Minnesota Session Laws - 1983, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1983 

                        CHAPTER 339--H.F.No. 1067
           An act relating to state government; authorizing the 
          commissioner of economic security to accept gifts; 
          removing certain restrictions on administration of 
          summer youth employment programs and weatherization; 
          providing financial assistance allocations for 
          community action agencies; amending Minnesota Statutes 
          1982, sections 268.011, subdivision 2; 268.34; 268.37, 
          subdivisions 2, 4, and 5; and 268.52, subdivision 2. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 268.011, 
subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 2.  The commissioner may establish six positions in 
the unclassified service at the deputy, assistant commissioner, 
or assistant to the commissioner levels.  He may appoint and 
define the duties of other subordinate officers and employees as 
he deems necessary to discharge the functions of his department. 
The commissioner may delegate, in written orders filed with the 
secretary of state, any powers or duties subject to his control 
to officers and employees in the department.  The commissioner 
may accept gifts, bequests, grants, payments for services, and 
other public and private funds to help finance the activities of 
the department.  Notwithstanding any other law, the commissioner 
may delegate the execution of specific contracts or specific 
types of contracts to his deputy, an assistant commissioner, or 
a program director if the delegation has been approved by the 
commissioner of administration and filed with the secretary of 
state. 
     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 268.34, is 
amended to read: 
    268.34 [EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS WITH GOVERNMENTAL SUBDIVISIONS 
AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.] 
    The commissioner is authorized to may enter into 
arrangements with existing public and private nonprofit 
organizations and agencies with experience in administering 
summer youth employment programs for the purpose of providing 
employment opportunities in furtherance of sections 268.31 to 
268.36 and to advance up to 20 percent of a summer youth 
employment contract to any participating organization or 
agency.  The commissioner shall enter into these agreements with 
organizations designated by the prime sponsors authorized under 
the comprehensive employment and training act (CETA).  The 
department of economic security shall retain ultimate 
responsibility for the administration of this employment 
program, including but not limited to, approval of summer job 
opportunities, review of applicants therefor, placement of youth 
in jobs subject to the approval of prime sponsors and the 
disbursement of funds.  Any administrative costs, with the 
exception of worker's compensation, incurred by any nonprofit 
organization or any governmental agency with which an 
arrangement has been made by the department of economic security 
shall not be paid from appropriated funds available for the 
purposes of sections 268.31 to 268.36.  
     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 268.37, 
subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 2.  The commissioner shall make grants of federal and 
state money to community action agencies and other public or 
private nonprofit agencies for the purpose of weatherizing the 
residences of low-income persons.  Grant applications shall be 
submitted in accordance with rules developed pursuant to 42 
U.S.C., Sections 6861 to 6872, any other relevant federal 
weatherization program, and rules promulgated by the 
commissioner. 
     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 268.37, 
subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 4.  The commissioner shall distribute supplementary 
state grants in a manner consistent with the goal of producing 
the maximum number of weatherized units.  Supplementary state 
grants are provided primarily for the payment of additional 
labor costs for the federal weatherization program, and as an 
incentive for the increased production of weatherized units. 
    Criteria for the allocation of state grants to local 
agencies include:  (a) existing local agency production levels, 
(b) availability of CETA resources in the area, (c) emergency 
needs, and (d) (c) the potential for maintaining or increasing 
acceptable levels of production in the area.  
    An eligible local agency may receive advance funding for 90 
days' production, but thereafter shall receive grants solely on 
the basis of program criteria.  
    Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 268.37, 
subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 5.  The commissioner shall submit reports to the 
legislature by March 1 July 31 of each year, evaluating the 
weatherization program.  The reports shall describe:  (a) the 
number of households weatherized, (b) the average cost per 
household, (c) any change in energy consumption after 
weatherization, (d) outreach efforts, and (e) (d) any other 
information the commissioner feels is relevant, including 
information routinely submitted to the federal government. 
    Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 268.52, 
subdivision 2, is amended to read:  
    Subd. 2.  [ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.] Funds appropriated for 
Minnesota economic opportunity grants and community service 
block grants for the purpose of subdivision 1 shall be allocated 
annually to community action agencies under either clause (a) or 
(b), whichever is more advantageous to the agency, to Indian 
reservations under clause (c) and to the Minnesota migrant 
council under clause (d). 
    If the appropriation is insufficient to fully fund each 
agency, for Minnesota economic opportunity grants or community 
service block grants is less than the previous fiscal year the 
insufficiency shall be prorated annually among the agencies. 
    (a) In proportion to the size of the poverty level 
population served by the agency when compared to the size of the 
poverty level population in the state; or 
    (b) Determined as follows: 
    If the appropriation of funds for community action agencies 
shall be equal to or more than that available in the previous 
fiscal years 1979 and 1980 year, there shall be in place a 
"hold-harmless" provision for the allocation of funds among 
community action agencies.  For purposes of this section, 
"hold-harmless" for the Minnesota Economic Opportunity Grant 
Program is the amount of funding received by a community action 
agency under the Economic Opportunity Grant Program in the 
previous fiscal year when calculating an agency's economic 
opportunity grant.  When calculating an agency's community 
services block grant, "hold-harmless" is the amount of funding 
received by a community action agency from the local initiative 
or community services block grant act basic allotment in the 
previous fiscal year.  
    (c) Allocation of funds to Indian reservations is based on 
the poverty level population of the reservation.  
    (d) Allocation of funds to the Minnesota migrant council 
shall not exceed three percent of the total funds available.  
The state office of economic opportunity shall negotiate the 
percentage allocation annually based on the most recent low 
income population figures. 
    Sec. 7.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
    Sections 1 to 6 are effective the day following final 
enactment. 
    Approved June 14, 1983