1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; modifying the state council on 
  1.3             vocational technical education; appropriating money; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 136F.56, 
  1.5             subdivisions 1, 2, 6, 7, and by adding a subdivision. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 136F.56, 
  1.8   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [STATE AGENCY PURPOSE AND DUTIES.] (a) The 
  1.10  state council on vocational technical education, formerly known 
  1.11  as the Minnesota state advisory council for vocational 
  1.12  education, is a state agency in the executive branch.  Its 
  1.13  purpose is to implement section 112 of the Carl D. Perkins 
  1.14  Vocational Education Act of 1984, United States Code, title 20, 
  1.15  section 2322, and other purposes necessary to improve serve as 
  1.16  an independent general advocate for quality vocational technical 
  1.17  education. and workforce development through the use of state or 
  1.18  federal funds.  The council shall: 
  1.19     (1) hold meetings at which the public is given an 
  1.20  opportunity to express views concerning vocational technical 
  1.21  education and workforce development in the state; 
  1.22     (2) conduct research, evaluations, assessments, and 
  1.23  analyses of the delivery of vocational technical education and 
  1.24  workforce development systems as deemed necessary by the council 
  1.25  and appropriate to promote continued improvement of these 
  2.1   systems; and 
  2.2      (3) other activities at the discretion of the council. 
  2.3      (b) The council shall provide relevant information to those 
  2.4   state agencies providing secondary, post-secondary, and adult 
  2.5   vocational technical education and workforce development 
  2.6   services to the citizens of Minnesota.  At least once each 
  2.7   biennium, the council shall report the results of its work to 
  2.8   the governor, the legislature, the state workforce development 
  2.9   council, the board of trustees of the Minnesota state colleges 
  2.10  and universities, the state board of education, and the general 
  2.11  public.  
  2.12     (c) The council shall make regular reports and 
  2.13  recommendations to state and local agencies involved with 
  2.14  vocational technical education and workforce development, the 
  2.15  governor, the business community, and the general public of the 
  2.16  state.  The reports of the council shall include comments 
  2.17  concerning the planning and delivery of vocational technical 
  2.18  education and workforce development, advice to state agencies 
  2.19  for workforce development, and recommendations as may be 
  2.20  necessary for the council to successfully achieve its purpose.  
  2.21  In cooperation with the council, all agencies and boards 
  2.22  responsible for vocational technical education and workforce 
  2.23  development shall provide the council with reports generated in 
  2.24  the regular course of doing business and in response to the 
  2.25  council's request for information. 
  2.26     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 136F.56, 
  2.27  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.28     Subd. 2.  [MEMBERS; TERMS.] The council consists of 16 
  2.29  members appointed by the governor. shall appoint the members of 
  2.30  the council according to United States Code, title 20, section 
  2.31  2322.  Except as otherwise provided by that act, At least one 
  2.32  member shall be appointed from each of the following areas:  
  2.33  secondary vocational technical education; post-secondary and 
  2.34  adult vocational technical education; local workforce 
  2.35  development and job training; persons knowledgeable of people 
  2.36  with disabilities; the department of economic security; the 
  3.1   state legislature; educational guidance and counseling; and 
  3.2   individuals from the private sector representing large and small 
  3.3   businesses, labor and trade organizations, personnel agencies, 
  3.4   and agriculture.  The members are governed by section 15.0575.  
  3.5      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 136F.56, is 
  3.6   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  3.7      Subd. 2a.  [COUNCIL OPERATION.] The chair of the council 
  3.8   shall be selected from the private sector membership of the 
  3.9   council.  The council shall establish its rules of operation 
  3.10  which shall include provision for public input on the delivery 
  3.11  of vocational technical education services and workforce 
  3.12  development and the organization of council meetings. 
  3.13     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 136F.56, 
  3.14  subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
  3.15     Subd. 6.  [FISCAL AGENT.] The board of trustees of the 
  3.16  Minnesota state colleges and universities shall act as fiscal 
  3.17  agent for the council and provide other support services 
  3.18  necessary for disbursements, accounting, auditing, and reporting.
  3.19     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 136F.56, 
  3.20  subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
  3.21     Subd. 7.  [STAFF.] The council may employ an executive 
  3.22  director and other staff needed to carry out its duties.  The 
  3.23  council shall have sole authority to determine its staff needs 
  3.24  and to select its staff.  The executive director shall serve in 
  3.25  the unclassified service and may be paid an allowance not to 
  3.26  exceed $2,000 annually for miscellaneous expenses in connection 
  3.27  with duties of the office. The council may contract with 
  3.28  professional, technical, and clerical consultants services and 
  3.29  interns needed to carry out its functions and for such services 
  3.30  as may be necessary to enable the council to carry out its 
  3.31  evaluation functions independent of programmatic and 
  3.32  administrative control by other state boards, agencies, and 
  3.33  individuals. 
  3.34     Sec. 6.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.35     $180,000 in fiscal year 1998 and $180,000 in fiscal year 
  3.36  1999 is appropriated from the general fund to the board of 
  4.1   trustees of the Minnesota state colleges and universities for 
  4.2   the operation of the state council on vocational technical 
  4.3   education.