HF 1012

as introduced - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to jobs; providing for grants to qualified 
  1.3             job training programs; appropriating money. 
  1.4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.5      Section 1.  [JOB TRAINING PROGRAM GRANT.] 
  1.6      Subdivision 1.  [GRANT ALLOWED.] A grant to a qualified job 
  1.7   training program is allowed as follows: 
  1.8      (1) a $9,000 placement grant paid to a job training program 
  1.9   upon placement in employment of a qualified graduate of the 
  1.10  program; and 
  1.11     (2) a $9,000 retention grant paid to a job training program 
  1.12  upon retention in employment of a qualified graduate of the 
  1.13  program for at least one year. 
  1.14     Subd. 2.  [QUALIFIED JOB TRAINING PROGRAM.] To qualify for 
  1.15  grants under this section, a job training program must satisfy 
  1.16  the following requirements: 
  1.17     (1) the program must be operated by a nonprofit corporation 
  1.18  that qualifies under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 
  1.19  Code; 
  1.20     (2) the organization must spend at least $15,000 per 
  1.21  graduate of the program; 
  1.22     (3) the program must provide education and training in: 
  1.23     (i) basic skills, such as reading, writing, mathematics, 
  1.24  and communications; 
  2.1      (ii) thinking skills, such as reasoning, creative thinking, 
  2.2   decision making, and problem solving; and 
  2.3      (iii) personal qualities, such as responsibility, 
  2.4   self-esteem, self-management, honesty, and integrity; 
  2.5      (4) the program must provide income supplements, when 
  2.6   needed, to participants for housing, counseling, tuition, and 
  2.7   other basic needs; 
  2.8      (5) the education and training course must last for at 
  2.9   least six months; 
  2.10     (6) individuals served by the program must: 
  2.11     (i) be 18 years of age or older; 
  2.12     (ii) have had federal adjusted gross income of no more than 
  2.13  $11,000 per year in the last two years; 
  2.14     (iii) have assets of no more than $7,000, excluding the 
  2.15  value of a homestead; and 
  2.16     (iv) not have been claimed as a dependent on the federal 
  2.17  tax return of another person in the previous taxable year; and 
  2.18     (7) the program must be certified by the commissioner of 
  2.19  trade and economic development as meeting the requirements of 
  2.20  this subdivision. 
  2.21     Subd. 3.  [QUALIFIED GRADUATE.] For purposes of a placement 
  2.22  grant under this section, a qualified graduate is a graduate of 
  2.23  a job training program qualifying under subdivision 2 who is 
  2.24  placed in a job in Minnesota that pays at least $9 per hour or 
  2.25  its equivalent plus health care benefits.  To qualify for a 
  2.26  retention grant under this section for a retention fee, a job in 
  2.27  which the graduate is retained must pay at least $10 per hour or 
  2.28  its equivalent plus health care benefits at the end of the first 
  2.29  year of employment. 
  2.30     Subd. 4.  [DUTIES OF PROGRAM.] (a) A program certified by 
  2.31  the commissioner of trade and economic development under 
  2.32  subdivision 2 must comply with the requirements of this 
  2.33  subdivision. 
  2.34     (b) A program must maintain records for each qualified 
  2.35  graduate.  The records must include information sufficient to 
  2.36  verify the graduate's eligibility under this section, identify 
  3.1   the employer, and describe the job including its compensation 
  3.2   rate and benefits. 
  3.3      (c) A program must report to the commissioner of trade and 
  3.4   economic development by January 1, 2004, and by January 1, 2005, 
  3.5   on participation in the program described in this section.  The 
  3.6   report must include, at least, information on: 
  3.7      (1) the number of graduates placed; 
  3.8      (2) demographic information on the graduates; 
  3.9      (3) the type of position in which each graduate is placed, 
  3.10  including compensation information; 
  3.11     (4) the tenure of each graduate at the placed position or 
  3.12  in other jobs; 
  3.13     (5) the amount of employer fees paid to the program; 
  3.14     (6) the amount of money raised by the program from other 
  3.15  sources; and 
  3.16     (7) the types and sizes of employers with which graduates 
  3.17  have been placed and retained. 
  3.18     (d) The commissioner of trade and economic development 
  3.19  shall compile and summarize this information and report to the 
  3.20  legislature by February 15, 2004, and February 15, 2005. 
  3.21     Subd. 5.  [ADMINISTRATION.] The funds appropriated as 
  3.22  prescribed in subdivision 6 shall be immediately deposited in 
  3.23  escrow with a commercial bank selected by the commissioner of 
  3.24  trade and economic development.  In keeping with the 
  3.25  requirements of this section, the commissioner of trade and 
  3.26  economic development shall prescribe the manner in which grants 
  3.27  may be claimed out of escrow.  Funds remaining in escrow as of 
  3.28  June 30, 2005, shall not revert and shall continue to remain 
  3.29  available for grants under this section. 
  3.30     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATING MONEY.] 
  3.31     $500,000 on June 1, 2003, and $500,000 on June 1, 2004, are 
  3.32  appropriated from the workforce development fund to fund grants 
  3.33  under section 1. 
  3.34     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.35     Sections 1 and 2 are effective June 1, 2003.