HF 3451

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 04/18/2024 08:08pm

A bill for an act
relating to economic development; expanding eligibility for the state dislocated
worker program; amending Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 116L.17,
subdivision 1.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 116L.17, subdivision 1, is amended
to read:

Subdivision 1.

Definitions.

(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have
the meanings given them in this subdivision.

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

(c) "Dislocated worker" means an individual who is a resident of Minnesota at the time
employment ceased or was working in the state at the time employment ceased and:

(1) has been permanently separated or has received a notice of permanent separation
from public or private sector employment and is eligible for or has exhausted entitlement
to unemployment benefits, and is unlikely to return to the previous industry or occupation;

(2) has been long-term unemployed and has limited opportunities for employment or
reemployment in the same or a similar occupation in the area in which the individual resides,
including older individuals who may have substantial barriers to employment by reason of
age;

(3) has been terminated or has received a notice of termination of employment as a result
of a plant closing or a substantial layoff at a plant, facility, or enterprise;

(4) has been self-employed, including farmers and ranchers, and is unemployed as a
result of general economic conditions in the community in which the individual resides or
because of natural disasters;

(5) is a veteran as defined by section 197.447, has been discharged or released from
active duty under honorable conditions within the last 36 months, and (i) is unemployed or
(ii) is employed in a job verified to be below the skill level and earning capacity of the
veteran;

(6) is an individual determined by the United States Department of Labor to be covered
by trade adjustment assistance under United States Code, title 19, sections 2271 to 2331,
as amended; deleted text begin or
deleted text end

(7) is a displaced homemaker. A "displaced homemaker" is an individual who has spent
a substantial number of years in the home providing homemaking service and (i) has been
dependent upon the financial support of another; and due to divorce, separation, death, or
disability of that person, must now find employment to self support; or (ii) derived the
substantial share of support from public assistance on account of dependents in the home
and no longer receives such support. To be eligible under this clause, the support must have
ceased while the worker resided in Minnesota deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ;
new text end

new text begin (8) is the spouse of a member of the United States armed forces who is on active duty
and who meets at least one of the following: (i) has lost employment as a direct result of
relocation to accommodate a permanent change in the service member's duty station; or (ii)
is unemployed or underemployed and facing barriers to obtaining or upgrading employment;
new text end

new text begin (9) is an individual with non-work-related injuries or illnesses who does not have a
workers' compensation case but needs support to re-enter or remain in the workforce; or
new text end

new text begin (10) is an adult with a low income, is a recipient of public assistance, or is deficient in
basic skills.
new text end

For the purposes of this section, "dislocated worker" does not include an individual who
was an employee, at the time employment ceased, of a political committee, political fund,
principal campaign committee, or party unit, as those terms are used in chapter 10A, or an
organization required to file with the federal elections commission.

(d) "Eligible organization" means a state or local government unit, nonprofit organization,
community action agency, business organization or association, or labor organization.

(e) "Plant closing" means the announced or actual permanent shutdown of a single site
of employment, or one or more facilities or operating units within a single site of
employment.

(f) "Substantial layoff" means a permanent reduction in the workforce, which is not a
result of a plant closing, and which results in an employment loss at a single site of
employment during any 30-day period for at least 50 employees excluding those employees
that work less than 20 hours per week.