1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to state government; enacting the Women of Color Opportunity Act; 
1.3 	creating pilot projects; requiring a report; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	ARTICLE 1
1.6 	WOMEN OF COLOR OPPORTUNITY ACT

1.7 	Section 1. ACT.
 1.8 	This act may be referred to as the Women of Color Opportunity Act.

1.9 	ARTICLE 2
1.10 	SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

1.11 	Section 1. EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR LOAN PROGRAM; APPROPRIATION.
 1.12 	$2,000,000 in fiscal year 2022 and $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2023 are appropriated from 
1.13 	the general fund to the commissioner of employment and economic development for the 
1.14 	Minnesota emerging entrepreneur loan program under Minnesota Statutes, section 116M.18. 
1.15 	Funds available under this section are for transfer into the emerging entrepreneur program 
1.16 	special revenue fund account created under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 116M, and are 
1.17 	available until expended. Of these amounts, $1,000,000 each year is for loans targeted to 
1.18 	entrepreneurs who are women of color and up to four percent is for administration and 
1.19 	monitoring of the program.

2.1 	Sec. 2. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM; 
2.2 	APPROPRIATION.
 2.3 	$1,925,000 in fiscal year 2022 and $1,925,000 in fiscal year 2023 are appropriated from 
2.4 	the general fund to the commissioner of employment and economic development for the 
2.5 	business development competitive grant program. Of these amounts, $500,000 each year 
2.6 	is for grants to provide services and technical assistance targeted to entrepreneurs who are 
2.7 	women of color and up to five percent is for administration and monitoring of the business 
2.8 	development competitive grant program. All grant awards shall be for two consecutive 
2.9 	years. Grants shall be awarded in the first year.

2.10 	ARTICLE 3
2.11 	FINANCIAL LITERACY

2.12 	Section 1. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAMS TO INCREASE THE FINANCIAL 
2.13 	LITERACY OF GIRLS OF COLOR.
 2.14 		Subdivision 1.Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the terms defined in this 
2.15 	subdivision have the meanings given.
2.16 	(b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of education.
2.17 	(c) "Eligible organization" means community-based organizations able to help girls or 
2.18 	women of color become financially literate, Minnesota public elementary and secondary 
2.19 	schools and postsecondary institutions offering financial literacy instruction and curricula, 
2.20 	and other Minnesota organizations experienced in helping girls or women of color become 
2.21 	financially literate, consistent with this section.
2.22 	(d) "Financial literacy" means the knowledge and understanding needed to make 
2.23 	responsible and appropriate personal financial decisions.
2.24 	(e) "Girls of color" means females through age 17 who self-identify as American Indian, 
2.25 	Asian, Black, or Hispanic.
2.26 	(f) "Women of color" means females age 18 and older who self-identify as American 
2.27 	Indian, Asian, Black, or Hispanic.
2.28 		Subd. 2.Grants. The commissioner shall award competitive grants, to the extent funds 
2.29 	are available, on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible organizations to help girls and 
2.30 	women of color gain financial literacy.  The commissioner must award at least two grants 
2.31 	to eligible organizations serving girls of color in secondary school. Instruction in financial 
3.1 	literacy must be culturally specific and provided in the primary language of the girls or 
3.2 	women of color receiving the instruction.
3.3 		Subd. 3.Report. By January 15, 2022, the commissioner must submit a written report 
3.4 	to the legislative committees having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education 
3.5 	containing information about the competitive grant program design, activities, expenditures, 
3.6 	and outcomes disaggregated by categories of race, cultural group, family income, age, grade 
3.7 	level, school district, geographical location, migrant, foreign immigrant status, home 
3.8 	language, English learner status under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.59, disability, 
3.9 	homelessness, and foster care, to the extent the information is available and no individual 
3.10 	can be personally identified from the information.  The commissioner must include in the 
3.11 	report recommendations for a model program to increase the financial literacy of girls and 
3.12 	women of color in Minnesota.

3.13 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2021.

3.14 	Sec. 2.  APPROPRIATION.
 3.15 	$....... in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of 
3.16 	education for a competitive grant program to increase the financial literacy of girls and 
3.17 	women of color under section 1. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until 
3.18 	expended.

3.19 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2021.

3.20 	ARTICLE 4
3.21 	STEM CAREERS

3.22 	Section 1. PILOT GRANT PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE GIRLS OF COLOR TO 
3.23 	EXPLORE AND PURSUE STEM CAREERS.
 3.24 		Subdivision 1.Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the terms defined in this 
3.25 	subdivision have the meanings given.
3.26 	(b) "Best practices" means an innovative mentorship, internship, apprenticeship, or other 
3.27 	applied or experiential learning opportunity available for girls of color in STEM occupations 
3.28 	or fields.
3.29 	(c) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of education.
3.30 	(d) "Eligible organization" means community-based STEM-affiliated organizations 
3.31 	experienced in serving girls of color, Minnesota public elementary and secondary schools 
4.1 	providing STEM instruction and curricula, and other Minnesota STEM-affiliated 
4.2 	organizations experienced in serving girls of color, consistent with the purposes of this 
4.3 	section.
4.4 	(e) "Girls of color" means females through age 17 who self-identify as American Indian, 
4.5 	Asian, Black, or Hispanic.
4.6 	(f) "STEM" means the subject areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
4.7 		Subd. 2.Grants; use of grant funds. (a) The commissioner shall award grants to  eligible 
4.8 	organizations serving girls of color. The eligible organizations receiving a grant must use 
4.9 	grant funds to encourage and support girls of color in exploring and pursuing STEM careers 
4.10 	consistent with paragraph (b).
4.11 	(b) Grant recipients must use grant funds for one of two purposes: (1) for opportunities 
4.12 	for best practices to increase the awareness and interest of girls of color in STEM occupations 
4.13 	and fields, to develop the knowledge and confidence of girls of color in STEM, and to 
4.14 	increase the access of girls of color to secondary, dual credit, and postsecondary programs 
4.15 	leading to STEM occupations; or (2) for financial assistance for services to help girls of 
4.16 	color explore and pursue STEM careers while balancing their responsibilities for work, job 
4.17 	skills training and education, and family caregiving, which may include financial assistance 
4.18 	for child care, transportation, or safe and stable housing.
4.19 		Subd. 3.Outcomes. The grant recipients must work together to develop a model program 
4.20 	to encourage and support girls of color in exploring and pursuing STEM careers that other 
4.21 	organizations may replicate and use.
4.22 		Subd. 4.Report. By January 15, 2022, the commissioner must submit a written report 
4.23 	to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction 
4.24 	over kindergarten through grade 12 education containing information about the pilot grant 
4.25 	program design, activities, expenditures, and outcomes disaggregated by categories of race, 
4.26 	cultural group, family income, age, grade level, school district, geographical location, 
4.27 	migrant, foreign immigrant status, home language, English learner status under Minnesota 
4.28 	Statutes, section 124D.59, disability, homelessness, and foster care, to the extent the 
4.29 	information is available and no individual can be personally identified from that information.

4.30 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2021.

5.1 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; PILOT GRANT PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE AND 
5.2 	SUPPORT GIRLS OF COLOR IN EXPLORING AND PURSUING STEM CAREERS.
 5.3 	$....... in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of 
5.4 	education for a pilot grant program to encourage and support girls of color in exploring and 
5.5 	pursuing STEM careers under section 1. This is a onetime appropriation and is available 
5.6 	until expended.

5.7 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2021.

5.8 	ARTICLE 5
5.9 	ACADEMIC SUCCESS

5.10 	Section 1. PILOT GRANT PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS 
5.11 	OF GIRLS OF COLOR.
 5.12 		Subdivision 1.Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the terms defined in this 
5.13 	subdivision have the meanings given.
5.14 	(b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of education.
5.15 	(c) "Eligible organization" means community-based organizations serving girls of color, 
5.16 	Minnesota public elementary and secondary schools, and other Minnesota organizations 
5.17 	experienced in working with girls of color, consistent with the purposes of this section.
5.18 	(d) "Girls of color" means females through age 17 who self-identify as American Indian, 
5.19 	Asian, Black, or Hispanic.
5.20 		Subd. 2.Grants. The commissioner shall award grants to eligible organizations serving 
5.21 	girls of color. The eligible organizations receiving a grant must use grant funds to increase 
5.22 	the academic success of girls of color, leading to reduced suspensions in public elementary 
5.23 	and secondary schools and increased on-time high school graduation rates, and encourage 
5.24 	their pursuit of a postsecondary education program.
5.25 		Subd. 3.Outcomes. The grant recipients must work together to develop a model program 
5.26 	that other organizations may replicate and use.
5.27 		Subd. 4.Report. By January 15, 2022, the commissioner must submit a written report 
5.28 	to the committees of the legislature with jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 
5.29 	education containing information about the pilot grant program design, activities, 
5.30 	expenditures, and outcomes disaggregated by categories of race; cultural group; family 
5.31 	income; age; grade level; school district; geographical location; migrant; foreign immigrant 
5.32 	status; home language; English learner status under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.59; 
6.1 	disability; homelessness; and foster care, to the extent the information is available and no 
6.2 	individual can be personally identified from the information.

6.3 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2021.

6.4 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; PILOT GRANT PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE 
6.5 	ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF GIRLS OF COLOR.
 6.6 	$....... in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of 
6.7 	education for a pilot grant program to increase the academic success of girls of color under 
6.8 	section 1. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until expended.

6.9 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2021.

6.10 	ARTICLE 6
6.11 	HIGH-WAGE, HIGH-DEMAND,
6.12 	NONTRADITIONAL JOBS GRANTS

6.13 	Section 1. APPROPRIATION.
 6.14 	$....... in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of 
6.15 	employment and economic development for the high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional 
6.16 	jobs grant program under Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.99.

6.17 	ARTICLE 7
6.18 	WOMEN'S FOUNDATION OF MINNESOTA INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

6.19 	Section 1. APPROPRIATION.
 6.20 	(a) $....... in fiscal year 2022 and $....... in fiscal year 2023 are appropriated from the 
6.21 	general fund to the commissioner of employment and economic development for a grant to 
6.22 	the Women's Foundation of Minnesota to create and administer a statewide internship 
6.23 	program for young women 17 years of age or older and under 25 years of age who are 
6.24 	American Indian, Asian, Black, or Hispanic. The program shall connect participants with 
6.25 	internships in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and subsidize intern wages. This 
6.26 	appropriation is available until June 30, 2022.
6.27 	(b) By January 15, 2022, the commissioner shall submit to the legislative committees 
6.28 	of the house of representatives and the senate having jurisdiction over economic development 
6.29 	and workforce development policy and finance a report detailing the use of grant funds and 
6.30 	program outcomes. Where data is available, data in the report should be disaggregated by 
6.31 	race, cultural group, family income, geographic location, status as a migrant or foreign 
7.1 	immigrant, home language, English learners under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.59, 
7.2 	disability, and status of homelessness.