HF4714

Purpose

• Create a Legislative Working Group on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to review state and county demographic data and identify gaps in disability services for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD).

Main provisions and goals

• Establish a working group to study gaps in the availability and delivery of disability services for people with IDD, using state and county demographic data.
• Require findings to inform improvements in service areas such as case management, housing, work options, transportation, direct support professionals, life enrichment, and day services.
• Produce a final report by January 1, 2027 with recommendations and a summary of the group’s work, plus an itemized list of gaps and shortcomings in 87 counties and guidance on using demographic data for program decisions.

Membership and structure

• The group will have 18 members total:
  • 16 members of the legislature appointed by the leaders of each caucus.
  • The chairs and ranking minority members (or cochairs, as applicable) of the committees with primary jurisdiction over IDD programs at:
  • Department of Human Services (DHS)
  • Department of Labor and Industry (DLI)
  • Housing-related committees
  • Department of Education
  • One member appointed by the county board of the county with the densest population (willing to participate).
  • One member appointed by the county board of the county with the largest geographic territory (willing to participate).
• The group must be representative and maintain the specified balance.

Definitions included in the bill

• Direct support professional: an individual employed to provide direct support services to a person with IDD.
• Disability services: services for people with IDD provided by a county or county-managed system.
• Person with an IDD: a person diagnosed with an IDD or related condition per specified recognized sources (DSM, CDC, NIH, Minnesota statutes, or Minnesota rules including defined rule parts).
• Summary data: defined as per Minnesota Statutes section 13.02 subdivision 19.

Operations, meetings, and accessibility

• Meetings must be open to the public.
• The Legislative Coordinating Commission must provide space, technical and administrative support, and staff.
• The group may meet in any publicly accessible location in the Capitol complex, with remote testimony capabilities, and may meet outside the Capitol in rural areas to solicit input from self-advocates, families, guardians, counties, and providers.

Duties and activities

• Develop expertise about characteristics of people with IDD.
• Review state and county data related to disability services for adults with IDD to identify gaps in:
  • Case management, housing, work options, transportation, and availability of qualified direct support professionals.
  • Life enrichment opportunities and day services.
• Review data on long-term educational needs and the number of people with IDD living with aging family members.

Funding, compensation, and administration

• The bill contemplates appropriations to fund the working group’s activities.
• Legislative members may receive per diem compensation and expense reimbursement; non-legislative members are eligible for per diem under applicable statutes.
• One designated member from the Senate may convene the first meeting by a specified deadline, and the group must meet at least monthly.

Timeline and reporting

• First meeting to be convened by August 15, 2026 (or as specified), with ongoing monthly meetings.
• By January 1, 2027, the working group must deliver a written report to the standing legislative committees from which the group’s members are drawn, including:
  • A summary of the group’s work.
  • An itemized list of identified gaps and shortcomings in the 87 counties.
  • Recommendations for how demographic data should be used in deciding programs and disability services for people with IDD.

Significance and potential impact

• This bill creates a formal mechanism to examine and address gaps in IDD services through structured data review and stakeholder input.
• It directs attention to accessibility of services across multiple domains (housing, transportation, work, education, and DSP availability) and to the aging dimensions of families supporting people with IDD.
• It introduces ongoing public-facing work and reporting to inform future policy decisions and funding needs.

Relevant Terms - Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) - Legislative Working Group on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities - Demographic data - Disability services - Direct support professional (DSP) - Case management - Housing - Transportation - Life enrichment - Day services - Long-term educational needs - Aging family members - Summary data ( Minn. Stat. 13.02(19) ) - Public meetings / remote testimony - Legislative Coordinating Commission (LCC) - Department of Human Services (DHS) - Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) - Department of Education - County boards (densest population; largest geographic territory) - Per diem compensation - Appointments within 30 days - Report due date (January 1, 2027)