1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to rural workforce development; providing for rural workforce system 
1.3 	coordinators; requiring reports; appropriating money for rural workforce system 
1.4 	coordinators; appropriating money for the Minnesota youth program;proposing 
1.5 	coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 116L.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [116L.667] RURAL WORKFORCE SYSTEM COORDINATORS.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Requirement. Each workforce service center, except for a service 
1.9 	center that serves a single city, located outside of the metropolitan area, as defined 
1.10 	in section 473.121, subdivision 2, must have a workforce system coordinator who is 
1.11 	responsible for improving coordination and communication of workforce development 
1.12 	programs and services within the workforce service area, with other workforce service 
1.13 	areas and system coordinators, and with administering agencies. A workforce system 
1.14 	coordinator may serve as the coordinator for up to two service areas.
1.15 		Subd. 2.Responsibilities. A workforce system coordinator is responsible for:
1.16 	(1) assisting existing, new, and prospective service area businesses in determining 
1.17 	applicable workforce development programs, resources, and other services;
1.18 	(2) connecting job seekers, secondary and higher education institutions, employers, 
1.19 	and other stakeholders and partners;
1.20 	(3) assessing and compiling information about all workforce development programs 
1.21 	and services offered at the assigned workforce service center, including programs and 
1.22 	services at higher education institutions and kindergarten through grade 12 schools;
1.23 	(4) making recommendations to the commissioner regarding ways to improve 
1.24 	coordination, possible program changes, and new workforce programs or initiatives;
2.1 	(5) sharing best practices and collaborating with other workforce system coordinators 
2.2 	to promote and enable state-level coordination among workforce development programs 
2.3 	and administering agencies including, but not limited to, the Departments of Employment 
2.4 	and Economic Development, Education, and Labor and Industry, and the Office of Higher 
2.5 	Education; and
2.6 	(6) promoting available workforce development programs and resources in the 
2.7 	workforce service area.
2.8 		Subd. 3.Reporting; consolidation. The workforce council in each of the 
2.9 	workforce service areas having a workforce system coordinator shall submit an annual 
2.10 	report to the commissioner that includes, but is not limited to, a narrative of and the 
2.11 	number of businesses, job seekers, and other stakeholders served by the coordinator 
2.12 	function, an accounting of workforce development programs and services offered in the 
2.13 	assigned workforce service area, and any recommendations for changes to workforce 
2.14 	development efforts in the workforce service area. Beginning January 15, 2016, and each 
2.15 	year thereafter, the commissioner shall consolidate the reports and submit the consolidated 
2.16 	report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over economic development and 
2.17 	workforce policy and finance.

2.18 	Sec. 2. RURAL WORKFORCE SYSTEM COORDINATORS; 
2.19 	APPROPRIATION.
 2.20 	$2,250,000 in fiscal year 2016 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
2.21 	commissioner of employment and economic development for equal distribution for up to 
2.22 	nine rural workforce system coordinator positions in the workforce service areas and for 
2.23 	the purposes specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 116L.667.

2.24 	Sec. 3. MINNESOTA YOUTH PROGRAM; APPROPRIATION.
 2.25 	(a) $10,000,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $10,000,000 in fiscal year 2017 are from 
2.26 	the general fund, and $3,500,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $3,500,000 in fiscal year 2017 
2.27 	are from the workforce development fund, to the commissioner of employment and 
2.28 	economic development for the Minnesota youth program under Minnesota Statutes, 
2.29 	sections 116L.56 and 116L.561.
2.30 	(b) Of these amounts, $6,000,000 each year from the general fund and $2,000,000 
2.31 	each year from the workforce development fund are for equal distribution to each 
2.32 	workforce service center, except for a service center that serves a single city, located outside 
2.33 	of the metropolitan area, as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 473.121, subdivision 2, 
2.34 	to provide employment and career counseling to youth, including career guidance in local 
3.1 	kindergarten through grade 12 schools, to address the youth career counseling deficiency, 
3.2 	and to provide work experience to youth in the workforce service areas. The funds in this 
3.3 	paragraph may be used for expansion of the pilot program combining career and higher 
3.4 	education advising in Laws 2013, chapter 85, article 3, section 27. Activities in workforce 
3.5 	services areas under this paragraph may serve all youth up to age 24.