Subd. 1. Supervision over correctional institutions.

1. (1) The commissioner of corrections shall inspect and license all correctional facilities throughout the state, whether public or private, established and operated for the detention and confinement of persons detained or confined therein according to law except to the extent that they are inspected or licensed by other state regulating agencies. The commissioner shall promulgate pursuant to chapter 14, rules establishing minimum standards for these facilities with respect to their management, operation, physical condition, and the security, safety, health, treatment, and discipline of persons detained or confined therein. Commencing September 1, 1980, no individual, corporation, partnership, voluntary association, or other private organization legally responsible for the operation of a correctional facility may operate the facility unless licensed by the commissioner of corrections. The commissioner shall review the correctional facilities described in this subdivision at least once every biennium, except as otherwise provided herein, to determine compliance with the minimum standards established pursuant to this subdivision. The commissioner shall grant a license to any facility found to conform to minimum standards or to any facility which, in the commissioner's judgment, is making satisfactory progress toward substantial conformity and the interests and well-being of the persons detained or confined therein are protected. The commissioner may grant licensure up to two years. The commissioner shall have access to the buildings, grounds, books, records, staff, and to persons detained or confined in these facilities. The commissioner may require the officers in charge of these facilities to furnish all information and statistics the commissioner deems necessary, at a time and place designated by the commissioner. The commissioner may require that any or all such information be provided through the department of corrections detention information system. The education program offered in a correctional facility for the detention or confinement of juvenile offenders must be approved by the commissioner of children, families, and learning before the commissioner of corrections may grant a license to the facility.
2. (2) Any state agency which regulates, inspects, or licenses certain aspects of correctional facilities shall, insofar as is possible, ensure that the minimum standards it requires are substantially the same as those required by other state agencies which regulate, inspect, or license the same aspects of similar types of correctional facilities, although at different correctional facilities.
3. (3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the commissioner of corrections' authority to promulgate rules establishing standards of eligibility for counties to receive funds under sections 401.01 to 401.16, or to require counties to comply with operating standards the commissioner establishes as a condition precedent for counties to receive that funding.
4. (4) When the commissioner finds that any facility described in clause (1), except foster care facilities for delinquent children and youth as provided in subdivision 2, does not substantially conform to the minimum standards established by the commissioner and is not making satisfactory progress toward substantial conformance, the commissioner shall promptly notify the chief executive officer and the governing board of the facility of the deficiencies and order that they be remedied within a reasonable period of time. The commissioner may by written order restrict the use of any facility which does not substantially conform to minimum standards to prohibit the detention of any person therein for more than 72 hours at one time. When, after due notice and hearing, the commissioner finds that any facility described in this subdivision, except county jails and lockups as provided in sections 641.26, 642.10, and 642.11, does not conform to minimum standards, or is not making satisfactory progress toward substantial compliance therewith, the commissioner may issue an order revoking the license of that facility. After revocation of its license, that facility shall not be used until its license is renewed. When the commissioner is satisfied that satisfactory progress towards substantial compliance with minimum standard is being made, the commissioner may, at the request of the appropriate officials of the affected facility supported by a written schedule for compliance, grant an extension of time for a period not to exceed one year.
5. (5) As used in this subdivision, "correctional facility" means any facility, including a group home, having a residential component, the primary purpose of which is to serve persons placed therein by a court, court services department, parole authority, or other correctional agency having dispositional power over persons charged with, convicted, or adjudicated to be guilty or delinquent.

Subd. 2. Foster care facilities for delinquent children and youth; licenses; supervision.

Notwithstanding any provisions in sections 256.01, subdivision 2, clause (2), 245A.03, and 245A.04, to the contrary, but subject to the municipality notification requirements of subdivision 2a, the commissioner of corrections shall review all county, municipal or other publicly established and operated facilities for the detention, care and training of delinquent children and youth at least once every biennium, and if such facility conforms to reasonable standards established by the commissioner or in the commissioner's judgment is making satisfactory progress toward substantial conformity therewith, and the commissioner is satisfied that the interests and well-being of children and youth received therein are protected, the commissioner shall grant a license to the county, municipality or agency thereof operating such facility. The commissioner may grant licensure up to two years. Each such facility shall cooperate with the commissioner to make available all facts regarding its operation and services as the commissioner requires to determine its conformance to standards and its competence to give the services needed and which it purports to give. Every such facility as herein described is subject to visitation and supervision by the commissioner and shall receive from the commissioner consultation as needed to strengthen services to the children and youth received therein.

Subd. 2a. Notification of affected municipality.

The commissioner must not issue a license without giving 30 calendar days' written notice to any affected municipality or other political subdivision unless the facility has a licensed capacity of six or fewer persons and is occupied by either the licensee or the group foster home parents. The notification must be given before the first issuance of a license and annually after that time if annual notification is requested in writing by any affected municipality or other political subdivision. State funds must not be made available to or be spent by an agency or department of state, county, or municipal government for payment to a foster care facility licensed under subdivision 2 until the provisions of this subdivision have been complied with in full.

Subd. 2b. Licensing prohibition for certain juvenile facilities.

The commissioner may not:

1. (1) issue a license under this section to operate a correctional facility for the detention or confinement of juvenile offenders if the facility accepts juveniles who reside outside of Minnesota without an agreement with the entity placing the juvenile at the facility that obligates the entity to pay the educational expenses of the juvenile; or
2. (2) renew a license under this section to operate a correctional facility for the detention or confinement of juvenile offenders if the facility accepts juveniles who reside outside of Minnesota without an agreement with the entity placing the juvenile at the facility that obligates the entity to pay the educational expenses of the juvenile.

Subd. 3. Revocation of license.

When after due notice and hearing the commissioner of corrections determines that any facility described in subdivision 2 does not substantially conform to the reasonable standards therein provided or is not making satisfactory progress toward substantial compliance therewith, the commissioner may, with the consent of the judge of the district court, issue an order revoking the license of that facility. After revocation of its license, that facility shall not be used for the care and training of delinquent children, or for their detention until its license is renewed.

Subd. 4. Health care.

The commissioner of corrections shall provide professional health care to persons confined in institutions under the control of the commissioner of corrections and pay the costs of their care in hospitals and other medical facilities not under the control of the commissioner of corrections, including the secure treatment unit operated by the St. Paul - Ramsey Hospital. All reimbursements for these health care services shall be deposited in the general fund.

Subd. 4a. Chemical dependency treatment programs.

All residential chemical dependency treatment programs operated by the commissioner of corrections to treat adults and juveniles committed to the commissioner's custody shall comply with the standards mandated in Minnesota Rules, parts 9530.4100 to 9530.6500, for treatment programs operated by community-based residential treatment facilities.

Subd. 5. Sales to department of administration.

July 1 of each year and quarterly thereafter, the commissioner of corrections shall notify the commissioner of administration of the articles, supplies, and services available from industrial activities conducted at state correctional institutions, and the commissioner of administration shall purchase from the state correctional institutions those articles, supplies, and services needed by state departments and agencies, unless the commissioner of corrections certifies that the correctional institutions cannot provide them at a price within five percent of the fair market price for comparable level of quality and within a reasonable delivery time. In determining the fair market price the commissioner of administration shall use competitive bidding or consider open market bid prices in previous years for similar products and services, plus inflationary increases.

Subd. 6. Background studies.

The commissioner of corrections is authorized to do background studies on personnel employed by any facility serving children or youth that is licensed under this section. A clerk or administrator of any court, the bureau of criminal apprehension, a prosecuting attorney, a county sheriff, or a chief of a local police department, shall assist in these studies by providing to the commissioner, or the commissioner's representative, all criminal conviction data available from local, state, and national criminal history record repositories, including the criminal justice data communications network, pertaining to the following individuals: applicants, operators, all persons living in the household, and all staff of any facility subject to background studies under this subdivision.

* NOTE: The amendment to subdivision 1 by Laws 1999, chapter *241, article 2, section 52, is effective July 1, 2000. Laws *1999, chapter 241, article 2, section 63.