HF 2291

as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 02/25/2014 02:00pm

A bill for an act
relating to employment; promoting the economic self-sufficiency of women;
reducing gender segregation in the workforce; reducing the gender pay gap
through the participation of women in high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional
occupations; establishing a women and nontraditional jobs grant program;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 116L.98;
Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 116L.665, subdivision 2;
proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 116L.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 116L.665, subdivision 2,
is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Membership.

The governor's Workforce Development Council is
composed of 31 members appointed by the governor. The members may be removed
pursuant to section 15.059. In selecting the representatives of the council, the governor
shall ensure that 50 percent of the members come from nominations provided by local
workforce councils. Local education representatives shall come from nominations
provided by local education to employment partnerships. The 31 members shall represent
the following sectors:

(a) State agencies: the following individuals shall serve on the council:

(1) commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic
Development;

(2) commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education; and

(3) commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

(b) Business and industry: six individuals shall represent the business and industry
sectors of Minnesota.

(c) Organized labor: six individuals shall represent labor organizations of Minnesota.

(d) Community-based organizations: four individuals shall represent
community-based organizations of Minnesota. Community-based organizations are
defined by the Workforce Investment Act as private nonprofit organizations that are
representative of communities or significant segments of communities and that have
demonstrated expertise and effectiveness in the field of workforce investment and may
include entities that provide job training services, serve youth, serve individuals with
disabilities, serve displaced homemakers, union-related organizations, employer-related
nonprofit organizations, and organizations serving nonreservation Indians and tribal
governments.

(e) Education: six individuals shall represent the education sector of Minnesota
as follows:

(1) one individual shall represent local public secondary education;

(2) one individual shall have expertise in design and implementation of school-based
service-learning;

(3) one individual shall represent leadership of the University of Minnesota;

(4) one individual shall represent secondary/postsecondary vocational institutions;

(5) the chancellor of the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities; and

(6) one individual shall have expertise in agricultural education.

(f) Other: two individuals shall represent other constituencies including:

(1) units of local government; and

(2) applicable state or local programs.

The speaker and the minority leader of the house of representatives shall each
appoint a representative to serve as an ex officio member of the council. The majority
and minority leaders of the senate shall each appoint a senator to serve as an ex officio
member of the council.

The governor shall appoint one individual representing public libraries, one
individual with expertise in assisting women in obtaining employment in nontraditional
occupations, and one individual representing adult basic education programs to serve as a
nonvoting advisor advisors to the council.

(g) Appointment: each member shall be appointed for a term of three years from the
first day of January or July immediately following their appointment. Elected officials
shall forfeit their appointment if they cease to serve in elected office.

(h) Members of the council are compensated as provided in section 15.059,
subdivision 3.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 116L.98, is amended to read:

116L.98 WORKFORCE PROGRAM OUTCOMES.

The commissioner shall develop and implement a set of standard approaches
for assessing the outcomes of workforce programs under this chapter. The outcomes
assessed must include, but are not limited to, periodic comparisons of workforce program
participants and nonparticipants. By January 1 of each year, the commissioner shall
report to the legislature on progress and outcomes of workforce programs, including the
requirements under section 116L.99. The report regarding outcomes of activities under
section 116L.99 must include data on:

(1) the gender, race, and age of participants, including cross tabulations;

(2) occupations;

(3) geography;

(4) advancement salaries; and

(5) the gender pay gap within occupations.

The commissioner shall also monitor the activities and outcomes of programs and
services funded by legislative appropriations and administered by the department on a
pass-through basis and develop a consistent and equitable method of assessing recipients
for the costs of its monitoring activities.

Sec. 3.

[116L.99] WOMEN AND NONTRADITIONAL JOBS GRANT
PROGRAM.

Subdivision 1.

Definitions.

(a) For the purpose of this section, the following terms
have the meanings given.

(b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of employment and economic
development.

(c) ''Eligible organization'' includes, but is not limited to:

(1) community-based organizations experienced in serving women;

(2) employers;

(3) business and trade associations;

(4) labor unions and employee organizations;

(5) registered apprenticeship programs;

(6) secondary and postsecondary education institutions located in Minnesota; and

(7) workforce and economic development agencies.

(d) "Nontraditional occupations'' means those occupations in which women make
up less than 25 percent of the workforce as defined under United States Code, title 20,
section 2302.

(e) "Registered apprenticeship program'' means a program registered under United
States Code, title 29, section 50.

Subd. 2.

Grant program.

The commissioner shall establish the women and
nontraditional jobs grant program to increase the number of women in high-wage,
nontraditional occupations. The commissioner shall make grants to eligible organizations
for programs that encourage and assist women to enter high-wage, high-demand,
nontraditional occupations including but not limited to those in the skilled trades, science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations.

Subd. 3.

Use of funds.

(a) Grant funds awarded under this section may be used for:

(1) recruitment, preparation, placement, and retention of women, including
low-income women and women over 50 years old, in registered apprenticeships,
postsecondary education programs, on-the-job training, and permanent employment in
high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional occupations;

(2) secondary or postsecondary education or other training to prepare women to
succeed in nontraditional occupations. Activities under this clause may be conducted by
the grantee or in collaboration with another institution, including but not limited to a
public or private secondary or postsecondary school;

(3) innovative, hands-on, best practices that stimulate interest in nontraditional
occupations among girls, increase awareness among girls about opportunities in
nontraditional occupations, or increase access to secondary programming leading to jobs
in nontraditional occupations. Best practices include but are not limited to mentoring,
internships, or apprenticeships for girls in nontraditional occupations;

(4) training and other staff development for job seeker counselors and Minnesota
family investment program (MFIP) caseworkers on opportunities in nontraditional
occupations;

(5) incentives for employers and sponsors of registered apprenticeship programs to
retain women in nontraditional occupations for more than one year;

(6) training and technical assistance for employers to create a safe and healthy
workplace environment designed to retain and advance women, including best practices
for addressing sexual harassment, and to overcome gender inequity among employers
and registered apprenticeship programs;

(7) public education and outreach activities to overcome stereotypes about women
in nontraditional occupations, including the development of educational and marketing
materials; and

(8) support for women in nontraditional occupations including but not limited to
assistance with workplace issues resolution and access to advocacy assistance and services.

(b) Grant applications must include detailed information about how the applicant
plans to:

(1) increase women's participation in high-wage, high-demand occupations in which
women are currently underrepresented in the workforce;

(2) comply with the requirements under subdivision 3; and

(3) use grant funds in conjunction with funding from other public or private sources.

(c) In awarding grants under this subdivision, the commissioner shall give priority
to eligible organizations:

(1) with demonstrated success in recruiting and preparing women, especially
low-income women and women over 50 years old, for nontraditional occupations; and

(2) that leverage additional public and private resources.

(d) At least 50 percent of total grant funds must be awarded to programs providing
services and activities targeted to women with family incomes of less than 200 percent
of the federal poverty guidelines.

(e) The commissioner of employment and economic development in conjunction
with the commissioner of labor and industry shall monitor the use of funds under this
section, collect and compile information on the activities of other state agencies and public
or private entities that have purposes similar to those under this section, and identify other
public and private funding available for these purposes.

Sec. 4. APPROPRIATION.

$500,000 is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal year 2015 to the
commissioner of employment and economic development to develop and implement
the women and nontraditional jobs grant program under Minnesota Statutes, section
116L.99. Funds available under this section must not supplant other funds available for
the same purposes.

Sec. 5. WOMEN AND NONTRADITIONAL JOBS APPRENTICESHIPS;
APPROPRIATION.

$250,000 is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal year 2015 to the
commissioner of labor and industry for the labor education advancement program under
Minnesota Statutes, section 178.11, to educate, promote, assist, and support women to
enter apprenticeship programs in nontraditional occupations. Funds available under this
section must not supplant other funds available for the same purposes.