3E Relating to the organization, operation and financing of state government; modifying employment and economic development provisions

ARTICLE 1 - JOBS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS

Providing a summary of appropriations; appropriating money for jobs, economic development and housing purposes; appropriating money to department of employment and economic development (DEED) for business and community development including contaminated site cleanup and development grants, for WomenVenture for women's business development programs, for the Metropolitan Economic Development Association for minority business development programs, for BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota for bioscience development programs, for an aircraft completion center, for the Minnesota Inventors Congress for the Student Inventors Congress, for the office of science and technology for an addition to the budget's base, for Enterprise Minnesota, Inc. for a business growth acceleration program, for the Rural Policy and Development Center at St. Peter, for Lake county for ice storm damage, for Green Isle for fire relief efforts, for transportation construction impact mitigation grants to small businesses, for the Iron Range resources and rehabilitation board (IRRRB) for a windmill blades manufacturer grant, for the board of trustees of Minnesota state colleges and universities (MnSCU) for a Northeast higher education district grant, for entrepreneurs and small businesses development grants to eligible organizations, and for certain entrepreneurial grants in Blue Earth, Faribault and Martin counties, for workforce development purposes, for the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Program, the state's vocational rehabilitation program, state services for the blind activities, grants to centers for independent living, Twin Cities RISE! to provide training to hard-to-train individuals, Northern Connections in Perham for a pilot workforce program, the Ramsey County Workforce Development Board to develop the building lives program, Advocating Change Together for resource materials for those with developmental and mental illness disabilities, the workforce development fund for extended employment services for persons with severe disabilities, grants to Minnesota Diversified Industries, Inc. to provide progressive employment opportunities for people with disabilities, programs that provide employment support services for persons with mental illness, Mn Works! to increase employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, for Rise, Inc. for the Minnesota employment center for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, for Lifetrack Resources for its immigrant and refugee collaborative program, from the workforce development fund for the Minnesota youth program, opportunities industrialization center programs, for the Minneapolis summer youth employment program and learn-to-earn, for the Minnesota Alliance of Boys and Girls clubs project, for summer youth employment in St. Paul, for the Youthbuild program, for the American Indian youth environmental education and training indigenous earthkeepers program, for interpreters for a regional transition program for culturally appropriate services for deaf, hard-of-hearing and deaf-blind students for Lutheran Social Services for debt management services, for the workforce development fund, for a Southeast Asian mutual assistance nonprofit organization grant for transitional training, for adult and displaced worker programs on-the-job training for eligible persons in counties with high unemployment, for a high-risk adults demonstration project grant, for workforce development centers for universal job seeker services and for a fund transfer to the governor's office in Washington D.C., to the public facilities authority for the small community wastewater treatment program, to Explore Minnesota tourism for a grant to the Upper Minnesota Film Office and an appropriation to Minnesota Film and TV Board, to the housing finance agency (HFA) for the economic development and housing challenge program, the housing trust fund, rental assistance for the mentally ill, family homeless prevention, the home ownership assistance fund, the affordable rental investment fund, housing rehabilitation, homeownership education, counseling and training and capacity building grants and demonstration project for high-risk adults grants, providing for transfer of disaster relief contingency funds, to the labor and industry department for workers compensation, for Vinland center for rehabilitation services grants, for labor standards and apprenticeship and general support, to the bureau of mediation services for mediation services and labor management cooperation grants, to the workers compensation court of appeals, to the Minnesota historical society for education and outreach and regulating fees, for preservation and access and funding for the Minnesota International Center, Minnesota Air National Guard Museum, Camp Ripley Minnesota military museum, Farmamerica, city of Eveleth for the Hockey Hall of Fame Museum, specifying certain fund transfers, to the board of the arts for operations and services, a grants program and regional arts councils, to the Minnesota humanities center, for public broadcasting purposes, for digital conversion assistance, matching grants for public television, public television assistance grants, grants to Twin Cities regional cable channel, community service grants to public educational radio stations and equipment grants to Minnesota Public Radio, Inc., to the board of accountancy, to the board of architecture, engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, geoscience and interior design, to the board of cosmetologist examiners, to the board of barber examiners, to the combative sports commission and to legislative coordinating commission (LCC) for the economic development strategy working group, specifying certain match requirements and providing for certain fund transfers

ARTICLE 2 - EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - RELATED PROVISIONS

Making technical amendments and updating certain employment and economic development provisions; modifying certain provisions relating to regional organization agreements with DEED, department motor vehicle use authority, aggregate land identification and classification requirements; modifying certain powers and duties of the commissioner; modifying certain Greater Minnesota business development public infrastructure grant program and bioscience business development public infrastructure grant programs provisions; requiring commissioner to lead a multiagency project to advise, promote, market and coordinate state agency collaboration on green enterprise and green economy projects; increasing the grant amount for qualifying contamination cleanup sites; creating a Minnesota science and technology economic development project and specifying leadership requirements; modifying certain Minnesota investment fund grant requirements; directing commissioner to develop a uniform accountability report for economic development and workforce related programs funded by state and federal funds; temporarily increasing the workforce development fund special assessment under the jobs skills partnership program; expanding Youthbuild programs grant use requirements to include improvements to energy efficiency and environmental health of residential units and community garden projects support; modifying certain small business growth acceleration program qualified company eligibility requirements; limiting department liability for blind persons vending stands and machines on governmental property; modifying application requirements for assistance in establishing or operating a community rehabilitation facility; establishing an economic development strategy working group to guide job and business growth; providing a fund transfer for green enterprise assistance; specifying certain instructions to the revisor of statutes; repealing certain provisions relating to cooperative contracts, rural development powers, Greater Minnesota business development public infrastructure grant program set asides, certain powers and duties of commissioner, imprest funds use, small business access to federal research funds, distance-work grants, local service unit plans and office of tourism transition requirements

ARTICLE 3 - UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE POLICY

Modifying certain unemployment insurance policy provisions relating to election by state or political subdivision to be a taxpaying employer and election reimbursement by nonprofit organizations; modifying certain cancellation determinations by commissioner of payments due from employers, certain compromise determinations, and unemployment benefit determination requirements; modifying certain provisions relating to payments delaying applicant unemployment benefits, receipt of back pay and the definition of available for suitable employment; authorizing the payment of unemployment insurance benefits for certain workers electing to be voluntarily laid off; modifying certain exceptions to the prohibition on the payment of benefits for voluntary quit; clarifying the definitions of quit; requiring employer-agency appeals to be filed online; providing for collection of certain internal revenue service fees; regulating continued request for unemployment benefits filings, providing administrative penalties; waiving certain requirements for dislocated workers under the Labor Project Gate (Growing America Through Entrepreneurship) federal grant program, specifying limitations and an expiration date

ARTICLE 4 - UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE TECHNICAL CHANGES

Making technical amendments to certain unemployment insurance provisions; providing for computations of money rounded down under the unemployment insurance program; defining and clarifying the terms independent contractor for construction, determination and filing or filed, and preponderance of the evidence; modifying certain determinations of coverage provisions; benefit account provisions; modifying and clarifying eligibility conditions for weekly unemployment benefits; defining continued request for unemployment benefits, specifying certain filing requirements, defining good cause, clarifying preponderance of the available evidence for discharge from employment; modifying employer notification requirements for determinations on issues of ineligibility; allowing requests for reconsideration for appeals by electronic transmission to commissioner; modifying certain appeal procedures, specifying certain notice requirements for evidentiary hearings; specifying certain duties of an employment law judge relating to subpoena requests; modifying administration account and contingent provisions; specifying instructions to revisor of statutes; repealing certain provisions relating to the definition of able to work and continued request for unemployment benefits on an active benefit account

ARTICLE 5 - LABOR STANDARDS AND WAGES; LICENSING AND FEES

Modifying certain state building and construction contracts requirements; requiring the commissioner to issue an order requiring an employer to comply with the prevailing wage law under certain conditions; specifying certain payroll report requirements; clarifying certain provisions relating to the prevailing wage law; prohibiting public employers from knowingly purchasing or acquiring, furnishing or requiring employees to purchase or acquire items for wear or use that is not manufactured in the United States, requiring preference be given to manufacturers providing certain wages and benefits; specifying certain contamination cleanup deposit of revenue requirements; providing a fee schedule and distribution requirements for building permit fees, extending the cutoff date for electrical work experience credit of unlicensed individuals, removing a duplicate license fee, providing a two-year bond registration fee, phasing in two-year plumber, water conditioning contractor and installer, residential contractor, remodeler and roofer, master of boats, boiler operator, certificate of competency and manufactured home dealers license and certificate renewals, increasing licensee continuing education requirements, renewal fees, contractor recovery fund fee contributions, additional assessment fee and United States coast guard master and boiler engineer licensing fees, establishing manufactured homes dealer license fees and permitting two-year duration; repealing an agency rule

ARTICLE 6 - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Adopting hockey as the official Minnesota state sport; modifying certain provisions relating to small business development loans; removing the expiration date for the Cuyuna country state recreation area citizens advisory council and the Minnesota forest resources council; allowing money in the petroleum tank release cleanup program to be used for certain specified purposes; providing for the improvement of neighborhoods adjacent to the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and Duluth campuses, requiring the creation of an organization connecting the board of regents and the cities of Minneapolis and Duluth with neighborhood and business associations near the university campus area neighborhoods, specifying certain membership requirements; separating the board of barber and cosmetology examiners into two separate boards, providing for transfer of staff, allocation of funds, enforcement and duties, making certain technical changes, increasing cosmetology fees, allowing cosmetologists to perform special event services by permit; requiring the road or transit authority of certain localities to consult with certain affected businesses concerning the issue of business signs in the event of road construction, specifying certain business liaison requirements; specifying certain mitigation of transportation construction impacts on business requirements, defining project; removing the expiration date of the apprenticeship board; requiring the commissioner of labor and industry to appoint an advisory task force on employee misclassification, specifying certain duties and membership requirements; removing the expiration date of the occupational safety and health advisory council; including the office of commissioner of Iron Range resources and rehabilitation in the definition of a qualifying owner of a community based energy development project; removing the expiration date for the Iron Range higher education committee, the technical advisory committee for Northeast Minnesota economic development fund and the Iron Range resources and rehabilitation board technical advisory committee; allowing the partial forgiveness of the St. Paul RiverCentre Area loan debt to the state; specifying certain instructions to the revisor of statutes; repealing a certain provision relating to complementary and alternative health care providers treatment, appliances and supplies

ARTICLE 7 - IRON RANGE RESOURCES

Modifying the Iron Range resources and rehabilitation board (IRRRB) approval process for loans and equity investment matching funds made by the Minnesota Minerals 21st century fund; permitting the IRRRB to offer a targeted early separation incentive program for certain employees; modifying certain board approval processes for expenditures and projects, and for the purchase, sale and use of proceeds from the sale of forest land in the taconite assistance area; permitting the IRRRB commissioner to establish, participate in the management of and dispose the assets of nonprofit limited liability companies; modifying description of the Giants Ridge recreation area; permitting board members to collect per diem; modifying eligible projects for the taconite area environmental protection fund; modifying allocation procedure for repayment or transfer of money to the taconite environmental protection fund; providing for certain transfers to the environmental protection fund; modifying the transfer of and utilization of certain earnings from the Douglas J. Johnson Economic Protection Trust Fund; establishing a special account in the taconite environmental protection fund for renewable energy purposes

ARTICLE 8 - HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

Modifying certain Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund provisions; expanding agency powers for rehabilitation loans, restricting accessibility improvement loan limits to owner-occupied property; increasing the maximum amount of a rehabilitation loan administered by the agency; modifying certain targeted neighborhood revitalization program provisions, modifying certain definitions, redefining city to include any statutory or home rule city, town, or township, modifying the definition of targeted neighborhood to targeted community and making certain conforming amendments, providing for designation of targeted communities and adding areas with disproportionate numbers of vacant properties and mortgage foreclosures to qualifying areas, creating the targeted community revitalization fund in the state treasury; providing for mortgagors (owners) to postpone homestead sales to a certain date, specifying mortgagor requirements, providing an affidavit form; requiring the commissioner of employment and economic development (DEED) to develop and implement a construction mitigation grant program to mitigate the impacts of transportation construction on local small businesses, promote the retention of jobs in transportation construction areas and provide outreach to the public and small businesses to minimize interruption of local commerce, specifying certain duties of the departments of DEED and transportation and local units of government, defining certain terms, prescribing grant application, sunset provision; repealing economic development targeted neighborhood revitalization and financing Minneapolis community participation and payment, city match, drawdown, money uses allocation

ARTICLE 9 - MINNESOTA HERITAGE

Modifying certain provisions relating to public television and noncommercial radio station grants and reporting, allowing commissioner of administration to make block grants to public television stations for operational costs yearly, providing for carryover of funds; modifying exclusions from contribution amount, modifying public television station reporting requirements, changing certain general noncommercial radio station application requirements, providing for carryover of funds for state community service block grants, modifying certain audit requirements, clarifying certain repayment of funds requirements; directing the department of finance management analysis division to study and report to the legislature on possible collocation of the offices of the Council on Black Minnesotans, the Council on Affairs of Chicano/Latino People, the Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans and the metropolitan area Office of the Indian Affairs Council; specifying certain instructions to the revisor of statutes; repealing a certain provisions relating to duties of the board of arts relating to program categories and funding programs
(Ch. 39, 2009 - VETO)