Purpose

• Establish a one-time appropriation of $300,000 from Minnesota’s general fund in fiscal year 2027 to the Commissioner of Public Safety.
  
• The funds are for grants to support partnerships between responsible social services agencies and qualifying nonprofit organizations. The goal is to fulfill requirements related to noncitizen immigrant youth and foster-care related protections, including helping youth obtain or verify birth and employment authorization and to assist in attaining permanent legal status or documentation.

Main Provisions and What the Bill Seeks to Accomplish

• Funding and roles:
  • Grants are awarded to support collaborations between a responsible social services agency and a qualifying nonprofit organization to assist noncitizen immigrant youth.
  • The effort focuses on identifying documentation needs (birth and legal authorization to work) and helping youth obtain permanent legal status or proper documentation.
• Agency responsibilities (grantee social services agency):
  • Develop procedures and screenings to identify children in need of protection or services who lack birth certificates and/or Social Security cards.
  • Refer those lacking documentation to a partner nonprofit for further assessment.
• Nonprofit responsibilities (grantee nonprofit):
  • Conduct brief legal assessments and provide legal representation to noncitizen immigrant youth to help secure permanent legal status or documentation.
• Applicant requirements:
  • Applications must show a partnership between a responsible social services agency and a qualifying nonprofit.
  • Qualifying nonprofit criteria include:
  • 501(c)(3) status in good standing
  • Experience screening youth for immigration relief
  • Experience representing youth before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and immigration courts
  • Experience working with county stakeholders
  • A language access plan for limited English proficiency
  • Ability to work in diverse communities
  • Applications may be submitted by a county, a qualifying nonprofit, or both, with a cooperative agreement detailing roles and funding split.
• Minimum funding:
  • Grants awarded under this section must be at least $150,000.
• Confidentiality and data:
  • Government data about a grantee’s activities that relate to services for a child under this section are private data on individuals.
  • Disclosures are restricted, allowed only to a partner nonprofit for administering this section, under a valid search warrant or court order, or to a court to verify compliance, and only the minimum data necessary.

Key Provisions in Plain Terms

• One-time fund specifically aimed at helping noncitizen immigrant youth in or connected to foster care contexts.
• Emphasizes documentation checks (birth certificate, Social Security card) and assisting with permanent legal status or status documentation.
• Requires structured partnerships between social services and immigration-focused nonprofits, with clear roles and funding split.
• Ensures data privacy for youth involved, with limited, legally justified disclosures.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Creates a targeted, one-time funding mechanism under the public safety umbrella to support immigration-related legal services for noncitizen immigrant youth.
• Introduces explicit requirements for partnerships between social services agencies and nonprofits, including criteria for nonprofit eligibility and minimum grant amounts.
• Adds specific confidentiality protections and narrow data-sharing provisions tied to administering this program.

Implementation Notes

• This is a one-time appropriation set for fiscal year 2027.
• Administration is handled by the Commissioner of Public Safety, with oversight tied to Minnesota Statutes section 260C.452, subdivision 4, paragraph c, in relation to noncitizen immigrant youth.

Relevant Terms - general fund - Commissioner of Public Safety - grants - responsible social services agency - qualifying nonprofit organization - noncitizen immigrant youth - birth certificate - Social Security card - permanent legal status - immigration relief - United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) - immigration courts - 501(c)(3) nonprofit - language access plan - cooperative agreement - private data on individuals - data confidentiality - warrants and court orders - Minnesota Statutes section 260C.452, subdivision 4, paragraph c