HF 274

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 01/17/2017 10:27am

A bill for an act
relating to employment; creating the full employment grant program; requiring a
state workforce needs survey; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin FULL EMPLOYMENT GRANT PROGRAM.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For the purposes of this section, "employee" means an
individual who performs services for hire for an employer but does not include an
independent contractor.
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new text begin (b) For the purposes of this section, "employer" means:
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new text begin (1) an agency, department, or institution of the state; a governmental unit as defined in
Minnesota Statutes, section 471.59; the state judicial branch; the Minnesota State Colleges
and Universities system; the University of Minnesota; and a political subdivision of the
state;
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new text begin (2) a nonprofit organization described in United States Code, title 26, section 501(c)(3),
of the Internal Revenue Code that is exempt from income tax under section 501(a); and
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new text begin (3) a business that employs 20 or fewer employees.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Grant program eligibility. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of employment and economic
development must create a competitive grant program, adhering to the requirements of
paragraphs (b) and (c) and subdivision 3, in which employers may apply for monetary grants
for the hiring of new employees or increasing the hours of existing employees. The
commissioner of employment and economic development must then publicize the grant
program to eligible employers.
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new text begin (b) In determining eligibility for grants under this section, the commissioner must
consider, at a minimum, the following factors:
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new text begin (1) whether an employer applicant is located in an economically distressed area, as
determined by the commissioner, or whether an employee hired, or whose hours are
increased, lives in an economically distressed area, as determined by the commissioner;
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new text begin (2) whether an employee hired had been detached from the workforce for at least 27
weeks before being hired by an employer applicant;
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new text begin (3) whether the employer applicant, but for receipt of the grant, would not have hired a
new employee or increased the hours of an existing employee for the position described in
the grant application;
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new text begin (4) for employers seeking to increase the hours of an existing employee or employees,
whether the hours will increase by at least ten each week to a total of at least 40 each week;
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new text begin (5) whether an employee hired under or whose hours are increased under the grant will
be provided a rigorous training program, including training in transferable skills, as
determined by the commissioner;
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new text begin (6) the wages and fringe benefits available to employees hired under the program; and
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new text begin (7) whether, and to what degree, employees hired under the program face barriers to
employment.
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new text begin (c) Applications by employers for grants under this section must be made to the
commissioner on a form provided by the commissioner, and must include at a minimum:
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new text begin (1) descriptions of positions the employer seeks to create, fill, or expand; and
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new text begin (2) the locations of the work sites of employees to be hired or given more hours under
the grant program.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Grant awards. new text end

new text begin (a) Grants provided under this section may not exceed $20,000
per employee per year.
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new text begin (b) Grants may be awarded on a rolling basis, with no set deadline for application and
grants awarded.
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new text begin (c) Grant money must be awarded, at the earliest, when an applicant employer proves
that it has retained an employee hired under this section for at least one year.
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Sec. 2. new text begin STATEWIDE WORKFORCE NEEDS SURVEY.
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new text begin The commissioner of employment and economic development must conduct or
commission a statewide survey of public and private employers to determine unmet workforce
needs in the state. The survey results must include workforce needs by job type, industry,
and geographic area. The survey results must also include the skills needed by workers to
fill any unmet workforce needs found. The commissioner must report the results of the
survey to the house of representatives and senate committees with jurisdiction over
employment and economic development no later than .......
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Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2018 is appropriated from the workforce development fund to
the commissioner of employment and economic development for the full employment grant
program described in section 1. Of this amount, $....... is for publicizing the program as
required by section 1, subdivision 2, paragraph (a); $....... is for administration of the grant
program; and $....... is for grants under section 1. This is a onetime appropriation and is
available until expended.
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Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2018 is appropriated from the workforce development fund to the
commissioner of employment and economic development to fund the statewide workforce
needs survey described in section 2. This is a onetime appropriation.
new text end