1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to rural workforce development; providing for rural career counseling 
1.3 	coordinators; requiring reports; appropriating money for rural career counseling 
1.4 	coordinators; appropriating money for the Minnesota youth program;proposing 
1.5 	coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 116L.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [116L.667] RURAL CAREER COUNSELING COORDINATORS.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Requirement. Each workforce service area located outside of the 
1.9 	metropolitan area, as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2, except for a service area 
1.10 	that serves a single city outside of the metropolitan area, must have a career counseling 
1.11 	coordinator who is responsible for improving coordination and communication of 
1.12 	workforce development programs and services within the workforce service area, with 
1.13 	other workforce service areas and career counseling coordinators, and with administering 
1.14 	agencies. A career counseling coordinator may serve as the coordinator for up to two 
1.15 	service areas.
1.16 		Subd. 2.Responsibilities. A career counseling coordinator is responsible for:
1.17 	(1) understanding the needs of existing, new, and prospective service area businesses 
1.18 	in regard to workforce development programs, resources, and other services;
1.19 	(2) connecting job seekers, secondary and higher education institutions, employers, 
1.20 	and other stakeholders and partners;
1.21 	(3) providing services to job seekers including career counseling, training, and 
1.22 	work experience opportunities;
1.23 	(4) assessing and compiling information about all workforce development programs 
1.24 	and services offered in the assigned workforce service area, including adult basic 
2.1 	education programs and programs and services at higher education institutions and 
2.2 	kindergarten through grade 12 schools;
2.3 	(5) making recommendations to the commissioner regarding ways to improve 
2.4 	career counseling coordination, possible program changes, and new workforce programs 
2.5 	or initiatives;
2.6 	(6) sharing best practices and collaborating with other career counseling coordinators 
2.7 	to promote and enable state-level coordination among workforce development programs 
2.8 	and administering agencies including, but not limited to, the Departments of Employment 
2.9 	and Economic Development, Education, and Labor and Industry, and the Office of Higher 
2.10 	Education; and
2.11 	(7) promoting available workforce development and career counseling programs and 
2.12 	resources in the workforce service area.
2.13 		Subd. 3.Reporting; consolidation. The workforce council in each of the workforce 
2.14 	service areas having a career counseling coordinator shall submit an annual report to 
2.15 	the commissioner that includes, but is not limited to, a narrative of and the number of 
2.16 	businesses, job seekers, and other stakeholders served by the career counseling coordinator 
2.17 	function, an accounting of workforce development and career counseling programs 
2.18 	and services offered in the assigned workforce service area, and any recommendations 
2.19 	for changes to workforce development efforts in the workforce service area. Beginning 
2.20 	January 15, 2016, and each year thereafter, the commissioner shall consolidate the reports 
2.21 	and submit the consolidated report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over 
2.22 	economic development and workforce policy and finance.

2.23 	Sec. 2. RURAL CAREER COUNSELING COORDINATORS; 
2.24 	APPROPRIATION.
 2.25 	$2,250,000 in fiscal year 2016 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
2.26 	commissioner of employment and economic development for up to nine rural career 
2.27 	counseling coordinator positions in the workforce service areas and for the purposes 
2.28 	specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.667. The commissioner, in consultation 
2.29 	with local workforce investment boards and local elected officials in each of the service 
2.30 	areas receiving funds, shall develop a method of distributing funds to provide equitable 
2.31 	services across workforce service areas.

2.32 	Sec. 3. MINNESOTA YOUTH PROGRAM; APPROPRIATION.
 2.33 	(a) $10,000,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $10,000,000 in fiscal year 2017 are 
2.34 	appropriated from the general fund, and $3,500,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $3,500,000 
3.1 	in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated from the workforce development fund, to the 
3.2 	commissioner of employment and economic development for the Minnesota youth 
3.3 	program under Minnesota Statutes, sections 116L.56 and 116L.561.
3.4 	(b) Of these amounts, $6,000,000 each year from the general fund and $2,000,000 
3.5 	each year from the workforce development fund are for workforce service areas located 
3.6 	outside of the metropolitan area, as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 473.121, 
3.7 	subdivision 2, except for a service area that serves a single city outside of the metropolitan 
3.8 	area, to provide employment and career counseling to youth, including career guidance 
3.9 	in local kindergarten through grade 12 schools, to address the youth career counseling 
3.10 	deficiency, to carry out activities outlined in Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.561, 
3.11 	to provide support services, and to provide work experience to youth in the workforce 
3.12 	service areas. The funds in this paragraph may be used for expansion of the pilot program 
3.13 	combining career and higher education advising in Laws 2013, chapter 85, article 3, 
3.14 	section 27. Activities in workforce services areas under this paragraph may serve all 
3.15 	youth up to age 24. The commissioner, in consultation with local workforce investment 
3.16 	boards and local elected officials in each of the service areas receiving funds under this 
3.17 	paragraph, shall develop a method of distributing funds to provide equitable services 
3.18 	across workforce service areas.