Relating to economic development; expanding the definition of public official to include the director of Explore Minnesota tourism; prohibiting the use of construction debris or residue containing gypsum as cover material at disposal facilities; requiring any decision of the state to enter into government procurement agreements relating to federal trade agreements to approved by the governor and the legislature; establishing the trade policy advisory group, specifying membership, administration and duties, sunset provision; establishing a military reservist economic injury loan program; authorizing the commissioner of employment and economic development (DEED) to make onetime interest free loans up to a certain amount to eligible borrowers sustaining substantial economic injury as a result of the call to active service of an essential employee; requiring use of a revolving loan account and expedited rules adoption process; modifying the definition of dislocated worker to include veterans; clarifying state dislocated worker program training in personal services authority; authorizing collective bargaining agreements to include provisions related to workplace communications; changing the name of the Minnesota boxing commission to the combative sports commission; providing for classified service coverage for the executive director; modifying eligibility requirements for additional unemployment benefits; adding an unemployment insurance benefits tax calculation exception for employers in cases of military reservist replacement worker lay off; adding vacation pay paid from the vacation fund administered by a union or a third party not under the control of the employer to the list of payments not offset by unemployment benefits; modifying a certain provision restricting use of wage credits for certain employees who own or are related to owners of family businesses; modifying the definition of actively seeking suitable employment; providing for additional unemployment benefits to workers laid off due to lack of work in certain high unemployment rate counties; modifying eligibility requirements for additional unemployment benefits; requiring the commissioner of employment and economic development (DEED) to notify applicants of the availability of additional unemployment benefits under certain conditions; defining and redefining certain terms; modifying certain tough person contest regulations; extending the jurisdiction of the commission to combative sports contests; modifying combative sports commission membership requirements; modifying certain provisions relating to rulemaking, meetings, duties of the commissioner, combative sports contests regulations, licensure and prelicensure requirements, fee schedules for professional and amateur licenses, physical examination requirements and insurance requirements; authorizing the commission to accept gifts under certain conditions; imposing penalties for violations; making certain conforming amendments; appropriating money to the commission; requiring the public facilities authority to make funds available for wastewater infrastructures based on pollution control agency (PCA) priority list ranking and requiring funds reservation upon applicant federal commitment receipt or PCA plan submission; increasing public facilities authority grant funding; establishing and providing for a credit enhanced bond program to provide governmental unit loans through governmental units general obligation bonds purchased for purpose of project financing; requiring the authority to obtain funds to make loans through revenue bonds issuance payable from loan repayments pledged to the bonds; establishing a fund and accounts; permitting revenue bond issuance by the authority; specifying a bonding limit; increasing the housing finance agency bond fund debt ceiling; creating transit area improvement accounts; establishing the transit improvement area loan program, defining certain terms; requiring the commissioner of transportation (DOT) in consultation with local governments to designate transit improvement areas; specifying items to be included in a required transit area improvement plan submitted by applicants of the program; authorizing the commissioner to make transit improvement area loans to designated transit improvement areas under certain conditions; providing for transit improvement areas loans and conditions; modifying central iron range sanitary sewer district provisions; requiring any bioscience or biotechnology project financed in whole or part by state appropriation or other public subsidies to document how and to what extent the project will provide a benefit to consumers in the form of more affordable pricing of the products or services being publicly subsidized; requiring Explore Minnesota tourism to conduct a study of vacation rental lodging and report to the legislature by a certain date with recommendations for purposes of consumer protection; requiring the departments of revenue and health, political subdivisions and industry representatives consultation; requiring the Minnesota unemployment insurance advisory council to provide a recommendation to the legislature by a certain date on modifications to the additional unemployment insurance benefit provisions; specifying instructions to the revisor of statutes relating to unemployment insurance technical changes; repealing the simulcast licenses provision
(Ch. 300, 2008)