1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to jobs; providing for grants to qualified 
  1.3             job training programs; appropriating money. 
  1.4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.5      Section 1.  [JOB TRAINING PROGRAM GRANT.] 
  1.6      Subdivision 1.  [GRANT ALLOWED.] A grant to a qualified job 
  1.7   training program is allowed as follows: 
  1.8      (1) a $9,000 placement grant paid to a job training program 
  1.9   upon placement in employment of a qualified graduate of the 
  1.10  program; and 
  1.11     (2) a $9,000 retention grant paid to a job training program 
  1.12  upon retention in employment of a qualified graduate of the 
  1.13  program for at least one year. 
  1.14     Subd. 2.  [QUALIFIED JOB TRAINING PROGRAM.] To qualify for 
  1.15  grants under this section, a job training program must satisfy 
  1.16  the following requirements: 
  1.17     (1) the program must be operated by a nonprofit corporation 
  1.18  that qualifies under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 
  1.19  Code; 
  1.20     (2) the program must spend at least $15,000 per graduate of 
  1.21  the program; 
  1.22     (3) the program must provide education and training in: 
  1.23     (i) basic skills, such as reading, writing, mathematics, 
  1.24  and communications; 
  2.1      (ii) thinking skills, such as reasoning, creative thinking, 
  2.2   decision making, and problem solving; and 
  2.3      (iii) personal qualities, such as responsibility, 
  2.4   self-esteem, self-management, honesty, and integrity; 
  2.5      (4) the program must provide income supplements, when 
  2.6   needed, to participants for housing, counseling, tuition, and 
  2.7   other basic needs; 
  2.8      (5) the program's education and training course must last 
  2.9   for at least six months; 
  2.10     (6) individuals served by the program must: 
  2.11     (i) be 18 years of age or older; 
  2.12     (ii) have federal adjusted gross income of no more than 
  2.13  $11,000 per year in the two years immediately before entering 
  2.14  the program; 
  2.15     (iii) have assets of no more than $7,000, excluding the 
  2.16  value of a homestead; and 
  2.17     (iv) not have been claimed as a dependent on the federal 
  2.18  tax return of another person in the previous taxable year; and 
  2.19     (7) the program must be certified by the commissioner of 
  2.20  trade and economic development as meeting the requirements of 
  2.21  this subdivision. 
  2.22     Subd. 3.  [GRADUATION AND RETENTION GRANT 
  2.23  REQUIREMENTS.] For purposes of a placement grant under this 
  2.24  section, a qualified graduate is a graduate of a job training 
  2.25  program qualifying under subdivision 2 who is placed in a job in 
  2.26  Minnesota that pays at least $9 per hour or its equivalent plus 
  2.27  health care benefits.  To qualify for a retention grant under 
  2.28  this section for a retention fee, a job in which the graduate is 
  2.29  retained must pay at least $10 per hour or its equivalent plus 
  2.30  health care benefits at the end of the first year of employment. 
  2.31     Subd. 4.  [DUTIES OF PROGRAM.] (a) A program certified by 
  2.32  the commissioner of trade and economic development under 
  2.33  subdivision 2 must comply with the requirements of this 
  2.34  subdivision. 
  2.35     (b) A program must maintain records for each qualified 
  2.36  graduate.  The records must include information sufficient to 
  3.1   verify the graduate's eligibility under this section, identify 
  3.2   the employer, and describe the job including its compensation 
  3.3   rate and benefits. 
  3.4      (c) A program must report to the commissioner of trade and 
  3.5   economic development by January 1, 2004, and by January 1, 
  3.6   2005.  The report must include, at least, information on: 
  3.7      (1) the number of graduates placed; 
  3.8      (2) demographic information on the graduates; 
  3.9      (3) the type of position in which each graduate is placed, 
  3.10  including compensation information; 
  3.11     (4) the tenure of each graduate at the placed position or 
  3.12  in other jobs; 
  3.13     (5) the amount of employer fees paid to the program; 
  3.14     (6) the amount of money raised by the program from other 
  3.15  sources; and 
  3.16     (7) the types and sizes of employers with which graduates 
  3.17  have been placed and retained. 
  3.18     (d) The commissioner of trade and economic development 
  3.19  shall compile and summarize this information and report to the 
  3.20  legislature by February 15, 2004, and February 15, 2005. 
  3.21     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.22     $500,000 in fiscal year 2004 and $500,000 in fiscal year 
  3.23  2005 are appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
  3.24  of trade and economic development for the purpose of making 
  3.25  grants under section 1.