SF 2519

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 05/12/2021 07:54am

A bill for an act
relating to workforce development; establishing a Legislative-Citizen Committee
on Workforce Development; requiring reports; amending Minnesota Statutes 2020,
section 116L.20, subdivision 2; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapter 116J.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 116L.20, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Disbursement of special assessment funds.

(a) The money collected under
this section shall be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the workforce development
fund to provide for employment and training programs. The workforce development fund
is created as a special account in the state treasury.

(b) deleted text begin All money in the fund not otherwise appropriated or transferred is appropriated to
the Job Skills Partnership Board for the purposes of section 116L.17 and as provided for in
paragraph (d). deleted text end new text begin Of the money in the fund not otherwise appropriated or transferred by July
1 of each year:
new text end

new text begin (1) 75 percent is appropriated to the Job Skills Partnership Board for the purposes of
section 116L.17. If the conditions under section 116L.05, subdivision 5, are met as of March
1 of each year, up to 25 percent of the unspent money is appropriated to the Job Skills
Partnership Board for the purposes of sections 116L.02, 116L.04, and 116L.18, and up to
25 percent is for the purposes of section 116L.25; and
new text end

new text begin (2) 25 percent is appropriated to the commissioner for the purposes of section 116L.25.
new text end

new text begin (c) new text end The board must act as the fiscal agent for the money and must disburse that money
for the purposes of section 116L.17, not allowing the money to be used for any other
obligation of the state. All money in the workforce development fund shall be deposited,
administered, and disbursed in the same manner and under the same conditions and
requirements as are provided by law for the other special accounts in the state treasury,
except that all interest or net income resulting from the investment or deposit of money in
the fund shall accrue to the fund for the purposes of the fund.

deleted text begin (c) deleted text end new text begin (d) new text end Reimbursement for costs related to collection of the special assessment shall be
in an amount negotiated between the commissioner and the United States Department of
Labor.

deleted text begin (d) If the board determines that the conditions of section 116L.05, subdivision 5, have
been met, the board may use funds for the purposes outlined in section 116L.04, or to provide
incumbent worker training services under section 116L.18.
deleted text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [116L.25] LEGISLATIVE-CITIZEN COMMISSION ON WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Membership. new text end

new text begin (a) A Legislative-Citizen Commission on Workforce
Development of 20 voting members is created in the legislative branch, consisting of the
chairs of the house of representatives and senate committees having jurisdiction over
workforce development and jobs finance or designees appointed for the terms of the chairs;
three members of the senate appointed by the Subcommittee on Committees of the Committee
on Rules and Administration; and three members of the house of representatives appointed
by the speaker of the house. The commissioner of employment and economic development,
or the commissioner's designee, shall serve as a nonvoting member of the commission.
new text end

new text begin (b) At least two members from the senate and two members from the house of
representatives must be from the minority caucus. Members are entitled to reimbursement
for per diem expenses plus travel expenses incurred in the services of the commission.
new text end

new text begin (c) Twelve citizens are members of the commission, three of whom are community
representatives, three of whom are business representatives, three of whom are representatives
of labor, and three of whom are higher education or workforce development representatives.
One citizen from each category shall be appointed by the governor, the senate, and the house
of representatives. In making appointments, the governor, the senate, and the house of
representatives shall consider geographic balance, gender, age, and ethnicity. The citizen
members are selected and recommended to the appointing authorities according to subdivision
1, paragraph (a), and must:
new text end

new text begin (1) have experience and expertise in business talent development, education, or workforce
programs;
new text end

new text begin (2) have strong knowledge of workforce and talent development issues throughout the
state; and
new text end

new text begin (3) have demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative environment.
new text end

new text begin (d) Members shall develop procedures to elect a chair that rotates between legislative
and citizen members each meeting. A citizen member, a senate member, and a house of
representatives member shall serve as chairs. The citizen members, senate members, and
house of representative members must select their respective chairs. The chair shall preside
and convene meetings as often as necessary to conduct duties prescribed by this chapter.
new text end

new text begin (e) Appointed legislative members shall serve on the commission for two-year terms
beginning in January of each odd-numbered year and continuing through the end of December
of the next even-numbered year. Appointed citizen members shall serve four-year terms
beginning in January of the first year and continuing through the end of December of the
final year. Citizen and legislative members continue to serve until their successors are
appointed.
new text end

new text begin (f) A citizen member may be removed by an appointing authority for cause. Vacancies
on the commission shall not affect the authority of the remaining members of the commission
to carry out their duties and vacancies shall be filled for the remainder of the term in the
same manner under paragraphs (a) to (c).
new text end

new text begin (g) Citizen members are entitled to per diem and reimbursement for expenses incurred
in the services of the commission, as provided in section 15.059, subdivision 3.
new text end

new text begin (h) The governor's appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the senate.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Duties. new text end

new text begin (a) The commission shall recommend an annual or biennial legislative
bill for appropriations from the workforce development fund and shall adopt a strategic
plan as provided under subdivision 3. Approval of the recommended legislative bill requires
an affirmative vote of at least 15 members of the commission.
new text end

new text begin (b) It is a condition of acceptance of the appropriations made from the workforce
development fund that the agency or entity receiving the appropriation must submit a project
or program plan and annual or semiannual progress reports in the form determined by the
Legislative-Citizen Commission on Workforce Development, and comply with the applicable
reporting requirements under section 116L.98. None of the money provided may be spent
unless the commission has approved the pertinent project or program plan. The commission
shall ensure that the expenditures and outcomes described in the project or program plan
for appropriations funded by the workforce development fund are met.
new text end

new text begin (c) The commission may adopt operating procedures to fulfill its duties under this section.
new text end

new text begin (d) As part of the operating procedures, the commission shall:
new text end

new text begin (1) ensure that members' expectations are to participate in all meetings related to funding
recommendations;
new text end

new text begin (2) allow administrative expenses as part of individual project or program expenditures
based on need;
new text end

new text begin (3) provide for project or program outcome evaluation;
new text end

new text begin (4) keep the grant application, administration, and review process as simple as possible;
and
new text end

new text begin (5) define and emphasize the leveraging of additional sources of money that proposers
should consider when making fund proposals.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Strategic workforce development plan. new text end

new text begin The commission shall adopt a strategic
workforce development plan for making the commission's recommendations for spending
from the workforce development fund, including identifying the commission's priority areas
for workforce development funding for the next six years. The strategic plan must be
reviewed every two years. The strategic plan must have clearly stated short- and long-term
goals and strategies for statewide workforce development, must provide measurable outcomes
for the projects and programs funded, and must determine areas of emphasis for funding.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Eligible expenditures. new text end

new text begin Eligible projects and programs and related expenses
that may be funded by the commission with workforce development funds include but are
not limited to the following:
new text end

new text begin (1) employment and job training programs for adults;
new text end

new text begin (2) employment and job training programs for youth; and
new text end

new text begin (3) support services that are ancillary to the program or project being funded that enable
a person to participate in an employment or job training program.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Review of grant proposals. new text end

new text begin (a) The commission shall establish criteria for
ranking grant proposals submitted to the commission for consideration.
new text end

new text begin (b) The criteria must consider whether the grant proposer is able or has the potential to:
new text end

new text begin (1) reach a broad diverse audience, including any populations targeted by the program,
through recruitment and outreach efforts;
new text end

new text begin (2) significantly increase enrollment in and completion of the training program the
proposer plans to promote; and
new text end

new text begin (3) fill existing market needs for skilled workers.
new text end

new text begin (c) The commission must also consider employment outcomes achieved when operating
previous similar programs for each grant proposer.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Legislative recommendations. new text end

new text begin The commission must recommend an annual
or biennial legislative bill to make appropriations from the workforce development fund.
The recommendations must be submitted to the governor for inclusion in the biennial budget
and supplemental budget submitted to the legislature.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Administration. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of employment and economic
development shall convene the first meeting of the commission by June 15, 2022, in order
to consider proposals and make recommendations for the biennium beginning in fiscal year
2024.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner shall provide meeting space and administrative services for the
commission. All costs necessary to support the commission's operations must be absorbed
using existing appropriations available to the commissioner.
new text end