HF 1078

1st Engrossment - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/05/2015 03:50pm

A bill for an act
relating to state government; reimbursing state agencies for the costs of providing
reasonable accommodation; appropriating money; requiring a report; providing
funding for reasonable accommodations; proposing coding for new law in
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 16B.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [16B.4805] ACCOMMODATION REIMBURSEMENT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin "Reasonable accommodation" as used in this section
has the meaning given in section 363A.08. "State agency" as used in this section has the
meaning given in section 16A.011, subdivision 12.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Reimbursement for making reasonable accommodation. new text end

new text begin The
commissioner of administration shall reimburse state agencies for expenses incurred in
making reasonable accommodations for agency employees and applicants for employment
to the extent that funds are available in the accommodation account established under
subdivision 3 for this purpose.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Accommodation account established. new text end

new text begin The accommodation account
is created as an account in the special revenue fund for reimbursing state agencies for
expenses incurred in providing reasonable accommodation for agency employees and
applicants for agency employment.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Administration costs. new text end

new text begin The commissioner may use up to 15 percent of the
biennial appropriation for administration of this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Notification. new text end

new text begin By August 1, 2015, or within 30 days of final enactment,
whichever is later, and each year thereafter by June 30, the commissioner of administration
must notify state agencies that reimbursement for expenses incurred to make reasonable
accommodation for agency employees and applicants for agency employment is available
under this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin By January 31 of each year, the commissioner of administration
must report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the house of representatives
and the senate committees with jurisdiction over state government finance on the use of
the central accommodation fund during the prior calendar year. The report must include:
new text end

new text begin (1) the number and type of accommodations requested;
new text end

new text begin (2) the cost of accommodations requested;
new text end

new text begin (3) the state agencies from which the requests were made;
new text end

new text begin (4) the number of requests made for employees and the number of requests for
applicants for employment;
new text end

new text begin (5) the number and type of accommodations that were not provided;
new text end

new text begin (6) any remaining balance left in the fund;
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new text begin (7) if the fund was depleted, the date on which funds were exhausted and the
number, type, and cost of accommodations that were not reimbursed to state agencies; and
new text end

new text begin (8) a description of how the fund was promoted to state agencies.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Funding. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of management and budget must determine
the amount of money to be deposited in the accommodation account each fiscal year.
The commissioner must require each executive agency to make payments into the
account from amounts appropriated for agency operations. The commissioner must
implement policies and procedures to divide this amount among executive agencies. If
the commissioner determines that it is not practical for an agency to make payments
into a central account due to legal restrictions on use of the agency's appropriations, the
commissioner shall require the agency to set aside money within its own operating funds,
to be used only for purposes of this section.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2015. Reimbursement is
available for accommodation expenses incurred after June 30, 2015.
new text end