Legislative Session number- 86

Bill Name: SF1198

1E Relating to employment and economic development and unemployment insurance
regulations

ARTICLE 1 - EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
POLICY

Expanding the bioscience business development public infrastructure
grant program to include public higher education institutions; requiring
commissioner of employment and economic development (DEED) to provide certain
funding for strategic investments in renewable energy market development;
limiting liability for blind persons vending stands and machines on governmental
property; expanding the authorized use of the Minnesota investment fund;
modifying application requirements for assistance in establishing or operating a
community rehabilitation facility

ARTICLE 2 - EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT TECHNICAL CHANGES

Making technical amendments and updating
certain employment and economic development provisions; modifying certain
provisions relating to regional organization agreements with DEED, department
motor vehicle use authority and aggregate land identification and classification
requirements; enumerating and clarifying certain powers and duties of
commissioner; modifying certain duties of the bureau of small business; updating
certain workforce development provisions and modifying membership terms of the
job skills partnership board; specifying instructions to revisor of statutes;
repealing certain provisions relating to cooperative contracts, rural
development powers, certain powers and duties of commissioner, imprest funds
use, small business access to federal research funds, distance-work grants,
local service unit plans and office of tourism transition
requirements

ARTICLE 3 - UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE POLICY

Modifying certain
unemployment insurance policy provisions relating to election by state or
political subdivision to be a taxpaying employer and election reimbursement by
nonprofit organizations; modifying certain cancellation determinations by
commissioner of payments due from employers and certain compromise
determinations; modifying certain provisions relating to payments delaying
applicant unemployment benefits, receipt of back pay and the definition of
available for suitable employment; modifying certain exceptions to the
prohibition on the payment of benefits for voluntary quit; providing for
preponderance of available evidence; clarifying the definitions of quit and
employment misconduct; requiring employer-agency appeals to be filed online;
providing for collection of fees; regulating continued request for unemployment
benefits filings; providing administrative penalties; waiving certain
requirements for dislocated workers under the Project Gate (Growing America
Through Entrepreneurship) federal grant program, specifying limitations and an
expiration date

ARTICLE 4 - UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE TECHNICAL
CHANGES

Making technical amendments to certain unemployment insurance
provisions; providing for computations of money rounded down under the
unemployment insurance program; defining and clarifying the terms independent
contractor for construction, determination and filing or filed, and
preponderance of the evidence; modifying certain determinations of coverage
provisions; benefit account provisions; modifying and clarifying eligibility
conditions for weekly unemployment benefits; defining continued request for
unemployment benefits, specifying certain filing requirements, defining good
cause, clarifying preponderance of the available evidence for discharge from
employment; modifying employer notification requirements for determinations on
issues of ineligibility; allowing requests for reconsideration for appeals by
electronic transmission to commissioner; modifying certain appeal procedures,
specifying certain notice requirements for evidentiary hearings; specifying
certain duties of an employment law judge relating to subpoena requests;
modifying administration account and contingent provisions; specifying
instructions to revisor of statutes; repealing certain provisions relating to
the definition of able to work and continued request for unemployment benefits
on an active benefit account
(je)