SF 1819

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/17/2015 09:27am

A bill for an act
relating to workforce development; expanding the membership of the Urban
Initiative Board; authorizing African heritage urban challenge grants; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2014, sections 116M.15, subdivision 1; 116M.18, by adding
a subdivision.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 116M.15, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Creation; membership.

The Urban Initiative Board is created and
consists of the commissioner of employment and economic development, the chair of the
Metropolitan Council, and eight 14 members from the general public appointed by the
governor. Six of the public members must be representatives from minority business
enterprises and six members must be from African heritage communities as defined in
section 116M.18, subdivision 4b, paragraph (b). No more than four of the public members
may be of one gender. All public Six members must be experienced in business or
economic development. The six African heritage members must have knowledge of, and
experience working to address, economic disparities in the geographic areas they represent.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 116M.18, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

Subd. 4b.

African heritage grants.

(a) Urban challenge grants may be used to
make grants to African heritage nonprofits to address workforce and economic disparities.

(b) For the purposes of this section, "African heritage community" means an area in
Duluth, Rochester, Mankato, St. Cloud, Minneapolis, or St. Paul that has a significant
African heritage population and a surplus of labor.

(c) In order to receive a grant under this subdivision, an African heritage nonprofit
must:

(1) have significant board members who are of African heritage;

(2) have its primary office in an African heritage community; and

(3) be managed by personnel with at least five years of experience working on
African heritage employment disparities.

(d) A grant recipient must:

(1) find alternate means to support the nonprofit after five years of grant support; and

(2) use grant funds to address one or more of the following:

(i) the creation or operation of a business incubator in an African heritage community;

(ii) the creation or operation of an existing entity that provides entrepreneurial and
financial assistance to emerging and existing African heritage or other business planning
to locate in an African heritage community;

(iii) assist unemployed African heritage individuals located in African heritage
communities with attaining their commercial drivers' licenses;

(iv) assist unemployed African heritage individuals located in African heritage
communities with attaining training and employment placement; and

(v) the creation or operation of a business industrial park in an African heritage
community.

(e) The total grants awarded under this subdivision must be $30,000,000 each
biennium. The grants awarded do not require a match. The Urban Initiative Board
must create a performance-based approach to determine eligibility for grants under this
subdivision.