Section 252.451 Business Agreements; Support and Supervision of Disabled Persons

252.451 BUSINESS AGREEMENTS; SUPPORT AND SUPERVISION OF DISABLED PERSONS.

Subdivision 1.Definition.

For the purposes of this section, "qualified business" means a business that employs primarily nondisabled persons and will employ persons with developmental disabilities. For purposes of this section, licensed providers of residential services for persons with developmental disabilities are not a qualified business. A qualified business and its employees are exempt from Minnesota Rules, parts 9525.1500 to 9525.1690 and 9525.1800 to 9525.1930.

Subd. 2.Vendor participation and reimbursement.

Notwithstanding requirements in chapter 245A, and sections 252.28, 252.40 to 252.46, and 256B.501, vendors of day training and habilitation services may enter into written agreements with qualified businesses to provide additional training and supervision needed by individuals to maintain their employment.

Subd. 3.Agreement specifications.

Agreements must include the following:

(1) the type and amount of supervision and support to be provided by the business to the individual in accordance with their needs as identified in their individual service plan;

(2) the methods used to periodically assess the individual's satisfaction with their work, training, and support;

(3) the measures taken by the qualified business and the vendor to ensure the health, safety, and protection of the individual during working hours, including the reporting of abuse and neglect under state law and rules;

(4) the training and support services the vendor will provide to the qualified business, including the frequency of on-site supervision and support; and

(5) any payment to be made to the qualified business by the vendor. Payment to the business must be limited to:

(i) additional costs of training coworkers and managers that exceed ordinary and customary training costs and are a direct result of employing a person with a developmental disability; and

(ii) additional costs for training, supervising, and assisting the person with a developmental disability that exceed normal and customary costs required for performing similar tasks or duties.

Payments made to a qualified business under this section must not include incentive payments to the qualified business or salary supplementation for the person with a developmental disability.

Subd. 4.Client protection.

Persons receiving training and support under this section may not be denied their rights or procedural protections under section 256.045, subdivision 4a, or 256B.092, including the county agency's responsibility to arrange for appropriate services, as necessary, in the event that persons lose their job or the contract with the qualified business is terminated.

Subd. 5.Vendor payment.

(a) For purposes of this section, the vendor shall bill and the commissioner shall reimburse the vendor for full-day or partial-day services to a client that would otherwise have been paid to the vendor for providing direct services, provided that both of the following criteria are met:

(1) the vendor provides services and payments to the qualified business that enable the business to perform support and supervision services for the client that the vendor would otherwise need to perform; and

(2) the client for whom a rate will be billed will receive full-day or partial-day services from the vendor and the rate to be paid the vendor will allow the client to work with this support and supervision at the qualified business instead of receiving these services from the vendor.

(b) Medical assistance reimbursement of services provided to persons receiving day training and habilitation services under this section is subject to the limitations on reimbursement for vocational services under federal law and regulation.

History:

1Sp1993 c 1 art 4 s 4; 1Sp1993 c 6 s 41; 1998 c 284 s 1; 2005 c 56 s 1