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Cash Assistance in Minnesota Minnesota House Research Department Page 2 Program Administration and Requirements Federal, State, and County Roles Minnesota Family Investment Program The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant was created under the 1996 federal welfare reform law. Under TANF, each state receives a fixed block grant of federal funds and may design its own program to assist needy families. The state program must meet federal statutory and regulatory guidelines, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) monitors states’ compliance with the requirements of the federal law. The Minnesota Legislature authorized MFIP in the 1997 session. MFIP is Minnesota’s TANF program; it is Minnesota’s response to the welfare reform authority granted by Congress. The program uses the state’s annual federal TANF block grant and state appropriations to provide cash assistance, employment and training services, and support services to eligible Minnesota families. The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) directs the operation of MFIP throughout the state by issuing implementation instructions to counties, providing training for county staff, providing other technical support to counties, and assisting in eligibility and benefits determination through its centralized MAXIS computer system. Counties administer MFIP. The county agency conducts intake and eligibility screenings, including orientations to the program. The county agency also provides case management and assists MFIP participants in their employment and training efforts and meeting the other program requirements. In addition, the federal TANF law authorizes American Indian Tribes to apply for federal TANF funds to operate a Tribal TANF family assistance program that is separate from the state’s program. Two Minnesota Tribes, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, applied for and received federal approval to operate separate Tribal TANF programs. The programs serve TANF-eligible families where one or more of the eligible adults is a member of the Band (or in the case of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Tribal TANF program in the counties of Anoka, Hennepin, and Ramsey, a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe). General Assistance GA is a state program that was established by the 1973 Legislature when county “Poor Relief” programs and the “Township Relief System” were abolished. The original GA program provided assistance to needy persons who did not qualify for federal programs. In 1985, the legislature changed the GA program to allow assistance only for those people who meet certain standards of “unemployability.” The state law includes: minimum statewide standards for assistance, general eligibility requirements (including resource limitations), provisions for program funding and administration, and guidelines for determining the county financially responsible for GA grants.