1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to community development; providing funding 
  1.3             for employment-related empowerment groups; 
  1.4             appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [EMPLOYMENT EMPOWERMENT GROUPS; APPROPRIATION.] 
  1.7      $125,000 in fiscal year 2000 and $125,000 in fiscal year 
  1.8   2001 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
  1.9   of economic security for grants to the St. Paul district 5 
  1.10  planning council.  These grants are to operate and continue a 
  1.11  community work empowerment support group demonstration project.  
  1.12  A project consists of empowerment groups of individuals that are 
  1.13  in the process of obtaining or have obtained jobs, including 
  1.14  those in the welfare-to-work programs, or those that are working 
  1.15  out problems of attaining self-sufficiency.  The groups must 
  1.16  separately meet at least monthly for at least two hours.  Each 
  1.17  group meeting must include empowerment mentors whose 
  1.18  responsibility will be to conduct the meeting.  Groups members 
  1.19  must be paid at least $20 for each meeting attended.  The groups 
  1.20  must report to the commissioner on a semiannual basis regarding 
  1.21  the progress achieved at the meetings.  The purpose of the group 
  1.22  is to:  
  1.23     (1) share information among group members as to the 
  1.24  successes and problems encountered in the individuals' 
  1.25  employment goals; 
  2.1      (2) provide a forum for individuals involved in moving to 
  2.2   self-sufficiency to share their experiences and strategies and 
  2.3   to support and empower each other; 
  2.4      (3) provide feedback to the commissioner concerning the 
  2.5   best strategies to achieve the empowerment support group's 
  2.6   objectives; and 
  2.7      (4) have an overall goal to help people with obstacles to 
  2.8   employment find jobs.