Legislative Session number- 86

Bill Name: SF2081

3E Relating to the organization, operation and financing of state government;
modifying employment and economic development provisions

ARTICLE 1 - JOBS AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS

Providing a summary of appropriations;
appropriating money for jobs, economic development and housing purposes;
appropriating money to department of employment and economic development (DEED)
for business and community development including contaminated site cleanup and
development grants, for WomenVenture for women's business development programs,
for the Metropolitan Economic Development Association for minority business
development programs, for BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota for bioscience
development programs, for an aircraft completion center, for the Minnesota
Inventors Congress for the Student Inventors Congress, for the office of science
and technology for an addition to the budget's base, for Enterprise Minnesota,
Inc. for a business growth acceleration program, for the Rural Policy and
Development Center at St. Peter, for Lake county for ice storm damage, for Green
Isle for fire relief efforts, for transportation construction impact mitigation
grants to small businesses, for the Iron Range resources and rehabilitation
board (IRRRB) for a windmill blades manufacturer grant, for the board of
trustees of Minnesota state colleges and universities (MnSCU) for a Northeast
higher education district grant, for entrepreneurs and small businesses
development grants to eligible organizations, and for certain entrepreneurial
grants in Blue Earth, Faribault and Martin counties, for workforce development
purposes, for the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Program, the state's
vocational rehabilitation program, state services for the blind activities,
grants to centers for independent living, Twin Cities RISE! to provide training
to hard-to-train individuals, Northern Connections in Perham for a pilot
workforce program, the Ramsey County Workforce Development Board to develop the
building lives program, Advocating Change Together for resource materials for
those with developmental and mental illness disabilities, the workforce
development fund for extended employment services for persons with severe
disabilities, grants to Minnesota Diversified Industries, Inc. to provide
progressive employment opportunities for people with disabilities, programs that
provide employment support services for persons with mental illness, Mn Works!
to increase employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, for Rise,
Inc. for the Minnesota employment center for people who are deaf or
hard-of-hearing, for Lifetrack Resources for its immigrant and refugee
collaborative program, from the workforce development fund for the Minnesota
youth program, opportunities industrialization center programs, for the
Minneapolis summer youth employment program and learn-to-earn, for the Minnesota
Alliance of Boys and Girls clubs project, for summer youth employment in St.
Paul, for the Youthbuild program, for the American Indian youth environmental
education and training indigenous earthkeepers program, for interpreters for a
regional transition program for culturally appropriate services for deaf,
hard-of-hearing and deaf-blind students for Lutheran Social Services for debt
management services, for the workforce development fund, for a Southeast Asian
mutual assistance nonprofit organization grant for transitional training, for
adult and displaced worker programs on-the-job training for eligible persons in
counties with high unemployment, for a high-risk adults demonstration project
grant, for workforce development centers for universal job seeker services and
for a fund transfer to the governor's office in Washington D.C., to the public
facilities authority for the small community wastewater treatment program, to
Explore Minnesota tourism for a grant to the Upper Minnesota Film Office and an
appropriation to Minnesota Film and TV Board, to the housing finance agency
(HFA) for the economic development and housing challenge program, the housing
trust fund, rental assistance for the 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 and demonstration project for high-risk adults grants,
providing for transfer of disaster relief contingency funds, to the labor and
industry department for workers compensation, for Vinland center for
rehabilitation services grants, for labor standards and apprenticeship and
general support, to the bureau of mediation services for mediation services and
labor management cooperation grants, to the workers compensation court of
appeals, to the Minnesota historical society for education and outreach and
regulating fees, for preservation and access and funding for the Minnesota
International Center, Minnesota Air National Guard Museum, Camp Ripley Minnesota
military museum, Farmamerica, city of Eveleth for the Hockey Hall of Fame
Museum, specifying certain fund transfers, to the board of the arts for
operations and services, a grants program and regional arts councils, to the
Minnesota humanities center, for public broadcasting purposes, for digital
conversion assistance, matching grants for public television, public television
assistance grants, grants to Twin Cities regional cable channel, community
service grants to public educational radio stations and equipment grants to
Minnesota Public Radio, Inc., to the board of accountancy, to the board of
architecture, engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, geoscience
and interior design, to the board of cosmetologist examiners, to the board of
barber examiners, to the combative sports commission and to legislative
coordinating commission (LCC) for the economic development strategy working
group, specifying certain match requirements and providing for certain fund
transfers

ARTICLE 2 - EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - RELATED
PROVISIONS

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, aggregate land identification and classification requirements;
modifying certain powers and duties of the commissioner; modifying certain
Greater Minnesota business development public infrastructure grant program and
bioscience business development public infrastructure grant programs provisions;
requiring commissioner to lead a multiagency project to advise, promote, market
and coordinate state agency collaboration on green enterprise and green economy
projects; increasing the grant amount for qualifying contamination cleanup
sites; creating a Minnesota science and technology economic development project
and specifying leadership requirements; modifying certain Minnesota investment
fund grant requirements; directing commissioner to develop a uniform
accountability report for economic development and workforce related programs
funded by state and federal funds; temporarily increasing the workforce
development fund special assessment under the jobs skills partnership program;
expanding Youthbuild programs grant use requirements to include improvements to
energy efficiency and environmental health of residential units and community
garden projects support; modifying certain small business growth acceleration
program qualified company eligibility requirements; limiting department
liability for blind persons vending stands and machines on governmental
property; modifying application requirements for assistance in establishing or
operating a community rehabilitation facility; establishing an economic
development strategy working group to guide job and business growth; providing a
fund transfer for green enterprise assistance; specifying certain instructions
to the revisor of statutes; repealing certain provisions relating to cooperative
contracts, rural development powers, Greater Minnesota business development
public infrastructure grant program set asides, 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,
certain compromise determinations, and unemployment benefit determination
requirements; modifying certain provisions relating to payments delaying
applicant unemployment benefits, receipt of back pay and the definition of
available for suitable employment; authorizing the payment of unemployment
insurance benefits for certain workers electing to be voluntarily laid off;
modifying certain exceptions to the prohibition on the payment of benefits for
voluntary quit; clarifying the definitions of quit; requiring employer-agency
appeals to be filed online; providing for collection of certain internal revenue
service fees; regulating continued request for unemployment benefits filings,
providing administrative penalties; waiving certain requirements for dislocated
workers under the Labor 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

ARTICLE 5 - LABOR STANDARDS AND WAGES; LICENSING
AND FEES

Modifying certain state building and construction contracts
requirements; requiring the commissioner to issue an order requiring an employer
to comply with the prevailing wage law under certain conditions; specifying
certain payroll report requirements; clarifying certain provisions relating to
the prevailing wage law; prohibiting public employers from knowingly purchasing
or acquiring, furnishing or requiring employees to purchase or acquire items for
wear or use that is not manufactured in the United States, requiring preference
be given to manufacturers providing certain wages and benefits; specifying
certain contamination cleanup deposit of revenue requirements; providing a fee
schedule and distribution requirements for building permit fees, extending the
cutoff date for electrical work experience credit of unlicensed individuals,
removing a duplicate license fee, providing a two-year bond registration fee,
phasing in two-year plumber, water conditioning contractor and installer,
residential contractor, remodeler and roofer, master of boats, boiler operator,
certificate of competency and manufactured home dealers license and certificate
renewals, increasing licensee continuing education requirements, renewal fees,
contractor recovery fund fee contributions, additional assessment fee and United
States coast guard master and boiler engineer licensing fees, establishing
manufactured homes dealer license fees and permitting two-year duration;
repealing an agency rule

ARTICLE 6 - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Adopting
hockey as the official Minnesota state sport; modifying certain provisions
relating to small business development loans; removing the expiration date for
the Cuyuna country state recreation area citizens advisory council and the
Minnesota forest resources council; allowing money in the petroleum tank release
cleanup program to be used for certain specified purposes; providing for the
improvement of neighborhoods adjacent to the University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis and Duluth campuses, requiring the creation of an organization
connecting the board of regents and the cities of Minneapolis and Duluth with
neighborhood and business associations near the university campus area
neighborhoods, specifying certain membership requirements; separating the board
of barber and cosmetology examiners into two separate boards, providing for
transfer of staff, allocation of funds, enforcement and duties, making certain
technical changes, increasing cosmetology fees, allowing cosmetologists to
perform special event services by permit; requiring the road or transit
authority of certain localities to consult with certain affected businesses
concerning the issue of business signs in the event of road construction,
specifying certain business liaison requirements; specifying certain mitigation
of transportation construction impacts on business requirements, defining
project; removing the expiration date of the apprenticeship board; requiring the
commissioner of labor and industry to appoint an advisory task force on employee
misclassification, specifying certain duties and membership requirements;
removing the expiration date of the occupational safety and health advisory
council; including the office of commissioner of Iron Range resources and
rehabilitation in the definition of a qualifying owner of a community based
energy development project; removing the expiration date for the Iron Range
higher education committee, the technical advisory committee for Northeast
Minnesota economic development fund and the Iron Range resources and
rehabilitation board technical advisory committee; allowing the partial
forgiveness of the St. Paul RiverCentre Area loan debt to the state; specifying
certain instructions to the revisor of statutes; repealing a certain provision
relating to complementary and alternative health care providers treatment,
appliances and supplies

ARTICLE 7 - IRON RANGE RESOURCES

Modifying the
Iron Range resources and rehabilitation board (IRRRB) approval process for loans
and equity investment matching funds made by the Minnesota Minerals 21st century
fund; permitting the IRRRB to offer a targeted early separation incentive
program for certain employees; modifying certain board approval processes for
expenditures and projects, and for the purchase, sale and use of proceeds from
the sale of forest land in the taconite assistance area; permitting the IRRRB
commissioner to establish, participate in the management of and dispose the
assets of nonprofit limited liability companies; modifying description of the
Giants Ridge recreation area; permitting board members to collect per diem;
modifying eligible projects for the taconite area environmental protection fund;
modifying allocation procedure for repayment or transfer of money to the
taconite environmental protection fund; providing for certain transfers to the
environmental protection fund; modifying the transfer of and utilization of
certain earnings from the Douglas J. Johnson Economic Protection Trust Fund;
establishing a special account in the taconite environmental protection fund for
renewable energy purposes

ARTICLE 8 - HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

Modifying
certain Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund provisions; expanding
agency powers for rehabilitation loans, restricting accessibility improvement
loan limits to owner-occupied property; increasing the maximum amount of a
rehabilitation loan administered by the agency; modifying certain targeted
neighborhood revitalization program provisions, modifying certain definitions,
redefining city to include any statutory or home rule city, town, or township,
modifying the definition of targeted neighborhood to targeted community and
making certain conforming amendments, providing for designation of targeted
communities and adding areas with disproportionate numbers of vacant properties
and mortgage foreclosures to qualifying areas, creating the targeted community
revitalization fund in the state treasury; providing for mortgagors (owners) to
postpone homestead sales to a certain date, specifying mortgagor requirements,
providing an affidavit form; requiring the commissioner of employment and
economic development (DEED) to develop and implement a construction mitigation
grant program to mitigate the impacts of transportation construction on local
small businesses, promote the retention of jobs in transportation construction
areas and provide outreach to the public and small businesses to minimize
interruption of local commerce, specifying certain duties of the departments of
DEED and transportation and local units of government, defining certain terms,
prescribing grant application, sunset provision; repealing economic development
targeted neighborhood revitalization and financing Minneapolis community
participation and payment, city match, drawdown, money uses
allocation

ARTICLE 9 - MINNESOTA HERITAGE

Modifying certain provisions
relating to public television and noncommercial radio station grants and
reporting, allowing commissioner of administration to make block grants to
public television stations for operational costs yearly, providing for carryover
of funds; modifying exclusions from contribution amount, modifying public
television station reporting requirements, changing certain general
noncommercial radio station application requirements, providing for carryover of
funds for state community service block grants, modifying certain audit
requirements, clarifying certain repayment of funds requirements; directing the
department of finance management analysis division to study and report to the
legislature on possible collocation of the offices of the Council on Black
Minnesotans, the Council on Affairs of Chicano/Latino People, the Council on
Asian-Pacific Minnesotans and the metropolitan area Office of the Indian Affairs
Council; specifying certain instructions to the revisor of statutes; repealing a
certain provisions relating to duties of the board of arts relating to program
categories and funding programs
(Ch. 39, 2009 - VETO)