1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to early childhood; establishing an early childhood apprenticeship program; 
1.3 	appropriating money for an apprenticeship program, an early childhood workforce 
1.4 	compensation task force, early childhood workforce development scholarships, 
1.5 	and for grants to postsecondary institutions to improve early childhood program 
1.6 	curricula; requiring reports;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
1.7 	chapter 119B.
1.8 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.9 	Section 1. [119B.252] EARLY CHILDHOOD REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP 
1.10 	GRANT PROGRAM.
1.11 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. The commissioner of human services shall, in coordination 
1.12 	with the commissioner of labor and industry, establish an apprenticeship grant program to 
1.13 	provide employment-based training and mentoring opportunities for early childhood workers.
1.14 		Subd. 2.Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the 
1.15 	definitions given.
1.16 	(b) "Apprentice" means an employee participating in an early childhood registered 
1.17 	apprenticeship program.
1.18 	(c) "Early childhood registered apprenticeship program" means an organization registered 
1.19 	with the Department of Labor and Industry under chapter 178, registered with the Office 
1.20 	of Apprenticeship within the United States Department of Labor, or registered with a 
1.21 	recognized state apprenticeship agency under Code of Federal Regulations, title 29, parts 
1.22 	29 and 30, and who is:
1.23 	(1) a licensed child care center under Minnesota Rules, chapter 9503;
2.1 	(2) a licensed family and group family child care provider under Minnesota Rules, 
2.2 	chapter 9502;
2.3 	(3) a public prekindergarten program under section 124D.13, 124D.135, 124D.15 to 
2.4 	124D.16, 125A.01 to 125A.05, or 125A.26 to 125A.48, or Laws 2017, First Special Session 
2.5 	chapter 5, article 8, section 9;
2.6 	(4) a Head Start program under sections 119A.50 to 119A.54; or
2.7 	(5) a certified, license-exempt child care center under chapter 245H.
2.8 	(d) "Mentor" means an early childhood registered apprenticeship program journeyworker 
2.9 	under section 178.011, subdivision 9, and who has a career lattice step of nine or higher.
2.10 		Subd. 3.Program components. The organization holding the TEACH license with the 
2.11 	Department of Human Services shall distribute the grant and must use the grant for:
2.12 	(1) tuition scholarships for apprentices for courses leading to a higher education degree 
2.13 	in early childhood;
2.14 	(2) stipends for mentors; or
2.15 	(3) stipends for early childhood registered apprenticeship programs.
2.16 		Subd. 4.Grants to apprentices. An apprentice may receive a higher education 
2.17 	scholarship of up to $10,000 for up to 24 months under this section, provided the apprentice 
2.18 	complies with the following program requirements:
2.19 	(1) enrolls in an early childhood registered apprenticeship program;
2.20 	(2) is a current participant in good standing in the TEACH scholarship program under 
2.21 	section 119B.251;
2.22 	(3) participates in monthly meetings with a mentor;
2.23 	(4) works toward meeting early childhood competencies identified in Minnesota's 
2.24 	Knowledge and Competency Framework for early childhood professionals, as observed by 
2.25 	a mentor; and
2.26 	(5) works toward the attainment of a higher education degree in early childhood.
2.27 		Subd. 5.Allowable uses. Grant recipients may use grant money for personal expenses.
2.28 		Subd. 6.Stipends for mentors. A mentor shall receive up to $4,000 for each apprentice 
2.29 	mentored under this section, provided the mentor complies with the requirements in the 
2.30 	apprenticeship program standard and completes eight weeks of mentor training and additional 
2.31 	training on observation. The training shall be free of charge to mentors.
3.1 		Subd. 7.Stipends for early childhood registered apprenticeship programs. (a) An 
3.2 	early childhood registered apprenticeship program shall receive up to $5,000 for the first 
3.3 	apprentice and up to $2,500 for each additional apprentice employed under this section, 
3.4 	provided the early childhood registered apprenticeship program complies with the 
3.5 	requirements in the apprenticeship program standard and the following requirements:
3.6 	(1) sponsor each apprentice's TEACH scholarship under section 119B.251; and
3.7 	(2) provide each apprentice at least three hours a week of paid release time for 
3.8 	coursework.
3.9 	(b) An early childhood program may not host more than three apprentices at one site in 
3.10 	a 12-month period.

3.11 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS; EARLY CHILDHOOD REGISTERED 
3.12 	APPRENTICESHIP GRANT PROGRAM.
 3.13 	$2,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from 
3.14 	the general fund to the commissioner of human services for the early childhood registered 
3.15 	apprenticeship grant program under Minnesota Statutes, section 119B.252.

3.16 	Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION; EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM GRANTS.
 3.17 	(a) $250,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $250,000 in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from 
3.18 	the general fund to the commissioner of the Office of Higher Education for competitive 
3.19 	grants to Minnesota postsecondary institutions. The grants must be used to improve the 
3.20 	curricula of the recipient institution's early childhood education programs by incorporating 
3.21 	or conforming to the Minnesota knowledge and competency frameworks for early child 
3.22 	professionals. This is a onetime appropriation.
3.23 	(b) By December 1, 2024, and again by December 1, 2025, the commissioner must 
3.24 	submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees 
3.25 	with jurisdiction over early childhood education through grade 12 and higher education 
3.26 	finance and policy about grants awarded under this section. The report must include the 
3.27 	following information for the previous fiscal year:
3.28 	(1) the number of grant applications received;
3.29 	(2) the criteria applied by the commissioner for evaluating applications;
3.30 	(3) the number of grants awarded, the grant recipients, and amounts;
3.31 	(4) early childhood education curricular reforms proposed by each recipient institution;
4.1 	(5) grant outcomes for each recipient institution;
4.2 	(6) an evaluation of the grant program, its successes and challenges, and recommendations 
4.3 	to the legislature regarding the program; and
4.4 	(7) other information identified by the commissioner as outcome indicators.
4.5 	(c) The commissioner may use no more than three percent of the amount transferred 
4.6 	under this section to administer the grant program.

4.7 	Sec. 4. APPROPRIATION; WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SCHOLARSHIPS.
 4.8 	$500,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $500,000 in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from the 
4.9 	general fund to the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities for 
4.10 	workforce development scholarships under Minnesota Statutes, section 136F.38. The amounts 
4.11 	appropriated in this section must be dedicated exclusively to students enrolled in early 
4.12 	childhood programs and are in addition to any amounts directed to students enrolled in early 
4.13 	childhood programs from other appropriations for the workforce development scholarship 
4.14 	program.