1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education finance; appropriating money for rural career and technical 
1.3 	education consortium grants;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
1.4 	chapter 124D.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [124D.4536] RURAL CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION 
1.7 	CONSORTIUM GRANTS.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Definition.  (a) "Rural career and technical education (CTE) consortium" 
1.9 	means a voluntary collaboration of at least one greater Minnesota service cooperative and 
1.10 	other regional public and private partners, including school districts and higher education 
1.11 	institutions, that work together to provide career and technical education opportunities 
1.12 	within the service cooperative's multicounty service area.
1.13 	(b) A consortium that includes more than one service cooperative must designate one 
1.14 	service cooperative to serve as fiscal host for the consortium.
1.15 		Subd. 2.Establishment. (a) A rural CTE consortium shall:
1.16 	(1) focus on the development of courses and programs that encourage collaboration 
1.17 	between two or more school districts;
1.18 	(2) develop new career and technical programs that focus on the industry sectors that 
1.19 	fuel the rural regional economy;
1.20 	(3) facilitate the development of highly trained and knowledgeable students who are 
1.21 	equipped with technical and workplace skills needed by regional employers;
2.1 	(4) improve access to career and technical education programs for students who attend 
2.2 	sparsely populated rural school districts by developing public and private partnerships with 
2.3 	business and industry leaders and by increasing coordination of high school and 
2.4 	postsecondary program options;
2.5 	(5) increase family and student awareness of the availability and benefit of career and 
2.6 	technical education courses and training opportunities; and
2.7 	(6) provide capital start-up costs for items including but not limited to a mobile welding 
2.8 	lab, medical equipment and lab, and industrial kitchen equipment.
2.9 	(b) In addition to the requirements in paragraph (a), a rural CTE consortium may:
2.10 	(1) address the teacher shortage crisis in career and technical education through incentive 
2.11 	funding and training programs; and
2.12 	(2) provide transportation reimbursement grants to provide equitable opportunities 
2.13 	throughout the region for students to participate in career and technical education.
2.14 		Subd. 3.Rural career and technical education advisory committee. In order to be 
2.15 	eligible for a grant under this section, a greater Minnesota service cooperative must establish 
2.16 	a rural career and technical education advisory committee to advise the cooperative on the 
2.17 	administration of the rural CTE consortium.
2.18 		Subd. 4.Private funding. A rural CTE consortium may receive other sources of funds 
2.19 	to supplement state funding. All funds received shall be administered by the service 
2.20 	cooperative that is a member of the consortium.
2.21 		Subd. 5.Reporting requirements. By January 15 of each year, a rural CTE consortium 
2.22 	receiving funding under this section must submit an annual report on the progress of its 
2.23 	activities to the commissioner of education and the chairs and ranking minority members 
2.24 	of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over secondary and postsecondary education. 
2.25 	The annual report must contain a financial report for the preceding fiscal year.
2.26 		Subd. 6.Grant awards. The Minnesota Service Cooperatives may consult with the 
2.27 	commissioner to award grants to any rural CTE consortium that qualifies under this section.

2.28 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2021.

2.29 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS.
 2.30 		Subdivision 1.Department of Education. The sums indicated in this section are 
2.31 	appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education for the fiscal years 
2.32 	designated.
3.1 		Subd. 2.Rural career and technical education consortium. (a) To the Minnesota 
3.2 	Service Cooperatives for rural career and technical education consortium grants under 
3.3 	Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.4536:

3.4		$
	4,000,000
	.....
	2022
	
3.5		$
	4,000,000
	.....
	2023
	
3.6 	(b) If the appropriation in the first year is insufficient, the 2023 appropriation is available. 
3.7 	Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.