HF 4152

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to poverty; creating a legislative commission to end poverty by 2020;
appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO END POVERTY BY 2020.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Membership. new text end

new text begin The Legislative Commission to End Poverty by 2020
consists of nine members of the senate appointed by the Subcommittee on Committees of
the Committee on Rules and Administration, including four members of the minority, and
nine members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker, including four
members of the minority. Appointments must be made by members elected to the 85th
session of the legislature and no later than February 15, 2007. The governor may appoint
two nonvoting members to sit with the commission.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Guiding principles. new text end

new text begin In preparing recommendations on how to end poverty
by 2020, the commission must be guided by the following principles:
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new text begin (a) There should be a consistent and persistent approach that includes participation
of people of faith, nonprofit agencies, government, and business.
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new text begin (b) All people should be provided with those things that protect human dignity
and make for a health life, including adequate food and shelter, meaningful work, safe
communities, health care, and education.
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new text begin (c) All people are intended to live well together as a whole community, seeking the
common good, avoiding wide disparities between those who have too little to live on and
those who have a disproportionate share of the nation's goods.
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new text begin (d) All people need to work together to overcome poverty, and this work transcends
both any particular political theory or party and any particular economic theory or
structure. Overcoming poverty requires the use of private and public resources.
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new text begin (e) Alliances are needed between the faith community, nonprofit agencies,
government, business, and others with a commitment to overcoming poverty.
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new text begin (f) Overcoming poverty involves both acts of direct service to alleviate the outcomes
of poverty and advocacy to change those structures that result in people living in poverty.
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new text begin (g) Government is neither solely responsible for alleviating poverty nor removed
from that responsibility. Government is the vehicle by which people order their lives
based on their shared vision. Society is well served when people bring their values into
the public arena. This convergence around issues of poverty and the common good
leads people of varying traditions to call on government to make a critical commitment
to overcoming poverty.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin The commission shall report its recommendations on how to end
poverty by 2020 to the legislature by December 15, 2008.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin The commission expires December 31, 2008.
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin $1,000,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the Legislative Commission
to End Poverty by 2020. $250,000 is available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007;
$500,000 is available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008; and $250,000 is available
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009.
new text end