1998 Minnesota Code
Chapters 245 - 267 Public Welfare and Related Activities
Chapter 256J Minnesota Family Investment Program--statewide
Section 256J.26 Persons ineligible; vendor payments.

256J.26 Persons ineligible; vendor payments.

Subdivision 1. Person convicted of drug offenses. (a) Applicants or participants who have been convicted of a drug offense after July 1, 1997, may, if otherwise eligible, receive AFDC or MFIP-S benefits subject to the following conditions:

(1) Benefits for the entire assistance unit must be paid in vendor form for shelter and utilities during any time the applicant is part of the assistance unit.

(2) The convicted applicant or participant shall be subject to random drug testing as a condition of continued eligibility and following any positive test for an illegal controlled substance is subject to the following sanctions:

(i) for failing a drug test the first time, the participant's grant shall be reduced by ten percent of the MFIP-S transitional standard, the shared household standard, or the interstate transitional standard, whichever is applicable prior to making vendor payments for shelter and utility costs; or

(ii) for failing a drug test two or more times, the residual amount of the participant's grant after making vendor payments for shelter and utility costs, if any, must be reduced by an amount equal to 30 percent of the MFIP-S transitional standard, the shared household standard, or the interstate transitional standard, whichever is applicable.

(b) Applicants or participants who have been convicted of a drug offense after July 1, 1997, may, if otherwise eligible, receive food stamps if the convicted applicant or participant is subject to random drug testing as a condition of continued eligibility. Following a positive test for an illegal controlled substance, the applicant is subject to the following sanctions:

(1) for failing a drug test the first time, food stamps shall be reduced by ten percent of the applicable food stamp allotment; and

(2) for failing a drug test two or more times, food stamps shall be reduced by an amount equal to 30 percent of the applicable food stamp allotment.

(c) For the purposes of this subdivision, "drug offense" means a conviction that occurred after July 1, 1997, of sections 152.021 to 152.025, 152.0261, or 152.096. Drug offense also means a conviction in another jurisdiction of the possession, use, or distribution of a controlled substance, or conspiracy to commit any of these offenses, if the offense occurred after July 1, 1997, and the conviction is a felony offense in that jurisdiction, or in the case of New Jersey, a high misdemeanor.

Subd. 2. Parole violators. An individual violating a condition of probation or parole or supervised release imposed under federal law or the law of any state is disqualified from receiving AFDC or MFIP-S.

Subd. 3. Fleeing felons. An individual who is fleeing to avoid prosecution, or custody, or confinement after conviction for a crime that is a felony under the laws of the jurisdiction from which the individual flees, or in the case of New Jersey, is a high misdemeanor, is disqualified from receiving AFDC or MFIP-S.

Subd. 4. Denial of assistance for ten years to a person found to have fraudulently misrepresented residency. An individual who is convicted in federal or state court of having made a fraudulent statement or representation with respect to the place of residence of the individual in order to receive assistance simultaneously from two or more states is disqualified from receiving AFDC or MFIP-S for ten years beginning on the date of the conviction.

HIST: 1997 c 85 art 1 s 16; 1997 c 203 art 12 s 10; 1997 c 245 art 4 s 1; 1998 c 407 art 6 s 52-55