HF 4628

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 04/24/2022 04:14pm

A bill for an act
relating to capital investment; appropriating money from the coronavirus capital
projects fund for grants for digital connectivity technology projects and
multipurpose community facilities.

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

Section 1. new text begin APPROPRIATION; FEDERAL FUNDS FOR DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY
TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS AND MULTIPURPOSE COMMUNITY FACILITIES.
new text end

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, the following terms have
the meanings given.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of management and budget.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Critical need" means a lack of access to the resources or services provided by a
capital project eligible for a grant under this section, whether because of the physical absence
or insufficiency within the community of the type of resources provided by the capital
project or because access to those resources is unaffordable.
new text end

new text begin (d) "Device" means technology which can access broadband Internet and allow a user
to interact with other persons and programs and includes but is not limited to a laptop
computer, tablet, or desktop personal computer.
new text end

new text begin (e) "Employer" means a local government, nonprofit organization, or private entity.
new text end

new text begin (f) "Equipment" means equipment installed as a part of Wi-Fi infrastructure and includes
but is not limited to access points, repeaters, and routers.
new text end

new text begin (g) "Local government" means a county, statutory or home rule charter city, town, or
any other political subdivision.
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new text begin (h) "Multipurpose community facility" means a building that is designed to jointly and
directly enable work, education, and health monitoring by members of the public. This
includes but is not limited to full-service community schools that provide academic
programming to students and adult education in the community at large, health monitoring
to students and the community, and workforce training or career counseling services to
community members; libraries that provide public access to the Internet, including for work,
education, and health monitoring; and community health centers that engage in health
monitoring in addition to a broad range of community services.
new text end

new text begin (i) "Nonprofit organization" means a not-for-profit corporation under section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code.
new text end

new text begin (j) "Private entity" means any person, private group, organization, proprietorship,
partnership, trust, cooperative, corporation, or other commercial or nonprofit entity.
new text end

new text begin (k) "Strong labor practices" means labor practices by an employer including but not
limited to:
new text end

new text begin (1) implementing project labor agreements and community benefits agreements that
offer wages at or above the prevailing rate;
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new text begin (2) hiring local workers or workers from underserved communities;
new text end

new text begin (3) ensuring the employer's workforce meets high safety and training standards, including
professional certification, licensure, robust in-house training, or a combination of these
standards;
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new text begin (4) directly employing workers, or having policies and practices in place to ensure
contractors and subcontractors meet high labor standards; and
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new text begin (5) demonstrating no violations of federal and state labor and employment laws within
the past three years.
new text end

new text begin (l) "Underserved community" has the meaning given under Minnesota Statutes, section
116J.9924, subdivision 1, paragraph (g).
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Appropriation. new text end

new text begin (a) $110,703,000 is appropriated from the coronavirus capital
projects fund in the state treasury to the commissioner for the purposes described in this
subdivision.
new text end

new text begin (b) $40,000,000 of this appropriation is for grants to local governments, nonprofit
organizations, and private entities to purchase, install, or purchase and install devices and
equipment to facilitate broadband Internet access to permit users of such devices and
equipment to fully participate in work, school, and health monitoring. A device or equipment
purchased, installed, or purchased and installed with a grant under this paragraph must:
new text end

new text begin (1) be made available to members of the public through short- or long-term loan programs
or for use in public facilities; and
new text end

new text begin (2) be owned by the grantee for at least five years.
new text end

new text begin (c) $70,703,000 of this appropriation is for grants to local governments, nonprofit
organizations, and private entities to construct or improve multipurpose community facilities
that jointly and directly enable work, education, and health monitoring by members of the
public. A grantee under this paragraph must provide a written commitment to the
commissioner that the multipurpose community facility will provide services that enable
work, education, and health monitoring by members of the public for at least five years
from completion of the construction or improvement of the facility.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Prioritization criteria. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner shall prioritize a grant under this
section for a project that:
new text end

new text begin (1) is designed to address a critical need of an underserved community and is consistent
with the policies of Presidential Executive Order 13985 of January 20, 2021; and
new text end

new text begin (2) incorporates strong labor practices in construction.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner shall consider the following information to determine communities
with a critical need:
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new text begin (1) any data available from the federal or state government that indicates the existing
capacity, service quality, and ability to meet any relevant health, safety, or performance
standards in the area where a capital project eligible for a grant under this section would be
located;
new text end

new text begin (2) interviews with community members and business owners;
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new text begin (3) reports from community organizations;
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new text begin (4) documentation of existing facilities that provide similar or identical services to those
that the project is intended to provide; and
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new text begin (5) any other information the commissioner deems relevant.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Unexpended money. new text end

new text begin Any money granted under this section that is not expended
by a grantee on or before December 1, 2026, must be returned to the commissioner for
deposit in the coronavirus capital projects fund in the state treasury at the time and in the
form and manner as the commissioner prescribes.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end