Exclude county agency staff from Minnesota MSA guardian fees

changelog.d/mn-msa-guardian-fee-county-staff.fixed.md

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Exclude county agency staff guardians and conservators from Minnesota Supplemental Aid guardian fees while retaining the statutory 5% of gross monthly income / $100 cap for other guardians.

policyengine_us/tests/code_health/test_source_conflicts.py

@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@
     "policyengine_us/variables/gov/states/ks/tax/income/deductions/ks_itemized_deductions.py": 1,
     "policyengine_us/variables/gov/states/ky/dcbs/liheap/ky_liheap.py": 1,
     "policyengine_us/variables/gov/states/mn/dcyf/mfip/income/earned/mn_mfip_dependent_care_deduction.py": 1,
+    "policyengine_us/variables/gov/states/mn/dhs/msa/payment/mn_msa_guardian_fee.py": 1,
     "policyengine_us/variables/gov/states/mn/tax/income/deductions/mn_itemized_deductions.py": 1,
     "policyengine_us/variables/gov/states/mn/tax/income/subtractions/mn_k12_education_subtraction.py": 1,
     "policyengine_us/variables/gov/states/mo/dese/ccs/eligibility/mo_ccs_income_eligible.py": 1,

policyengine_us/tests/policy/baseline/gov/states/mn/dhs/msa/payment/mn_msa_guardian_fee.yaml

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
         immigration_status: CITIZEN
         ssi_countable_resources: 500
         mn_msa_has_guardian: true
+        mn_msa_guardian_is_county_staff: false
         ssi_unearned_income: 24_000  # $2,000/mo gross
     marital_units:
       marital_unit:
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@
         immigration_status: CITIZEN
         ssi_countable_resources: 500
         mn_msa_has_guardian: true
+        mn_msa_guardian_is_county_staff: false
         ssi_unearned_income: 36_000  # $3,000/mo gross -> 5% = $150
     marital_units:
       marital_unit:
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@
         immigration_status: CITIZEN
         ssi_countable_resources: 500
         mn_msa_has_guardian: true
+        mn_msa_guardian_is_county_staff: false
         ssi: 0
         ssi_unearned_income: 12_000  # $1,000/mo -> 5% = $50
     marital_units:
@@ -146,6 +149,7 @@
         state_code: MN
   output:
     # min(5% of $1,999 = $99.95, $100 cap) = $99.95.
+    mn_msa_guardian_is_county_staff: false
     mn_msa_guardian_fee: 99.95
 
 - name: Case 6, gross income $1 above $2,000 boundary is capped at $100.
@@ -177,3 +181,60 @@
   output:
     # min(5% of $2,001 = $100.05, $100 cap) = $100.
     mn_msa_guardian_fee: 100
+
+- name: Case 7, county agency staff guardian receives no fee below the cap.
+  period: 2026-01
+  input:
+    state_code: MN
+    age: 70
+    mn_msa_has_guardian: true
+    mn_msa_guardian_is_county_staff: true
+    ssi: 0
+    ssi_unearned_income: 12_000  # $1,000/mo would otherwise allow $50.
+  output:
+    mn_msa_guardian_fee: 0
+
+- name: Case 8, county agency staff guardian receives no fee above the cap.
+  period: 2026-01
+  input:
+    state_code: MN
+    age: 70
+    mn_msa_has_guardian: true
+    mn_msa_guardian_is_county_staff: true
+    ssi: 0
+    ssi_unearned_income: 36_000  # $3,000/mo would otherwise allow $100.
+  output:
+    mn_msa_guardian_fee: 0
+
+- name: Case 9, county staff status only excludes that person's guardian fee.
+  period: 2026-01
+  input:
+    people:
+      county_staff_guardian_person:
+        age: 70
+        mn_msa_has_guardian: true
+        mn_msa_guardian_is_county_staff: true
+        ssi: 0
+        ssi_unearned_income: 18_000
+      nonstaff_guardian_person:
+        age: 70
+        mn_msa_has_guardian: true
+        mn_msa_guardian_is_county_staff: false
+        ssi: 0
+        ssi_unearned_income: 18_000
+    marital_units:
+      marital_unit:
+        members: [county_staff_guardian_person, nonstaff_guardian_person]
+    tax_units:
+      tax_unit:
+        members: [county_staff_guardian_person, nonstaff_guardian_person]
+    spm_units:
+      spm_unit:
+        members: [county_staff_guardian_person, nonstaff_guardian_person]
+    households:
+      household:
+        members: [county_staff_guardian_person, nonstaff_guardian_person]
+        state_code: MN
+  output:
+    # Unit gross income is $3,000/mo: only the nonstaff guardian gets the $100 cap.
+    mn_msa_guardian_fee: [0, 100]

policyengine_us/variables/gov/states/mn/dhs/msa/mn_msa_guardian_is_county_staff.py

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+from policyengine_us.model_api import *
+
+
+class mn_msa_guardian_is_county_staff(Variable):
+    value_type = bool
+    default_value = False
+    entity = Person
+    label = "Whether the person's Minnesota Supplemental Aid guardian or conservator is a member of the county agency staff"
+    definition_period = MONTH
+    defined_for = StateCode.MN
+    reference = "https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/256D.44#stat.256D.44.5"

policyengine_us/variables/gov/states/mn/dhs/msa/payment/mn_msa_guardian_fee.py

@@ -20,9 +20,14 @@ def formula(person, period, parameters):
         # for SSI recipients count the full SSI FBR as gross unearned
         # income (even when the actual SSI check is less). Aggregate to
         # the marital unit before applying the cap.
+        # Minnesota DHS correspondence (2026-10-19) reports that approved
+        # guardian fees are $100 in practice regardless of income.
+        # PolicyEngine follows the statute's 5%/$100 cap, which governs.
         p = parameters(period).gov.states.mn.dhs.msa.special_needs.guardian_fee
         has_guardian = person("mn_msa_has_guardian", period)
+        guardian_is_county_staff = person("mn_msa_guardian_is_county_staff", period)
         gross = person("mn_msa_gross_income", period)
         unit_gross = person.marital_unit.sum(gross)
         unit_fee = min_(unit_gross * p.rate, p.max_amount)
-        return has_guardian * unit_fee
+        # Minn. Stat. § 256D.44 Subd. 5(d) allows no fee for county agency staff.
+        return has_guardian * ~guardian_is_county_staff * unit_fee

source_conflicts/candidates.yaml

@@ -3148,8 +3148,10 @@ candidates:
   example: An SSI-only recipient receives $49.70 versus $100 in 2026, and $51.45 versus $100 in 2027.
   pe_us:
     follows: statute
-    code: []
-    prs: []
+    code:
+    - policyengine_us/variables/gov/states/mn/dhs/msa/payment/mn_msa_guardian_fee.py
+    prs:
+    - https://github.com/PolicyEngine/policyengine-us/pull/10315
   state: ruled
   note: Ruled in October 2026 to retain the statutory cap; confirm and describe the stated agency practice without
     quoting correspondence.