Legislative Commission on Human Services Systems 9/30/26
Introduction and Mandate of the Legislative Commission on Human Services Systems (LCHSS)
Overview of Human Services Modernization Legislation (Chapter 120)
State Agency Presentation on Current Technology Systems and Modernization Efforts
County Perspective on System Challenges and Modernization Priorities
Strategic Discussions on Data Integration, Identity Verification, and Future Modernization Roadmap
Full Document Analysis
Votes (5)
Opening Statements and Member Introductions
Dissent: N/A
The meeting commenced with the Chair's opening remarks, highlighting the purpose of the Legislative Commission on Human Services Systems and acknowledging Senator Clinton's foundational work. Members introduced themselves, often referencing their professional backgrounds (e.g., IT, human services) and geographical representation, universally expressing enthusiasm for addressing systemic challenges and opportunities in human services modernization.
Walkthrough of Human Services Modernization Legislation (Chapter 120)
Dissent: N/A
Andrew George, non-partisan research staff, provided a detailed overview of Chapter 120. Key components included the establishment of the Human Services Modernization Fund from the General Fund, the creation of the Human Services Modernization Advisory Council with broad membership, and the formalization of the Legislative Commission on Human Services Systems. Duties for the council and commission encompass reviewing system statuses, monitoring reports, evaluating systems, and recommending necessary legislative, budgetary, and governance changes.
State Agency Presentation: Current Systems and Modernization Efforts by DCYF, DHS, and MNIT
Dissent: N/A
Tyrone’s Back (DCYF) and Nicholas Petersen (DHS) detailed the extensive portfolio of over 120 applications, highlighting critical systems like ACCESS (eligibility, user experience issues), MEC² (electronic billing, modernization via RFI), PRISM (child support, mainframe system with modernization funds), SSIS (child welfare, outdated, RFP closed), MN Benefits (mobile application, integration pilot with MAXIS), MMIS (Medicaid claims, old technology, layering modern tech), METS (Medicaid eligibility, inefficient user experience, self-service expansion), and MN Choices (disability waiver, successful vendor system). They discussed modernization funding, the focus on end-user experience, and challenges like HR 1 implementation impacting timelines.
County Perspective: System Challenges, Modernization Principles, and Partnership
Dissent: N/A
Lori Halvorson (Dakota County) and Dan Jensen (Olmsted County) spoke on behalf of Minnesota's counties, acknowledging their role as program executors. They highlighted the dire impact of antiquated systems on workforce (2-year training for eligibility workers), property taxes, and the impending pressures from HR 1 implementation. Counties expressed a strong desire for a collaborative partnership, proposing principles like achieving additional efficiencies, improving client outcomes, reducing the SNAP payment error rate, and balancing short-term fixes with long-term automation goals. They presented a list of 14 urgent needs, emphasizing a unified county voice for solutions.
Member Discussion and Future Commission Agenda
Dissent: N/A
Legislative members discussed key themes for future commission work, including the critical need for close coordination with the advisory council and aligning meeting cadences. Representative Elkins stressed the importance of an 'enterprise service bus' for data integration and suggested a presentation from the Medicaid Enterprise Systems initiative team. Senator Cornyn highlighted the role of identity validation, leveraging external data aggregators (Lexus Nexus, Reuters, Experian, Equifax), and learning from states like Utah and Colorado. The Chair reiterated the bipartisan commitment to fixing the systems.
Notable Quotes (11)
Senator Senator Clinton has alwaysrecognized the connection between systems in people'slives, improving how we bring people into the health caresystem, how we communicate with each other with them isimproving that care, fixing the systems will change, prolongand save lives.
the bill and the reason we're here is that we are putting in placea framework for collaboration that the advisory council willserve in that role, the bring the agencies and countiestogether to collaborate.
The commission must review status risks. Dependencies timelines costsnow comes of Legacy, modernized Services Systems monitor and review reportsupdates, recommendations and draft legislation submitted bythe Advisory Council Review.
Our current state with thisapplication is that generally it is a reliable system.Payments go out. But the big area that we have as anopportunity before us is really the user experience, our greenscreens and how that impacts workers.
Dhs is working to improve thefunctionality of mats with a focus on improving theexperience for both county and tribal partners and recipients. This includes expanding therecipient self-service options.
We did not ask for funding toreplace any of the major systems, but rather focused onshifting our approach in how we connect Minnesotans to criticalservices to focus on the end, users experience and means andto change how we approach the work.
The seeking that you did to geta better understanding of what counties are facing is thereason that we are all here today in a spirit of fixing theproblem and moving forward and serving the state of Minnesotaand the residents of all of our 87 counties to the best of ourability.
We have to be able to find a balance between those 2. We can't get caughtinto the trap of the tyranny of the urgent. We can't lose focuson what the long-term needs are. We also can't ignore someof those immediate once.
This technical debt is larger thanany department and the State Department or all the StateDepartment's can do on their own.
We should have something calledan enterprise service bus, which is basically a hub forone-stop shopping for any in any age and state agency thatneeds information to evaluate eligibility for means testedprograms to just go out. And that inquiry, this havebeen the hub says, well, I need to go to the federal hubfor this sort of work number for that.
I would argue that we shouldexplore many of those external speed. Tween Lexus nexus.Reuters, you know, Experian, Equifax, there's real time.And so from availability of data, the government always going to be behind.
Ordinances & Resolutions (3)
The human services modernization legislation, establishing the fund, advisory council, and commission.
Released for the MEC² application modernization and future SSIS solution; refers to a competitive procurement process.
Federal requirements necessitating significant changes to state systems and increasing county workload.