Session Year 2015, Special Session 1

Bill Name: SF0002

Relating to state government;

ARTICLE 1 - JOBS
APPROPRIATIONS

Appropriating money to the department of employment and
economic development (DEED) for business and community development, workforce
development, general support services, the Minnesota trade office, vocational
rehabilitation, services for the blind, and broadband development, and
specifying competitive grant limitations; appropriating money to the housing
finance agency (HFA) for the challenge program, the housing trust fund, rental
assistance for 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;
appropriating money to explore Minnesota tourism, requiring a match;
appropriating money to the department of labor and industry for workers
compensation, labor standards and apprenticeship, and workplace safety;
appropriating money to the bureau of mediation services and to the workers'
compensation court of appeals; appropriating money to the department of commerce
for the petroleum tank release compensation board, telecommunications,
enforcement, energy resources, insurance, and propane prepurchase; appropriating
money to the public utilities commission (PUC); authorizing a fund transfer from
the closed landfill investment fund

ARTICLE 2 - DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Changing broadband unserved areas criteria; establishing
the workforce housing development program to award grants to eligible project
areas; requiring certification of greater Minnesota businesses application fees
to be deposited in the greater Minnesota business expansion administration
account and appropriating funds for administrative expenses; allowing dislocated
worker program funds use for direct training services; providing for jobs
training grants outside the metropolitan area; requiring rural career counseling
coordinators; changing workforce-related programs to include all education and
training programs administered by the commissioner of employment and economic
development (DEED) and requiring program costs reporting with certain
information; requiring a net impact analysis of career pathways programs;
modifying vocational rehabilitation; increasing workforce housing grants pilot
program allocations; requiring DEED to report on mechanisms and associated costs
for a state insurance program providing partial wage replacement for workers
taking parental, family, or medical leave; requiring the commissioner to
coordinate and monitor customized training programs for skilled manufacturing
industries at participating Minnesota state colleges and universities (MnSCU)
institutions; requiring a customized training program for skilled manufacturing
industries integrating academic instruction and job-related learning in the
workplace at MnSCU institutions

ARTICLE 3 - DEPARTMENT OF
COMMERCE

Allowing state appropriations for utility cooperatives; authorizing
the commissioner of commerce to impose certain administrative penalties for
insurance fraud; regulating guaranteed asset protection waivers; limiting
registered insurer expense liability; prohibiting persons convicted of insurance
fraud from enforcing a contract for payment of services eligible for
reimbursement; providing for MNvest securities registration exemption for
crowdfunding transactions; defining propane and propane related terms including
propane storage facility and synthetic gas; allowing public utility positive net
book value recovery under condition of operation termination; modifying facility
transmission cost adjustments and multiyear rate plans; allowing the public
utilities commission (PUC) to approve rate recovery for natural gas extension
project revenue deficiencies; allowing cooperative electric associations and
municipal utilities to charge additional fees to recover fixed costs not paid by
customers; allowing compensation for customer net input into utility systems;
requiring certain utility investment reporting; extending the expiration date
for the assessment for department regional and national duties; requiring a
legislative review of a draft plan required for the federal environmental
protection agency; establishing a no-fault automobile insurance reform issues
task force; providing for rate options and terms under a competitive rate
schedule for energy-intensive trade-exposed (EITE) electric utility
customers

ARTICLE 4 - HOUSING

Modifying manufactured home space
requirements by removing a minimum requirement; authorizing the Olmsted county
board by resolution to serve as the county housing and redevelopment authority
and requiring provision for necessary additional members for federal
compliance

ARTICLE 5 - LABOR AND INDUSTRY

Modifying construction
licensing, reinstatement application fees, and certificate of competency
provisions; modifying the fee schedule for combative sports amateur licenses;
reinstating a repealed provision regarding employment agencies

ARTICLE 6 -
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
Making housekeeping changes; making statutory stylistic
and technical changes; making federal conformity policy; modifying eligibility
conditions; modifying ineligibility duration, withdrawal of appeal, judicial
review, shared work plan requirements, and money recovery; allowing unemployment
law judges to administer oaths; providing special unemployment benefit
assistance to workers indefinitely laid off due to adverse trade impacts;
providing poultry worker extra unemployment benefits; repealing commissioner
reciprocal arrangements with other states

ARTICLE 7 - STATE GOVERNMENT
OPERATIONS

Delaying an effective date

ARTICLE 8 - DESTINATION MEDICAL
CENTER

Expanding the public infrastructure project definition to include
planning; prohibiting city fund use to support Destination Medical Center
development; authorizing Rochester to use local tax proceeds to pay for the
local matching contribution required by the state for destination medical center
and allowing reduction of the matching requirement by certain city payments and
costs
(rt)