SF 1535

as introduced - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to worker recruitment; creating a critical 
  1.3             worker shortage grant program; appropriating money; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 116L.02; 
  1.5             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.6             chapter 116L. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 116L.02, is 
  1.9   amended to read: 
  1.10     116L.02 [JOB SKILLS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.] 
  1.11     (a) The Minnesota job skills partnership program is created 
  1.12  to act as a catalyst to bring together employers with specific 
  1.13  training needs with educational or other nonprofit institutions 
  1.14  which can design programs to fill those needs.  The partnership 
  1.15  shall work closely with employers to train and place workers in 
  1.16  identifiable positions as well as assisting educational or other 
  1.17  nonprofit institutions in developing training programs that 
  1.18  coincide with current and future employer requirements.  The 
  1.19  partnership shall provide grants to educational or other 
  1.20  nonprofit institutions for the purpose of training displaced 
  1.21  workers.  A participating business must match the grant-in-aid 
  1.22  made by the Minnesota job skills partnership.  The match may be 
  1.23  in the form of funding, equipment, or faculty. 
  1.24     (b) The partnership program shall administer the health 
  1.25  care and human services worker training and retention program 
  1.26  under sections 116L.10 to 116L.15. 
  2.1      (c) The partnership program shall administer the critical 
  2.2   worker shortage grant program under section 116L.18. 
  2.3      Sec. 2.  [116L.18] [CRITICAL WORKER SHORTAGE GRANT 
  2.4   PROGRAM.] 
  2.5      Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITIONS.] (a) For purposes of this 
  2.6   section, the following terms have the meanings given to them. 
  2.7      (b) "Board" means the Minnesota job skills partnership 
  2.8   board. 
  2.9      (c) "Eligible institutions" means Minnesota public two- and 
  2.10  four-year post-secondary institutions. 
  2.11     Subd. 2.  [CREATION.] A critical worker shortage grant 
  2.12  program is created under the supervision of the board.  The 
  2.13  grant awards shall be used to reduce the nonresident tuition 
  2.14  charge assessed to individuals from states with which Minnesota 
  2.15  does not have a tuition reciprocity agreement.  The board shall 
  2.16  develop policies as necessary to implement and administer the 
  2.17  program. 
  2.18     Subd. 3.  [ELIGIBLE APPLICANT.] An applicant is eligible to 
  2.19  be considered for a critical worker shortage grant if the 
  2.20  applicant is: 
  2.21     (1) a resident of a state with which Minnesota does not 
  2.22  have a tuition reciprocity agreement; 
  2.23     (2) an undergraduate student at an eligible institution; 
  2.24     (3) pursuing a program or course of study that applies to a 
  2.25  degree, diploma, or certificate in a profession that is 
  2.26  identified as one in which there is a critical shortage of 
  2.27  workers in the state; 
  2.28     (4) attending an eligible institution full-time as defined 
  2.29  by the institution; and 
  2.30     (5) in good academic standing and making satisfactory 
  2.31  academic progress as defined by the institution. 
  2.32     Subd. 4.  [SELECTION.] Recipients of critical worker 
  2.33  shortage grants shall be selected by the post-secondary 
  2.34  institution of attendance in accordance with guidelines, 
  2.35  policies, and rules established by the board. 
  2.36     Subd. 5.  [AMOUNT.] The amount of any critical worker 
  3.1   shortage grant shall be determined by the post-secondary 
  3.2   institution in accordance with the policies and rules 
  3.3   established by the board.  The amount of the award shall not 
  3.4   exceed $....... per term. 
  3.5      Subd. 6.  [LENGTH OF AWARD.] Critical worker shortage grant 
  3.6   awards shall be limited to the first two terms of enrollment. 
  3.7      Subd. 7.  [INSTITUTIONAL ALLOCATION.] Funds appropriated 
  3.8   for critical worker shortage grants must be allocated among 
  3.9   eligible institutions by the board using relevant factors as 
  3.10  determined by the board in consultation with the post-secondary 
  3.11  institutions.  Allocations shall be made within the limits of 
  3.12  the appropriation available for this program. 
  3.13     Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.14     $....... is appropriated from the general fund for the 
  3.15  biennium ending June 30, 2003, to the Minnesota job skills 
  3.16  partnership board for the purposes of the program in section 2.