MN SF1062

Establishes a three-year direct support professional certification pilot project in Anoka and Dakota Counties, partnering the Department of Human Services with the Office of Higher Education, Metropolitan Center for Independent Living, and postsecondary institutions

Requires a minimum 80-hour curriculum delivered over at least eight weeks, based on the National Direct Services Workforce Resource Center's Core Competencies

Provides scholarships with a $20 per hour work stipend for the 80 hours of instruction, with $150,000 designated for the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living to coordinate implementation

Certified direct support professionals would receive an enhanced Medicaid reimbursement rate of 118.75% of the standard rate, pending federal approval by October 1, 2025

Requires an independent evaluation assessing workforce impact, economic contribution, and strategies for statewide expansion, with a report due to the legislature within six months of pilot completion