HF 1697

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/22/2023 10:49am

A bill for an act
relating to employment; appropriating money for grants to programs to provide
employment support services to persons with mental illness; establishing a task
force to address barriers to employment; requiring a report.

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

Section 1. new text begin TASK FORCE TO ADDRESS BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of employment and economic development shall establish a task
force to identify barriers that adults with mental illness face in obtaining and retaining
employment and recommend strategies to address these barriers. Members of the task force
shall include representatives from advocacy organizations for people with mental illness,
mental health providers, people with mental illness, and organizations that support people
with mental illness in obtaining employment. The task force shall submit a plan to the
legislative committees with jurisdiction over employment and human services before
February 1, 2024, identifying the barriers to employment and making recommendations on
how to best improve the employment rate among people with mental illness.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT SERVICES TO PERSONS
WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.
new text end

new text begin $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from
the general fund to the commissioner of employment and economic development for grants
to programs that provide employment support services to persons with mental illness under
Minnesota Statutes, sections 268A.13 and 268A.14. This appropriation is added to the base
and may be used to sustain current programs and expand programs to areas of the state
without an existing employment support program and to expand existing programs, including
programs that do not currently receive state funding.
new text end