HF 1631

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 02/20/2023 07:00pm

A bill for an act
relating to economic development; creating the boundary waters area economic
relief program; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin BOUNDARY WATERS AREA ECONOMIC RELIEF PROGRAM.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Relief program established. new text end

new text begin ....... must develop and implement a boundary
waters area economic relief program to assist businesses adversely affected by the 2021
closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Available relief. new text end

new text begin (a) The economic relief program established under this section
may include grants provided in this section to the extent that funds are available. Before
awarding a grant to ....... for the relief program under this section:
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new text begin (1) ....... must develop criteria, procedures, and requirements for:
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new text begin (i) determining eligibility for assistance;
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new text begin (ii) evaluating applications for assistance;
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new text begin (iii) awarding assistance; and
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new text begin (iv) administering the grant program authorized under this section;
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new text begin (2) ....... must submit its criteria, procedures, and requirements developed under clause
(1) to the commissioner of employment and economic development for review; and
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new text begin (3) the commissioner must approve the criteria, procedures, and requirements submitted
under clause (2).
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new text begin (b) The maximum grant to a business under this section is $50,000 per business.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Qualification requirements. new text end

new text begin To qualify for assistance under this section, a
business must:
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new text begin (1) be located within one of the following municipalities surrounding the Boundary
Waters Canoe Area Wilderness:
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new text begin (i) in Cook County, the city/township of .......;
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new text begin (ii) in Ely County, the city/township of .......; or
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new text begin (iii) in Lake County, the city/township of .......;
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new text begin (2) document a reduction of at least ten percent in gross receipts in 2021 compared to
2020; and
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new text begin (3) provide a written explanation for how the 2021 closure of the Boundary Waters
Canoe Area Wilderness resulted in the reduction in gross receipts documented under clause
(2).
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Monitoring. new text end

new text begin (a) ....... must establish performance measures, including but not
limited to the following components:
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new text begin (1) the number of grants awarded and award amounts for each grant;
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new text begin (2) the number of jobs created or retained as a result of the assistance, including
information on the wages and benefit levels, the status of the jobs as full time or part time,
and the status of the jobs as temporary or permanent;
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new text begin (3) the amount of business activity and changes in gross revenues of the grant recipient
as a result of the assistance; and
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new text begin (4) the new tax revenue generated as a result of the assistance.
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new text begin (b) The commissioner of employment and economic development must monitor .......'s
compliance with this section and the performance measures developed under paragraph (a).
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new text begin (c) ....... must comply with all requests made by the commissioner under this section.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Business subsidy requirements. new text end

new text begin Minnesota Statutes, sections 116J.993 to
116J.995, do not apply to assistance under this section. Businesses in receipt of assistance
under this section must provide for job creation and retention goals, and wage and benefit
goals.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Administrative costs. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of employment and economic
development may use up to one percent of the appropriation made for this section for
administrative expenses of the department.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Rulemaking. new text end

new text begin The criteria, procedures, and requirements developed under this
section are exempt from the rulemaking requirements of Minnesota Statutes, chapter 14,
and Minnesota Statutes, section 14.386, does not apply.
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new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2023, and expires June 30, 2024.
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; BOUNDARY WATERS AREA ECONOMIC RELIEF
PROGRAM.
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new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2024 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of
employment and economic development for the boundary waters area economic relief
program under section 1. This is a onetime appropriation.
new text end