Subdivision 1. Planning for enterprise activities. The commissioner of human services is directed to study and make recommendations to the legislature on establishing enterprise activities within state-operated services. Before implementing an enterprise activity, the commissioner must obtain statutory authorization for its implementation, except that the commissioner has authority to implement enterprise activities for adult mental health, adolescent services, and to establish a public group practice without statutory authorization. Enterprise activities are defined as the range of services, which are delivered by state employees, needed by people with disabilities and are fully funded by public or private third-party health insurance or other revenue sources available to clients that provide reimbursement for the services provided. Enterprise activities within state-operated services shall specialize in caring for vulnerable people for whom no other providers are available or for whom state-operated services may be the provider selected by the payer. In subsequent biennia after an enterprise activity is established within a state-operated service, the base state appropriation for that state-operated service shall be reduced proportionate to the size of the enterprise activity.

Subd. 2. Required components of any proposal; considerations. In any proposal for an enterprise activity brought to the legislature by the commissioner, the commissioner must demonstrate that there is public or private third-party health insurance or other revenue available to the people served, that the anticipated revenues to be collected will fully fund the services, that there will be sufficient funds for cash flow purposes, and that access to services by vulnerable populations served by state-operated services will not be limited by implementation of an enterprise activity. In studying the feasibility of establishing an enterprise activity, the commissioner must consider:

(1) creating public or private partnerships to facilitate client access to needed services;

(2) administrative simplification and efficiencies throughout the state-operated services system;

(3) converting or disposing of buildings not utilized and surplus lands; and

(4) exploring the efficiencies and benefits of establishing state-operated services as an independent state agency.

History: 1999 c 245 art 5 s 9; 1Sp2005 c 4 art 5 s 10