SF 1568

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 07/02/2025 10:36 a.m.

A bill for an act
relating to workforce development; modifying membership of the Minnesota Job
Skills Partnership Board; modifying state services for the blind vendor facilities;
modifying reporting requirements; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections
116L.03, subdivision 2; 116L.35; 116L.98, subdivision 7; 248.07, subdivisions 7,
8.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 116L.03, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Appointment.

The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Board consists of: seven
members appointed by the governor, the commissioner of employment and economic
development new text begin or the commissioner's designee new text end , the chancellor, or the chancellor's designee,
of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, the president, or the president's designee,
of the University of Minnesota, and two nonlegislator members, one appointed by the
Subcommittee on Committees of the senate Committee on Rules and Administration and
one appointed by the speaker of the house. If the chancellor or the president of the university
makes a designation under this subdivision, the designee must have experience in technical
education. Four of the appointed members must be members of the governor's Workforce
Development Board, of whom two must represent organized labor and two must represent
business and industry. One of the appointed members must be a representative of a nonprofit
organization that provides workforce development or job training services.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 116L.35, is amended to read:

116L.35 INVENTORY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.

(a) By January 15, 2020, and by January 15 of each even-numbered year thereafter, the
commissioner of employment and economic development must submit a report to the chairs
of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over economic development that provides
an inventory of all economic development programs, including any workforce development
programs, either provided by or overseen by any agency of the state of Minnesota.

(b) Programs related to economic development that must be included in the report include
those that:

(1) receive federal funds or state funds;

(2) provide assistance to either businesses or individuals; or

(3) support internships, apprenticeships, career and technical education, or any form of
employment training.

(c) For each economic development program, the report must include, at a minimum,
the following information:

(1) details of program costs;

(2) the number of staff, both within the department and any outside organization;

(3) the number of program participants;

(4) the demographic information including, but not limited to, race, age, gender, and
income of program participants;

(5) a list of any and all subgrantees receiving funds from the program, as well as the
amount of funding received;

(6) information about other sources of funding including other public or private funding
or in-kind donations;

(7) evidence that:

(i) the organization administering a program;

(ii) a business receiving a loan for a new or expanded business from a program; or

(iii) a subgrantee of a program is in good standing with the Minnesota Secretary of State
and the Minnesota Department of Revenue;

(8) a short description of what each program does; and

(9) to the extent practical, quantifiable measures of program success.

(d) In addition to the information required under paragraph (c), a program related to
economic development under paragraph (b) that requests an increase in state funding over
the previous biennium must provide the following:

(1) detailed information regarding the need for increased funds; and

(2) the planned uses of the increased funds.

new text begin (e) This section expires the day following the submission of the report required on
January 15, 2026.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 116L.98, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Workforce program net impact analysis.

(a) By January 15, 2015, the
commissioner must report to the committees of the house of representatives and the senate
having jurisdiction over economic development and workforce policy and finance on the
results of the net impact pilot project already underway as of the date of enactment of this
section.

(b) The commissioner shall contract with an independent entity to conduct an ongoing
net impact analysis of the programs included in the net impact pilot project under paragraph
(a), career pathways programs, and any other programs deemed appropriate by the
commissioner. The net impact methodology used by the independent entity under this
paragraph must be based on the methodology and evaluation design used in the net impact
pilot project under paragraph (a).

(c) By January 15, 2017, and every four years thereafter, the commissioner must report
to the committees of the house of representatives and the senate having jurisdiction over
economic development and workforce policy and finance the following information for
each program subject to paragraph (b):

(1) the net impact of workforce services on individual employment, earnings, and public
benefit usage outcomes; and

(2) a cost-benefit analysis for understanding the monetary impacts of workforce services
from the participant and taxpayer points of view.

The report under this paragraph must be made available to the public in an electronic
format on the Department of Employment and Economic Development's website.

(d) The department is authorized to create and maintain data-sharing agreements with
other departments, including corrections, human services, and any other department that
are necessary to complete the analysis. The department shall supply the information collected
for use by the independent entity conducting net impact analysis pursuant to the data practices
requirements under chapters 13, 13A, 13B, and 13C.

new text begin (e) This subdivision expires the day following the submission of the report required on
January 15, 2025.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 248.07, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Blind, vending deleted text begin stands and machines deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end on governmental property;
liability limited.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, for the rehabilitation of blind persons
the commissioner shall have exclusive authority to establish and to operate vending deleted text begin stands
and vending machines deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end in all buildings and properties owned or rented exclusively
by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities at a state university, a community college,
a consolidated community technical college, or a technical college served by the
commissioner before January 1, 1996, or by any department or agency of the state of
Minnesota except the Department of Natural Resources properties operated directly by the
Division of State Parks and not subject to private leasing. Vending deleted text begin stands and machines deleted text end new text begin
facilities new text end authorized under this subdivision may dispense nonalcoholic beverages, food,
candies, tobacco, souvenirs, notions, and related items and must be operated on the same
basis as other vending deleted text begin stands deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end for the blind established and supervised by the
commissioner under federal law. The commissioner shall waive this authority to displace
any present private individual concessionaire in any state-owned or rented building or
property who is operating under a contract with a specific renewal or termination date, until
the renewal or termination date. With the consent of the governing body of a governmental
subdivision of the state, the commissioner may establish and supervise vending deleted text begin stands and
vending machines deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end for the blind in any building or property exclusively owned or
rented by the governmental subdivision.

(b) The Department of Employment and Economic Development is not liable under
chapter 176 for any injury sustained by a blind vendor's employee or agent. The Department
of Employment and Economic Development, its officers, and its agents are not liable for
the acts or omissions of a blind vendor or of a blind vendor's employee or agent that may
result in the blind vendor's liability to third parties. The Department of Employment and
Economic Development, its officers, and its agents are not liable for negligence based on
any theory of liability for claims arising from the relationship created under this subdivision
with the blind vendor.

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 248.07, subdivision 8, is amended to read:

Subd. 8.

Use of revolving fund, licenses for operation of vending deleted text begin stands deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end .

(a)
The revolving fund created by Laws 1947, chapter 535, section 5, is continued as provided
in this subdivision and shall be known as the revolving fund for vocational rehabilitation
of the blind. It shall be used for the purchase of equipment and supplies for establishing and
operating of vending deleted text begin stands deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end by blind persons. All income, receipts, earnings, and
federal vending deleted text begin machine deleted text end new text begin facility new text end income due to the operation of vending deleted text begin stands deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end
operated under this subdivision shall also be paid into the fund. All interest earned on money
accrued in the fund must be credited to the fund by the commissioner of management and
budget. All equipment, supplies, and expenses for setting up these deleted text begin stands deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end shall be
paid for from the fund.

(b) The commissioner is authorized to use the money available in the revolving fund
that originated as operational charges to individuals licensed under this subdivision for the
establishment, operation, and supervision of vending deleted text begin stands deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end by blind persons for
the following purposes:

(1) purchase, upkeep and replacement of equipment;

(2) expenses incidental to the setting up of new deleted text begin stands deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end and improvement of old
deleted text begin stands deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end ;

(3) reimbursement under section 15.059 to individual blind vending operators for
reasonable expenses incurred in attending supervisory meetings as called by the commissioner
and other expenditures for management services consistent with federal law; and

(4) purchase of fringe benefits for blind vending operators and their employees such as
group health insurance, retirement program, vacation or sick leave assistance provided that
the purchase of any fringe benefit is approved by a majority vote of blind vending operators
licensed pursuant to this subdivision after the commissioner provides to each blind vending
operator information on all matters relevant to the fringe benefits. "Majority vote" means
a majority of blind vending operators voting. Fringe benefits shall be paid only from
assessments of operators for specific benefits, gifts to the fund for fringe benefit purposes,
and vending income which is not assignable to an individual deleted text begin stand deleted text end new text begin facility new text end .

(c) Money originally deposited as merchandise and supplies repayments by individuals
licensed under this subdivision may be expended for initial and replacement stocks of
supplies and merchandise. Money originally deposited from vending income on federal
property must be spent consistent with federal law.

(d) All other deposits may be used for the purchase of general liability insurance or any
other expense related to the operation and supervision of vending deleted text begin stands deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end .

(e) The commissioner shall issue each license for the operation of a vending deleted text begin stand deleted text end new text begin facility new text end
or vending machine for an indefinite period but may terminate any license in the manner
provided. In granting licenses for new or vacated deleted text begin stands deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end preference on the basis
of seniority of experience in operating deleted text begin stands deleted text end new text begin facilities new text end under the control of the commissioner
shall be given to capable operators who are deemed competent to handle the enterprise
under consideration. Application of this preference shall not prohibit the commissioner from
selecting an operator from the community in which the deleted text begin stand deleted text end new text begin facility new text end is located.