child abuse or neglect
and the child victims, such as age, relationship, race, and
ethnicity and whether the perpetrator exposed the child victim to
drug activity, including the manufacture of illicit drugs, that
exposed the child victim to substance abuse, a drug house, or
methamphetamine.
(iii) The mandatory reporter category in which the individual
who made the report fits, or other categorization if the individual
is not within a group required to report under the child protection
law, 1975 PA 238, MCL 722.621 to 722.638.
(iv) The number of cases that resulted in the separation of
the child from the parent or guardian and the period of time of
that separation, up to and including termination of parental
rights.
(v) For the reported complaints of child abuse or neglect by
teachers, school administrators, and school counselors, the number
of cases classified under category I or category II and the number
of cases classified under category III, category IV, or category V.
(vi) For the reported complaints of child abuse or neglect by
teachers, school administrators, and school counselors, the number
of cases that resulted in separation of the child from the parent
or guardian and the period of time of that separation, up to and
including termination of parental rights.
(b) New policies related to children's protective services
including, but not limited to, major policy changes and court
decisions affecting the children's protective services system
during the immediately preceding 12-month period.
(c) The information contained in the report required under
section 8d(5) of the child protection law, 1975 PA 238, MCL
722.628d, on cases classified under category III.
(d) The department policy, or changes to the department
policy, regarding children who have been exposed to the production
or manufacture of methamphetamines.
Sec. 515. By March 1, 2016, the department shall submit a
report to the senate and house appropriations subcommittees on the
department budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies, the senate
and house policy offices, and the state budget office that provides
an update on the privatization of child welfare services in Kent
County as described in section 515 of article X of 2013 PA 59 and
includes all of the following:
(a) Costs or savings that resulted from the program.
(b) Gaps in funding.
(c) Program successes.
(d) Challenges and barriers to a successful implementation.
Sec. 519. The department shall permit any private agency that
has an existing contract with this state to provide foster care
services to be also eligible to provide treatment foster care
services.
Sec. 522. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for youth
in transition, the department shall allocate $750,000.00 for
college scholarships through the fostering futures scholarship
program in the Michigan education trust to youths who were in
foster care because of child abuse or neglect and are attending a
college located in this state. Of the funds appropriated, 100%
shall be used to fund scholarships for the youths described in this
section.
(2) Not later than March 1 of the current fiscal year, the
department shall provide a report to the house and senate
appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the house
and senate fiscal agencies, and the house and senate policy offices
that includes the number of youths who received scholarships and
the amount of each scholarship, and the total amount of funds spent
or encumbered in the current fiscal year.
Sec. 523. (1) By February 15 of the current fiscal year, the
department shall report on the families first, family
reunification, and families together building solutions family
preservation programs to the senate and house appropriations
subcommittees on the department budget, the senate and house fiscal
agencies, the senate and house policy offices, and the state budget
office. The report shall contain all of the following for each
program:
(a) The average cost per recipient served.
(b) Measurable performance indicators.
(c) Desired outcomes or results and goals that can be measured
on an annual basis, or desired results for a defined number of
years.
(d) Monitored results.
(e) Innovations that may include savings or reductions in
administrative costs.
(2) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for youth in
transition and domestic violence prevention and treatment, the
department is authorized to make allocations of TANF funds only to
agencies that report necessary data to the department for the
purpose of meeting TANF eligibility reporting requirements.
Sec. 524. As a condition of receiving funds appropriated in
part 1 for strong families/safe children, counties must submit the
service spending plan to the department by October 1 of the current
fiscal year for approval. The department shall approve the service
spending plan within 30 calendar days after receipt of a properly
completed service spending plan.
Sec. 525. The department shall implement the same on-site
evaluation processes for privately operated child welfare and
juvenile justice residential facilities as is used to evaluate
state-operated facilities. Penalties for noncompliance shall be the
same for privately operated child welfare and juvenile justice
residential facilities and state-operated facilities.
Sec. 526. From the funds appropriated in part 1 for foster
care payments and related administrative costs, the department may
implement the federally approved title IV-E child welfare waiver
demonstration project. As required under the waiver, any savings
resulting from the demonstration project must be quantified and
reinvested into child welfare programming.
Sec. 532. (1) The department, in collaboration with
representatives of private child and family agencies, shall revise
and improve the annual licensing review process and the annual
contract compliance review process for child placing agencies and
child caring institutions. The improvement goals shall be safety
and care for children. Improvements to the review process shall be
directed toward alleviating administrative burdens so that agency
resources may be focused on children. The revision shall include
identification of duplicative staff activities and information
sought from child placing agencies and child caring institutions in
the annual review process. The department shall report to the
senate and house appropriations subcommittees on the department
budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies and policy offices,
and the state budget director on or before January 15 of the
current fiscal year on the findings of the annual licensing review.
(2) The department shall conduct licensing reviews no more
than once every 2 years for child placing agencies and child caring
institutions that are nationally accredited and have no outstanding
violations.
Sec. 533. (1) The department shall make payments to child
placing facilities for in-home and out-of-home care services and
adoption services within 30 days of receiving all necessary
documentation from those agencies.
(2) The department shall provide a report on the status of the
implementation and operation of this section by February 15 of the
current fiscal year.
Sec. 534. The department shall report to the senate and house
appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the senate
and house fiscal agencies, the senate and house policy offices, and
the state budget office by November 1 of the current fiscal year a
report on the planning, implementation, and operation, regardless
of the current operational status, of the statewide automated child
welfare information system. The report shall include, but not be
limited to, all of the following:
(a) Areas where implementation went as planned.
(b) The number of known issues.
(c) The average number of help tickets submitted per day.
(d) Any additional overtime or other staffing costs to address
known issues and volume of help tickets.
(e) Any contract revisions to address known issues and volume
of help tickets.
(f) Other strategies undertaken to improve implementation.
Sec. 537. (1) The department, in collaboration with child
placing agencies, shall develop a strategy to implement section
115o of the social welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.115o. The
strategy shall include a requirement that a department caseworker
responsible for preparing a recommendation to a court concerning a
juvenile placement shall provide, as part of the recommendation,
information regarding the requirements of section 115o of the
social welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.115o.
(2) Between February 1 and February 29, 2016, the department
shall provide to the senate and house appropriations subcommittees
on the department budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies, the
senate and house policy offices, and the state budget office a
report on the strategy described in subsection (1).
Sec. 540. If a physician or psychiatrist who is providing
services to state or court wards placed in a residential facility
submits a formal request to the department to change the
psychotropic medication of a ward, the department shall, if the
ward is a state ward, make a determination on the proposed change
within 7 business days after the request or, if the ward is a
temporary court ward, seek parental consent within 7 business days
after the request. If parental consent is not provided within 7
business days, the department shall petition the court on the
eighth business day.
Sec. 546. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for foster
care payments and from child care fund, the department shall pay
providers of foster care services not less than a $37.00
administrative rate.
(2) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for foster care
payments and from child care fund, the department shall pay
providers of general independent living services not less than a
$28.00 administrative rate.
(3) From the funds appropriated in part 1, the department
shall pay providers of independent living plus services statewide
per diem rates for staff-supported housing and host-home housing
based on proposals submitted in response to a solicitation for
pricing. The independent living plus program provides staff-
supported housing and services for foster youth ages 16 through 19
who, because of their individual needs and assessments, are not
initially appropriate for general independent living foster care.
(4) From the funds appropriated in part 1, the department
shall pay providers of foster care services an additional $3.00
administrative rate, provided that section 117a of the social
welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.117a, is amended to eliminate the
county match rate for the additional administrative rate provided
in this subsection. Payments under this subsection shall be made,
not less than, on a monthly basis.
(5) If required by the federal government to meet title IV-E
requirements, providers of foster care services shall submit
quarterly expenditure reports to the department to identify actual
costs of providing foster care services.
(6) From the funds appropriated in part 1, the department
shall provide an increase to each private provider of residential
services, if section 117a of the social welfare act, 1939 PA 280,
MCL 400.117a, is amended to eliminate the county match rate for the
additional rate provided in this section.
Sec. 547. From the funds appropriated in part 1 for the
guardianship assistance program, the department shall pay a minimum
rate that is not less than the approved age-appropriate payment
rates for youth placed in family foster care.
Sec. 556. No later than December 1 for the current fiscal
year, the department shall provide an annual report to the
subcommittees of the senate and house appropriations committees on
the department budget, the house and senate fiscal agencies, and
the state budget director that includes the following:
(a) The number of complaints filed by adoptive parents who
were not notified that their adopted child had special needs.
(b) The number of cases that received redetermined adoption
assistance as defined in section 115f of the social welfare act,
1939 PA 280, MCL 400.115f, the total expenditures on the program,
and the number of cases in each determination of care level of
payment.
Sec. 558. (1) The department shall explore ways to maximize
use of training programs or courses provided through the child
welfare training institute accessible online and in service areas
throughout the state, provided the delivery is an appropriate
option for achieving specific learning objectives. These training
programs and courses shall be made available to employees of
private child placing agencies and child caring institutions.
(2) The department shall submit to the senate and house
appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the senate
and house fiscal agencies, the senate and house policy offices, and
the state budget office by March 1 of the current fiscal year a
report on the training programs or courses provided through the
child welfare training institute described in subsection (1), and
the annual cost for each program or course. The report shall
include the following data:
(a) The number of training programs or courses that were
provided for private agencies.
(b) The number of employees from private agencies who attended
any training.
(c) The number of training programs or courses that were
provided through an online forum.
(d) The number of training programs or courses that were
provided in local service areas.
Sec. 559. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for
adoption support services, the department shall allocate
$350,000.00 to the Adoptive Family Support Network by December 1 of
the current fiscal year to operate and expand its adoptive parent
mentor program to provide a listening ear, knowledgeable guidance,
and community connections to adoptive parents and children who were
adopted in this state or another state.
(2) The Adoptive Family Support Network shall submit to the
senate and house appropriations subcommittees on the department
budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies, the senate and house
policy offices, and the state budget office by March 1 of the
current fiscal year a report on the program described in subsection
(1), including, but not limited to, the number of cases served and
the number of cases in which the program prevented an out-of-home
placement.
Sec. 562. The department shall provide time and travel
reimbursements for foster parents who transport a foster child to
parent-child visitations. As part of the foster care parent
contract, the department shall provide written confirmation to
foster parents that states that the foster parents have the right
to request these reimbursements for all parent-child visitations.
The department shall provide these reimbursements within 60 days of
receiving a request for eligible reimbursements from a foster
parent.
Sec. 564. (1) The department shall develop a clear policy for
parent-child visitations. The local county offices, caseworkers,
and supervisors shall meet a 50% success rate, after accounting for
factors outside of the caseworker's control.
(2) Per the court-ordered number of required meetings between
caseworkers and parent, the caseworkers shall achieve a success
rate of 65%, after accounting for factors outside of the
caseworker's control.
(3) Between February 1 and February 29, 2016, the department
shall provide to the senate and house appropriations subcommittees
on the department budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies, the
senate and house policy offices, and the state budget office a
report on the following:
(a) The percentage of success rate for parent-child
visitations and court-ordered required meetings between caseworkers
referenced in subsections (1) and (2) for the previous year.
(b) The barriers to achieve the success rates in subsections
(1) and (2) and how this information is tracked.
Sec. 567. (1) The caseworker or supervisor who is assigned to
a foster care case is responsible for completing a medical passport
for the cases assigned to him or her. If a child in foster care is
transferred to a new placement or returned to his or her parent's
or guardian's home, the medical passport and any school records in
the caseworkers' or supervisors' possession must be transferred
within 2 weeks from the date of placement or return to the home.
(2) The department shall submit to the senate and house
appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the senate
and house fiscal agencies, the senate and house policy offices, and
the state budget office by March 1 of the current fiscal year a
report on the items described in subsection (1), including the
following:
(a) The percentage of medical passports that were properly
filled out.
(b) From the total medical passports transferred, the
percentage that transferred within 2 weeks from the date of
placement or return to the home.
(c) From the total school records, the percentage that
transferred within 2 weeks from the date of placement or return to
the home.
(d) The implementation steps that have been taken to improve
the outcomes for the measures in subdivisions (a) and (b).
Sec. 568. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for
adoption subsidies, the department shall pay a minimum adoption
subsidy rate that is not less than 95% of the rate that was or
would have been provided for the adoptee in family foster care at
the time of the adoption. This rate includes the determination of
care rate that was paid or would have been paid to the adoptive
parent for the adoptee in a family foster care placement, and this
amount shall be increased to reflect any increase in the standard
age appropriate foster care rate.
(2) "Determination of care rate" as described in this section
means a supplemental payment to the standard age appropriate foster
care rate that may be justified when extraordinary care or expense
is required. The supplemental payment is based on 1 or more of the
following case situations where additional care is required of the
foster care provider or adoptive parent or an additional expense
exists:
(a) Physically disabled children for whom the adoptive parent
must provide measurably greater supervision and care.
(b) Children with special psychological or psychiatric needs
that require extra time and measurably greater amounts of care and
attention by the adoptive parent.
(c) Children requiring special diets that are more expensive
than a normal diet and that require extra time and effort by the
adoptive parent to obtain or prepare.
(d) Children whose severe acting-out or antisocial behavior
requires a measurably greater amount of care and attention of the
adoptive parent.
(3) The department shall, on a separate form, allow an
adoptive parent to sign a certification that he or she rejects a
support subsidy.
(4) If this section conflicts with state statute enacted
subsequent to this act, the state statute controls.
Sec. 569. The department shall reimburse private child placing
agencies that complete adoptions at the rate according to the date
on which the petition for adoption and required support
documentation was accepted by the court and not according to the
date the court's order placing for adoption was entered.
Sec. 574. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for foster
care payments, $2,500,000.00 is allocated to support performance-
based contracts with child placing agencies to facilitate the
licensure of relative caregivers as foster parents. Agencies shall
receive $2,300.00 for each facilitated licensure if completed
within 180 days after a child's placement or, if a waiver was
previously approved, 180 days from the application date. If the
facilitated licensure, or approved waiver, is completed after 180
days, the agency shall receive up to $2,300.00. The agency
facilitating the licensure would retain the placement and continue
to provide case management services for at least 50% of the newly
licensed cases for which the placement was appropriate to the
agency. Up to 50% of the newly licensed cases would have direct
foster care services provided by the department.
(2) From the funds appropriated for foster care payments,
$375,000.00 is allocated to support family incentive grants to
private and community-based foster care service providers to assist
with home improvements or payment for physical exams for applicants
needed by foster families to accommodate foster children.
Sec. 583. By February 1 of the current fiscal year, the
department shall provide to the senate and house appropriations
subcommittees on the department budget, the senate and house
standing committees on families and human services, the senate and
house fiscal agencies and policy offices, and the state budget
office a report that includes:
(a) The number and percentage of foster parents that dropped
out of the program in the previous fiscal year and the reasons the
foster parents left the program and how those figures compare to
prior fiscal years.
(b) The number and percentage of foster parents successfully
retained in the previous fiscal year and how those figures compare
to prior fiscal years.
Sec. 585. The department shall make available at least 1 pre-
service training class each month in which new caseworkers for
private foster care and adoption agencies can enroll.
Sec. 587. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 to in-home
community care programs, $400,000.00 shall be used to expand or
create new in-home care and community-based juvenile justice
services to rural counties through a grant-making process. Counties
that received funds for the purpose described in section 587 of
article X of 2013 PA 59 are not eligible to receive the funds in
this section. The department shall expend the full amount of funds
for the purpose described in this section by January 15 of the
current fiscal year.
(2) By March 1 of the current fiscal year, the department
shall submit a report that describes the program expansion and
expenditures in detail to the senate and house appropriations
subcommittees on the department budget, the senate and house fiscal
agencies, and the senate and house policy offices.
Sec. 588. (1) Concurrently with public release, the department
shall transmit all reports from the court-appointed settlement
monitor, including, but not limited to, the needs assessment and
period outcome reporting, to the state budget office, the senate
and house appropriations subcommittees on the department budget,
and the senate and house fiscal agencies, without revision.
(2) The department shall report quarterly to the state budget
office, the senate and house appropriations subcommittees on the
department budget, and the senate and house fiscal agencies, on the
number of children enrolled in the guardianship assistance and
foster care - children with serious emotional disturbance waiver
programs.
Sec. 589. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for child
care fund, the department shall pay 100% of the administrative rate
for all new cases referred to providers of foster care services
beginning on October 1, 2013.
(2) On a monthly basis, the department shall report on the
number of all foster care cases administered by the department and
all foster care cases administered by private providers.
Sec. 593. The department may allow residential service
providers for abuse and neglect cases to implement a staff ratio
during working hours of 1 staff to 5 children.
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
Sec. 601. Whenever a client agrees to the release of his or
her name and address to the local housing authority, the department
shall request from the local housing authority information
regarding whether the housing unit for which vendoring has been
requested meets applicable local housing codes. Vendoring shall be
terminated for those units that the local authority indicates in
writing do not meet local housing codes until such time as the
local authority indicates in writing that local housing codes have
been met.
Sec. 602. The department shall establish a policy to conduct a
full evaluation of an individual's assistance needs if the
individual has applied for disability more than 1 time within a 1-
year period.
Sec. 603. Between February 1 and February 29, 2016, the
department shall provide to the senate and house appropriations
subcommittees on the department budget, the senate and house fiscal
agencies, the senate and house policy offices, and the state budget
office a report on the findings of the maximizing Medicaid claim
workgroup established in section 603 of article X of 2014 PA 252,
including the steps taken to implement the action plan developed by
the workgroup, and the department's ongoing efforts to maximize
Medicaid claims for foster children and adjudicated youths.
Sec. 604. (1) The department shall operate a state disability
assistance program. Except as provided in subsection (3), persons
eligible for this program shall include needy citizens of the
United States or aliens exempted from the supplemental security
income citizenship requirement who are at least 18 years of age or
emancipated minors meeting 1 or more of the following requirements:
(a) A recipient of supplemental security income, social
security, or medical assistance due to disability or 65 years of
age or older.
(b) A person with a physical or mental impairment which meets
federal supplemental security income disability standards, except
that the minimum duration of the disability shall be 90 days.
Substance abuse alone is not defined as a basis for eligibility.
(c) A resident of an adult foster care facility, a home for
the aged, a county infirmary, or a substance abuse treatment
center.
(d) A person receiving 30-day postresidential substance abuse
treatment.
(e) A person diagnosed as having acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome.
(f) A person receiving special education services through the
local intermediate school district.
(g) A caretaker of a disabled person who meets the
requirements specified in subdivision (a), (b), (e), or (f).
(2) Applicants for and recipients of the state disability
assistance program shall be considered needy if they:
(a) Meet the same asset test as is applied for the family
independence program.
(b) Have a monthly budgetable income that is less than the
payment standards.
(3) Except for a person described in subsection (1)(c) or (d),
a person is not disabled for purposes of this section if his or her
drug addiction or alcoholism is a contributing factor material to
the determination of disability. "Material to the determination of
disability" means that, if the person stopped using drugs or
alcohol, his or her remaining physical or mental limitations would
not be disabling. If his or her remaining physical or mental
limitations would be disabling, then the drug addiction or
alcoholism is not material to the determination of disability and
the person may receive state disability assistance. Such a person
must actively participate in a substance abuse treatment program,
and the assistance must be paid to a third party or through vendor
payments. For purposes of this section, substance abuse treatment
includes receipt of inpatient or outpatient services or
participation in alcoholics anonymous or a similar program.
Sec. 605. The level of reimbursement provided to state
disability assistance recipients in licensed adult foster care
facilities shall be the same as the prevailing supplemental
security income rate under the personal care category.
Sec. 606. County department offices shall require each
recipient of family independence program and state disability
assistance who has applied with the social security administration
for supplemental security income to sign a contract to repay any
assistance rendered through the family independence program or
state disability assistance program upon receipt of retroactive
supplemental security income benefits.
Sec. 607. (1) The department's ability to satisfy
appropriation deductions in part 1 for state disability
assistance/supplemental security income recoveries and public
assistance recoupment revenues shall not be limited to recoveries
and accruals pertaining to state disability assistance, or family
independence assistance grant payments provided only in the current
fiscal year, but may include revenues collected during the current
year that are prior year related and not a part of the department's
accrued entries.
(2) The department may use supplemental security income
recoveries to satisfy the deduct in any line in which the revenues
are appropriated, regardless of the source from which the revenue
is recovered.
Sec. 608. Adult foster care facilities providing domiciliary
care or personal care to residents receiving supplemental security
income or homes for the aged serving residents receiving
supplemental security income shall not require those residents to
reimburse the home or facility for care at rates in excess of those
legislatively authorized. To the extent permitted by federal law,
adult foster care facilities and homes for the aged serving
residents receiving supplemental security income shall not be
prohibited from accepting third-party payments in addition to
supplemental security income provided that the payments are not for
food, clothing, shelter, or result in a reduction in the
recipient's supplemental security income payment.
Sec. 609. The state supplementation level under the
supplemental security income program for the personal care/adult
foster care and home for the aged categories shall not be reduced
during the current fiscal year. The legislature shall be notified
not less than 30 days before any proposed reduction in the state
supplementation level.
Sec. 610. (1) In developing good cause criteria for the state
emergency relief program, the department shall grant exemptions if
the emergency resulted from unexpected expenses related to
maintaining or securing employment.
(2) For purposes of determining housing affordability
eligibility for state emergency relief, a group is considered to
have sufficient income to meet ongoing housing expenses if their
total housing obligation does not exceed 75% of their total net
income.
(3) State emergency relief payments shall not be made to
individuals who have been found guilty of fraud in regard to
obtaining public assistance.
(4) State emergency relief payments shall not be made
available to persons who are out-of-state residents or illegal
immigrants.
(5) State emergency relief payments for rent assistance shall
be distributed directly to landlords and shall not be added to
Michigan bridge cards.
Sec. 611. The state supplementation level under the
supplemental security income program for the living independently
or living in the household of another categories shall not exceed
the minimum state supplementation level as required under federal
law or regulations.
Sec. 613. (1) The department shall provide reimbursements for
the final disposition of indigent persons. The reimbursements shall
include the following:
(a) The maximum allowable reimbursement for the final
disposition is $800.00.
(b) The adult burial with services allowance is $720.00.
(c) The adult burial without services allowance is $485.00.
(d) The infant burial allowance is $165.00.
(2) It is the intent of the legislature that this charge limit
reflect a total increase of $20.00 per case in payments to funeral
directors for funeral goods and services over the payment rate in
place for the previous fiscal year. In addition, reimbursement for
a cremation permit fee of up to $75.00 and for mileage at the
standard rate will also be made available for an eligible
cremation. The reimbursements under this section shall take into
consideration religious preferences that prohibit cremation.
Sec. 614. The department shall report to the senate and house
of representatives appropriations subcommittees on the department
budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies, and the senate and
house policy offices by January 15 of the current fiscal year on
the number and percentage of state disability assistance recipients
who were determined to be eligible for federal supplemental
security income benefits in the previous fiscal year.
Sec. 615. Except as required by federal law or regulations,
funds appropriated in part 1 shall not be used to provide public
assistance to a person who is an illegal alien. This section shall
not prohibit the department from entering into contracts with food
banks, emergency shelter providers, or other human services
agencies who may, as a normal part of doing business, provide food
or emergency shelter.
Sec. 616. The department shall require retailers that
participate in the electronic benefits transfer program to charge
no more than $2.50 in fees for cash back as a condition of
participation.
Sec. 617. The department shall prepare a report on the number
and percentage of public assistance recipients, categorized by type
of assistance received, who were no longer eligible for assistance
because of their status in the law enforcement information network
and provide the report by January 15 of the current fiscal year to
the senate and house appropriations subcommittees on the department
budget, the senate and house standing committees on families and
human services, and the senate and house fiscal agencies and policy
offices.
Sec. 619. (1) Subject to subsection (2), the department shall
exempt from the denial of title IV-A assistance and food assistance
benefits under 21 USC 862a any individual who has been convicted of
a felony that included the possession, use, or distribution of a
controlled substance, after August 22, 1996, provided that the
individual is not in violation of his or her probation or parole
requirements. Benefits shall be provided to such individuals as
follows:
(a) A third-party payee or vendor shall be required for any
cash benefits provided.
(b) An authorized representative shall be required for food
assistance receipt.
(2) Subject to federal approval, an individual is not entitled
to the exemption in this section if the individual was convicted in
2 or more separate cases of a felony that included the possession,
use, or distribution of a controlled substance after August 22,
1996.
Sec. 620. (1) The department shall make a determination of
Medicaid eligibility not later than 90 days if disability is an
eligibility factor. For all other Medicaid applicants, including
patients of a nursing home, the department shall make a
determination of Medicaid eligibility within 45 days of
application.
(2) The department shall report on May 1 and November 1 of the
current fiscal year to the senate and house appropriations
subcommittees on the department budget, the senate and house
standing committees on families and human services, and the senate
and house fiscal agencies and policy offices on the average
Medicaid eligibility standard of promptness for each of the
required standards of promptness under subsection (1) and for
medical review team reviews achieved statewide and at each local
office.
Sec. 625. The department may contract with the Legal Services
Association of Michigan to provide assistance to individuals who
have applied for or wish to apply for SSI or other federal
disability benefits. The Legal Services Association of Michigan
shall provide a list of new clients accepted to the department to
verify that services have been provided to department clients. The
Legal Services Association of Michigan and the department shall
work together to develop release forms to share information in
appropriate cases. The Legal Services Association of Michigan shall
provide quarterly reports indicating cases opened, cases closed,
level of services provided on closed cases, and case outcomes on
closed cases.
Sec. 630. From the funds appropriated in part 1 for family
independence program, the department shall implement a suspicion-
based drug testing pilot program for the family independence
program according to sections 57y and 57z of the social welfare
act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.57y and 400.57z.
Sec. 642. The department shall allocate the full amount of
funds appropriated in part 1 for homeless programs to provide
services for homeless individuals and families, including, but not
limited to, third-party contracts for emergency shelter services.
Sec. 643. As a condition of receipt of federal TANF funds,
homeless shelters and human services agencies shall collaborate
with the department to obtain necessary TANF eligibility
information on families as soon as possible after admitting a
family to the homeless shelter. From the funds appropriated in part
1 for homeless programs, the department is authorized to make
allocations of TANF funds only to the agencies that report
necessary data to the department for the purpose of meeting TANF
eligibility reporting requirements. Homeless shelters or human
services agencies that do not report necessary data to the
department for the purpose of meeting TANF eligibility reporting
requirements will not receive reimbursements which exceed the per
diem amount they received in fiscal year 2000. The use of TANF
funds under this section should not be considered an ongoing
commitment of funding.
Sec. 645. An individual or family is considered homeless, for
purposes of eligibility for state emergency relief, if living
temporarily with others in order to escape domestic violence. For
purposes of this section, domestic violence is defined and verified
in the same manner as in the department's policies on good cause
for not cooperating with child support and paternity requirements.
Sec. 653. From the funds appropriated in part 1 for food
assistance, an individual who is the victim of domestic violence
and does not qualify for any other exemption may be exempt from the
3-month in 36-month limit on receiving food assistance under 7 USC
2015. This exemption can be extended an additional 3 months upon
demonstration of continuing need.
Sec. 654. The department shall notify recipients of food
assistance program benefits that their benefits can be spent with
their bridge cards at many farmers' markets in the state. The
department shall also notify recipients about the Double Up Food
Bucks program that is administered by the Fair Food Network.
Recipients shall receive information about the Double Up Food Bucks
program, including information that when the recipient spends
$20.00 at participating farmers' markets through the program, the
recipient can receive an additional $20.00 to buy Michigan produce.
Sec. 655. Within 14 days after the spending plan for low-
income home energy assistance program is approved by the state
budget office, the department shall provide the spending plan,
including itemized projected expenditures, to the chairpersons of
the senate and house appropriations subcommittees on the department
budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies, and the senate and
house policy offices.
Sec. 660. From the funds appropriated in part 1 for food bank
funding, the department is authorized to make allocations of TANF
funds only to the agencies that report necessary data to the
department for the purpose of meeting TANF eligibility reporting
requirements. The agencies that do not report necessary data to the
department for the purpose of meeting TANF eligibility reporting
requirements will not receive allocations in excess of those
received in fiscal year 2000. The use of TANF funds under this
section should not be considered an ongoing commitment of funding.
Sec. 669. The department shall allocate $2,880,000.00 for the
annual clothing allowance. The allowance shall be granted to all
eligible children in a family independence program group that does
not include an adult.
Sec. 672. (1) The department's office of inspector general
shall report to the senate and house of representatives
appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the senate
and house fiscal agencies, and the senate and house policy offices
by February 15 of the current fiscal year on department efforts to
reduce inappropriate use of Michigan bridge cards. The department
shall provide information on the number of recipients of services
who used their electronic benefit transfer card inappropriately and
the current status of each case, the number of recipients whose
benefits were revoked, whether permanently or temporarily, as a
result of inappropriate use, and the number of retailers that were
fined or removed from the electronic benefit transfer program for
permitting inappropriate use of the cards.
(2) As used in this section, "inappropriate use" means not
used to meet a family's ongoing basic needs, including food,
clothing, shelter, utilities, household goods, personal care items,
and general incidentals.
Sec. 673. (1) The department shall conduct a workgroup to
investigate means of minimizing fraud in the MIBridges benefits
programs. The members of the workgroup shall include, but are not
limited to, the departments of state and state police and members
of the house of representatives and the senate. The workgroup
shall, at a minimum, address the following possibilities and make
recommendations on the implementation of any of the following items
considered feasible:
(a) Whether the department's policies concerning the
replacement of lost bridge cards sufficiently deter improper use of
those cards.
(b) What technologies may exist to deter the sale or other
improper use of bridge cards.
(c) Whether a state driver license or state identification
card might be used to replace the existing bridge cards.
(d) What federal policies exist that may inhibit or enhance
adoption of fraud minimization actions.
(2) By February 1, 2016, the department shall provide to the
senate and house appropriations subcommittees on the department
budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies, the senate and house
policy offices, and the state budget office a report on the
workgroup findings. The report shall include a draft request for
information to implement any recommended proposals, an action plan
for implementation of any proposed changes, and an estimate of the
costs that may be incurred and benefits that may be gained from the
adoption of recommended workgroup suggestions.
Sec. 677. (1) The department shall establish a state goal for
the percentage of family independence program cases involved in
employment activities. The percentage established shall not be less
than 50%. The goal for long-term employment shall be 15% of cases
for 6 months or more.
(2) On a monthly basis, the department shall report to the
senate and house appropriations subcommittees on the department
budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies and policy offices,
and the state budget director on the number of cases referred to
Partnership. Accountability. Training. Hope. (PATH), the current
percentage of family independence program cases involved in PATH
employment activities, an estimate of the current percentage of
family independence program cases that meet federal work
participation requirements on the whole, and an estimate of the
current percentage of the family independence program cases that
meet federal work participation requirements for those cases
referred to PATH.
(3) The department shall submit to the senate and house
appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the senate
and house fiscal agencies, the senate and house policy offices, and
the state budget office a quarterly report that includes all of the
following:
(a) The number and percentage of nonexempt family independence
program recipients who are employed.
(b) The average and range of wages of employed family
independence program recipients.
(c) When data become available, the number and percentage of
employed family independence program recipients who remain employed
for 6 months or more.
Sec. 686. (1) The department shall ensure that program policy
requires caseworkers to confirm that individuals presenting
personal identification issued by another state seeking assistance
through the family independence program, food assistance program,
state disability assistance program, or medical assistance program
are not receiving benefits from any other state.
(2) The department shall require caseworkers to confirm the
address provided by any individual seeking family independence
program benefits or state disability assistance benefits.
(3) The department shall prohibit individuals with property
assets assessed at a value higher than $200,000.00 from accessing
assistance through department-administered programs, unless such a
prohibition would violate federal rules and guidelines.
(4) The department shall require caseworkers to obtain an up-
to-date telephone number during the eligibility determination or
redetermination process for individuals seeking medical assistance
benefits. On a monthly basis, the department shall provide the
department of community health with an updated list of telephone
numbers for medical assistance recipients.
Sec. 687. (1) The department shall, on a quarterly basis by
February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1, compile and make
available on its website all of the following information about the
family independence program, state disability assistance, the food
assistance program, Medicaid, and state emergency relief:
(a) The number of applications received.
(b) The number of applications approved.
(c) The number of applications denied.
(d) The number of applications pending and neither approved
nor denied.
(e) The number of cases opened.
(f) The number of cases closed.
(g) The number of cases at the beginning of the quarter and
the number of cases at the end of the quarter.
(2) The information provided under subsection (1) shall be
compiled and made available for the state as a whole and for each
county and reported separately for each program listed in
subsection (1).
(3) The department shall, on a quarterly basis by February 1,
May 1, August 1, and November 1, compile and make available on its
website the family independence program information listed as
follows:
(a) The number of new applicants who successfully met the
requirements of the 21-day assessment period for PATH.
(b) The number of new applicants who did not meet the
requirements of the 21-day assessment period for PATH.
(c) The number of cases sanctioned because of the school
truancy policy.
(d) The number of cases closed because of the 48-month and 60-
month lifetime limits.
(e) The number of first-, second-, and third-time sanctions.
(f) The number of children ages 0-5 living in FIP-sanctioned
households.
(4) The department shall notify the state budget office, the
senate and house appropriations subcommittees on the department
budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies, and the senate and
house policy offices when the reports required in this section are
made available on the department's website.
Sec. 695. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for
multicultural integration funding, the department may require each
contractor to provide data and information on performance-related
metrics. These metrics may include, but are not limited to, all of
the following:
(a) Each contractor or subcontractor shall have a mission that
is consistent with the purpose of multicultural integration
funding.
(b) Each contractor shall validate that any subcontractors
utilized within these appropriations share the same mission as the
lead agency receiving funding.
(c) Each contractor or subcontractor shall demonstrate cost-
effectiveness.
(d) Each contractor or subcontractor shall ensure their
ability to leverage private dollars to strengthen and maximize
service provision.
(e) Each contractor or subcontractor shall provide timely and
accurate reports regarding the number of clients served, units of
service provision, and ability to meet their stated goals.
(2) The department shall require an annual report from the
contractors that receive multicultural integration funding. The
annual report, due 60 days following the end of the contract
period, shall include specific information on services and programs
provided, the client base to which the services and programs were
provided, information on any wraparound services provided, and the
expenditures for those services. The department shall provide the
annual reports to the senate and house appropriations subcommittees
on the department budget, the senate and house fiscal agencies, and
the state budget office.
(3) The department of community health and the department
shall convene a workgroup to discuss and make recommendations on
including accreditation in the contractor specifications and
potentially moving toward competitive bidding. Each contractor
required to provide data per this section shall be invited to
participate in the workgroup if so convened.
JUVENILE JUSTICE SERVICES
Sec. 701. Unless required from changes to federal or state law
or at the request of a provider, the department shall not alter the
terms of any signed contract with a private residential facility
serving children under state or court supervision without written
consent from a representative of the private residential facility.
Sec. 706. Counties shall be subject to 50% chargeback for the
use of alternative regional detention services, if those detention
services do not fall under the basic provision of section 117e of
the social welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.117e, or if a county
operates those detention services programs primarily with
professional rather than volunteer staff.
Sec. 707. In order to be reimbursed for child care fund
expenditures, counties are required to submit department-developed
reports to enable the department to document potential federally
claimable expenditures. This requirement is in accordance with the
reporting requirements specified in section 117a(7) of the social
welfare act, 1939 PA 280, MCL 400.117a.
Sec. 708. (1) As a condition of receiving funds appropriated
in part 1 for the child care fund line item, by December 15 of the
current fiscal year, counties shall have an approved service
spending plan for the current fiscal year. Counties must submit the
service spending plan to the department by October 1 of the current
fiscal year for approval. The department shall approve within 30
calendar days after receipt a properly completed service plan that
complies with the requirements of the social welfare act, 1939 PA
280, MCL 400.1 to 400.119b, and shall notify a county within 30
days after approval that its service plan was approved.
(2) The department shall submit a report to the house and
senate appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the
house and senate fiscal agencies, and the house and senate policy
offices by February 15 of the current fiscal year on the number of
counties that fail to submit a service spending plan by October 1
and the number of service spending plans not approved by December
15.
Sec. 709. (1) The department shall close the W.J. Maxey
Training School no later than October 15, 2015. The department
shall ensure that staff employed at the W.J. Maxey Training School
be given priority for new staff positions that they are qualified
to fulfill, in accordance with applicable collective bargaining
agreements and civil service rules.
(2) Youth placed at the W.J. Maxey Training School shall
transfer to other comparable juvenile justice residential
facilities within this state no later than October 1, 2015 to
complete the duration of their placements. The individual treatment
plans for each youth transferred shall be tailored to the needs of
the youth and family and, when appropriate, shall include family
engagement and face-to-face interaction with the youth. The youth
shall not be transferred to an adult correctional facility or a
county jail.
(3) The department's master contract for juvenile justice
residential foster care services shall be amended to prohibit
contractors from denying a referral for placement of a youth, or
terminating a youth's placement, if the youth's assessed treatment
needs are in alignment with the facility's residential program
type, as identified by the court or the department. In addition,
the master contract shall require that youth placed in juvenile
justice residential foster care facilities must have regularly
scheduled treatment sessions with a licensed psychologist or
psychiatrist, or both, and access to the licensed psychologist or
psychiatrist as needed.
(4) The rates established for private residential juvenile
justice facilities that were in effect on October 1, 2015 remain in
effect for the current fiscal year.
(5) The department shall submit a quarterly report by November
1, February 1, May 1, and August 1 to the senate and house
appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the senate
and house fiscal agencies, and the senate and house policy offices
on the current placement and status of the youth transferred from
the W.J. Maxey Training School during the previous and current
fiscal year as a result of the closure.
Sec. 711. The department shall submit an implementation plan
based on the report recommendations provided in the behavioral
health study of juvenile justice facilities operated or contracted
for by the state that was conducted in the previous fiscal year to
the senate and house appropriations subcommittees on human
services, the senate and house fiscal agencies and policy offices,
and the state budget director.
Sec. 719. The department shall notify the legislature at least
30 days before closing or making any change in the status,
including the licensed bed capacity and operating bed capacity, of
a state juvenile justice facility.
Sec. 721. If the demand for placements at state-operated
juvenile justice residential facilities exceeds capacity, the
department shall not increase the available occupancy or services
at the facilities, and shall post a request for proposals for a
contract with not less than 1 private provider of residential
services for juvenile justice youth to be a residential facility of
last resort.
FIELD OPERATIONS AND SUPPORT SERVICES
Sec. 750. (1) The department shall maintain out-stationed
eligibility specialists in community-based organizations, community
mental health agencies, nursing homes, and hospitals unless a
community-based organization, community mental health agency,
nursing home, or hospital requests that the program be discontinued
at its facility.
(2) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for donated funds
positions, the department shall enter into a contract with any
agency that requests a donated funds position and is able and
eligible under federal law to provide the required matching funds
for federal funding, as determined by federal statute and
regulations. If the department denies a request for donated funds
positions, the department shall provide to the agency that made the
request the federal statute or regulation that supports the denial.
If there is no federal statute or regulation that supports the
denial, the department shall grant the request for the donated
funds position.
(3) A contract for a donated funds position must include, but
not be limited to, the following performance metrics:
(a) Meeting a standard of promptness for processing
applications for Medicaid and other public assistance programs
under state law.
(b) Meeting required standards for error rates in determining
programmatic eligibility as determined by the department.
(4) The department shall only fill additional donated funds
positions after a new contract has been signed. That position shall
also be abolished when the contract expires or is terminated.
(5) The department shall classify as limited-term FTEs any new
employees who are hired to fulfill the donated funds position
contracts or are hired to fill any vacancies from employees who
transferred to a donated funds position.
(6) Beginning in fiscal year 2016, the department may increase
the total number of donated funds positions by 200.0 FTEs. The
purpose of these positions will be to address client service needs
in adult placement and independent living settings, federal
qualified health clinics, hospitals with a high degree of
uncompensated care, and employer-based sites.
Sec. 751. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for
Healthy Michigan plan administration, the department, in
conjunction with the department of community health, shall
establish and maintain an accounting structure within the Michigan
administrative information network that will allow expenditures
associated with the administration of the Healthy Michigan plan to
be identified.
(2) The department shall submit to the senate and house
appropriations subcommittees on the department budget, the senate
and house fiscal agencies, the senate and house policy offices, and
the state budget office a quarterly report on the implementation
status of the Healthy Michigan call center that includes all of the
following information:
(a) Call volume during the prior quarter.
(b) Percentage of calls resolved through the Healthy Michigan
plan call center.
(c) Percentage of calls transferred to a local department
office or other office for resolution.
(d) Number of Medicaid applications completed by the Healthy
Michigan call center staff and submitted on behalf of clients.
CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT
Sec. 901. (1) The appropriations in part 1 assume a total
federal child support incentive payment of $26,500,000.00.
(2) From the federal money received for child support
incentive payments, $12,000,000.00 shall be retained by the state
and expended for child support program expenses.
(3) From the federal money received for child support
incentive payments, $14,500,000.00 shall be paid to the counties
based on each county's performance level for each of the federal
performance measures as established in 45 CFR 305.2.
(4) If the child support incentive payment to the state from
the federal government is greater than $26,500,000.00, then 100% of
the excess shall be retained by the state and is appropriated until
the total retained by the state reaches $15,397,400.00.
(5) If the child support incentive payment to the state from
the federal government is greater than the amount needed to satisfy
the provisions identified in subsections (1), (2), (3), and (4),
the additional funds shall be subject to appropriation by the
legislature.
(6) If the child support incentive payment to the state from
the federal government is less than $26,500,000.00, then the state
and county share shall each be reduced by 50% of the shortfall.
Sec. 909. (1) If statewide retained child support collections
exceed $38,300,000.00, 75% of the amount in excess of
$38,300,000.00 is appropriated to legal support contracts. This
excess appropriation may be distributed to eligible counties to
supplement and not supplant county title IV-D funding.
(2) Each county whose retained child support collections in
the current fiscal year exceed its fiscal year 2004-2005 retained
child support collections, excluding tax offset and financial
institution data match collections in both the current year and
fiscal year 2004-2005, shall receive its proportional share of the
75% excess.
Sec. 910. (1) If title IV-D-related child support collections
are escheated, the state budget director is authorized to adjust
the sources of financing for the funds appropriated in part 1 for
legal support contracts to reduce federal authorization by 66% of
the escheated amount and increase general fund/general purpose
authorization by the same amount. This budget adjustment is
required to offset the loss of federal revenue due to the escheated
amount being counted as title IV-D program income in accordance
with federal regulations at 45 CFR 304.50.
(2) The department shall notify the chairs of the house and
senate appropriations subcommittees on the department budget and
the house and senate fiscal agencies within 15 days of the
authorization adjustment in subsection (1).
COMMUNITY SERVICES AND OUTREACH
Sec. 1108. (1) From the funds appropriated in part 1 for
school success partnership program, the department shall allocate
$450,000.00 by December 1 of the current fiscal year to support the
Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency programming, which will
take place in each county in the Governor's Prosperity Region 3.
The department shall require the following performance objectives
be measured and reported for the duration of the state funding for
the school success partnership program:
(a) Increasing school attendance and decreasing chronic
absenteeism.
(b) Increasing academic performance based on grades with
emphasis on math and reading.
(c) Identifying barriers to attendance and success and
connecting families with resources to reduce these barriers.
(d) Increasing parent involvement with the parent's child's
school and community.
(2) The Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency shall
provide reports to the department on January 31 and June 30 of the
current fiscal year on the number of children and families served
and the services that were provided to families to meet the
performance objectives identified in this section. The department
shall distribute the reports within 1 week after receipt to the
house and senate appropriations subcommittees on the department
budget, house and senate fiscal agencies, and house and senate
policy offices.
PART 2A
PROVISIONS CONCERNING ANTICIPATED APPROPRIATIONS
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2016-2017
GENERAL SECTIONS
Sec. 1201. It is the intent of the legislature to provide
appropriations for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2017 for
the line items listed in part 1. The fiscal year 2016-2017
appropriations are anticipated to be the same as those for fiscal
year 2015-2016, except that the line items will be adjusted for
changes in caseload and related costs, federal fund match rates,
economic factors, and available revenue. These adjustments will be
determined after the January 2016 consensus revenue estimating
conference.
PART 2B
PROVISIONS CONCERNING APPROPRIATIONS
FOR FISCAL YEAR 2014-2015
GENERAL SECTIONS
Sec. 2201. Pursuant to section 30 of article IX of the state
constitution of 1963, total state spending from state resources
under part 1B for the fiscal year 2014-2015 is ($2,225,800.00) and
state spending from state resources to be paid to local units of
government for fiscal year 2014-2015 is ($2,221,700.00). The
itemized statement below identifies appropriations from which
spending to local units of government will occur:
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
Child care fund........................................ ($2,221,700)
TOTAL.................................................. ($2,221,700)
Sec. 2202. The appropriations authorized under this part are
subject to the management and budget act, 1984 PA 431, MCL 18.1101
to 18.1594.