1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; early childhood; capital 
  1.3             improvements; appropriating money for youth enrichment 
  1.4             facilities. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  1.7      $10,000,000 is appropriated from the bond proceeds fund to 
  1.8   the commissioner of children, families, and learning to make 
  1.9   grants to local government units to design, furnish, equip, 
  1.10  renovate, replace, or construct parks and recreation facilities 
  1.11  and school facilities to provide youth, with preference for 
  1.12  youth in grades 4 to 8, with regular enrichment activities 
  1.13  during nonschool hours, including after school, evenings, 
  1.14  weekends, and school vacation periods, and that will provide 
  1.15  equal access and programming for all children.  The buildings or 
  1.16  facilities may be leased to nonprofit community organizations, 
  1.17  subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.695, for the same 
  1.18  purposes.  Enrichment programs include academic enrichment, 
  1.19  homework assistance, computer and technology use, arts and 
  1.20  cultural activities, clubs, school-to-work and workforce 
  1.21  development, athletic, and recreational activities.  Grants must 
  1.22  be used to expand the number of children participating in 
  1.23  enrichment programs or improve the quality or range of program 
  1.24  offerings.  The facilities must be fully available for 
  1.25  programming sponsored by nonprofit and community groups serving 
  2.1   youth, or school, county, or city programs, for maximum hours 
  2.2   after school, evenings, weekends, summers, and other school 
  2.3   vacation periods.  Priority must be given to proposals that 
  2.4   demonstrate collaborations among political subdivisions, 
  2.5   private, nonprofit, and public agencies, including regional 
  2.6   entities dealing with at-risk youth, and community and parent 
  2.7   organizations in arranging for programming, staffing, 
  2.8   transportation, and equipment.  All proposals must include an 
  2.9   inventory of existing facilities and an assessment of 
  2.10  programming needs of the community.  In awarding these grants, 
  2.11  the commissioner shall consider the regional distributions 
  2.12  required in Laws 1996, chapter 463, section 4, subdivision 2.  
  2.13  Priority must be given to school attendance areas with high 
  2.14  concentrations of children eligible for free or reduced school 
  2.15  lunch and to government units demonstrating a commitment to 
  2.16  collaborative youth efforts. 
  2.17     Sec. 2.  [BOND SALE.] 
  2.18     To provide the money appropriated in section 1 from the 
  2.19  bond proceeds fund, the commissioner of finance shall sell and 
  2.20  issue bonds of the state in an amount up to $10,000,000 in the 
  2.21  manner, upon the terms, and with the effect prescribed by 
  2.22  Minnesota Statutes, sections 16A.631 to 16A.675, and by the 
  2.23  Minnesota Constitution, article XI, sections 4 to 7. 
  2.24     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.25     This act is effective the day following final enactment.