Minnesota Session Laws - 1997, Regular Session

                            CHAPTER 118-S.F.No. 399 
                  An act relating to economic security; providing for 
                  the administration of certain employment and training 
                  services; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
                  Statutes, chapter 268. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  [268.666] [WORKFORCE SERVICE AREAS.] 
           Subdivision 1.  [DESIGNATION OF WORKFORCE SERVICE 
        AREAS.] For the purpose of administering federal, state, and 
        local employment and training services, the commissioner shall 
        designate the geographic boundaries for workforce service areas 
        in Minnesota. 
           The commissioner shall approve a request to be a workforce 
        service area from: 
           (1) a home rule charter or statutory city with a population 
        of 200,000 or more or a county with a population of 200,000 or 
        more; or 
           (2) a consortium of contiguous home rule charter or 
        statutory cities or counties with an aggregate population of 
        200,000 or more that serves a substantial part of one or more 
        labor markets. 
           The commissioner may approve a request to be a workforce 
        service area from a home rule charter or statutory city or a 
        county or a consortium of contiguous home rule charter or 
        statutory cities or counties, without regard to population, that 
        serves a substantial portion of a labor market area. 
           The commissioner shall make a final designation of 
        workforce service areas within the state after consulting with 
        local elected officials and the governor's workforce development 
        council.  Existing service delivery areas designated under the 
        federal Job Training Partnership Act shall be initially 
        designated as workforce service areas providing that no other 
        petitions are submitted by local elected officials. 
           The commissioner may redesignate workforce service areas no 
        more frequently than every two years.  These redesignations must 
        be made not later than four months before the beginning of a 
        program year. 
           Subd. 2.  [CREATION OF LOCAL WORKFORCE COUNCILS.] A local 
        workforce council must be established in each workforce service 
        area, designated according to subdivision 1. 
           Subd. 3.  [MEMBERSHIP ON LOCAL WORKFORCE COUNCILS.] In 
        workforce service areas representing only one home rule charter 
        or statutory city or a county, the chief elected official must 
        appoint members to the council.  In workforce service areas 
        representing two or more home rule charter or statutory cities 
        or counties, the chief elected officials of the home rule 
        charter or statutory cities or counties must appoint members to 
        the council, in accordance with an agreement entered into by 
        such units of general local government. 
           A council shall include as members: 
           (1) representatives of the private sector, who must 
        constitute a majority of the membership of the council and who 
        are owners of business concerns, chief executives or chief 
        operating officers of nongovernmental employers, or other 
        private sector executives who have substantial management or 
        policy responsibility; 
           (2) at least two representatives of organized labor; 
           (3) representatives of the area workforce and 
        community-based organizations, who shall constitute not less 
        than 15 percent of the membership of the council; and 
           (4) representatives of each of the following: 
           (i) educational agencies that are representative of all 
        educational agencies within the workforce service area; 
           (ii) vocational rehabilitation agencies; 
           (iii) public assistance agencies; 
           (iv) economic development agencies; and 
           (v) public employment service agencies. 
           The chair of each local workforce council shall be selected 
        from among the members of the council who are representatives of 
        the private sector.  
           Private sector representatives on the local workforce 
        council shall be selected from among individuals nominated by 
        general purpose business organizations, such as local chambers 
        of commerce, in the workforce service area. 
           Education representatives on the local workforce council 
        shall be selected from among individuals nominated by secondary 
        and post-secondary educational institutions within the workforce 
        service area. 
           Organized labor representatives on the local workforce 
        council shall be selected from individuals recommended by 
        recognized state and local labor federations, organizations, or 
        councils.  If the state or local labor federations, 
        organizations, or councils fail to nominate a sufficient number 
        of individuals to meet the labor representation requirements, 
        individual workers may be included on the local workforce 
        council to complete the labor representation. 
           The commissioner must certify a local workforce council if 
        the commissioner determines that its composition and 
        appointments are consistent with this subdivision. 
           Subd. 4.  [PURPOSE; DUTIES OF LOCAL WORKFORCE COUNCIL.] The 
        local workforce council is responsible for providing policy 
        guidance for, and exercising oversight with respect to, 
        activities conducted by local workforce centers in partnership 
        with the local unit or units of general local government within 
        the workforce service area and with the commissioner.  
           A local workforce center is a location where federal, 
        state, and local employment and training services are provided 
        to job seekers and employers. 
           A local workforce council, in accordance with an agreement 
        or agreements with the appropriate chief elected official or 
        officials and the commissioner, shall: 
           (1) determine procedures for the development of the local 
        workforce service area plan.  The procedures may provide for the 
        preparation of all or any part of the plan: 
           (i) by the council; 
           (ii) by any unit of general local or state government in 
        the workforce service area, or by an agency of that unit; or 
           (iii) by any other methods or institutions as may be 
        provided in the agreement; 
           (2) select the recipients for local grants and an 
        administrator of the local workforce service area plan.  These 
        may be the same entity or separate entities and must be chosen 
        from among the following: 
           (i) the council; 
           (ii) a unit of general local or state government in its 
        workforce service area, or an agency of that unit; 
           (iii) a nonprofit organization or corporation; or 
           (iv) any other agreed upon entity; 
           (3) jointly plan for local collaborative activities 
        including the transition of public assistance recipients to 
        employment in the public or private sectors; 
           (4) provide on-site review and oversight of program 
        performance; 
           (5) establish local priorities for service and target 
        populations; 
           (6) ensure nonduplication of services and a unified service 
        delivery system within the workforce service area; and 
           (7) nominate individuals to the governor to consider for 
        membership on the governor's workforce development council. 
           Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
           Section 1 is effective July 1, 1997. 
           Presented to the governor May 7, 1997 
           Signed by the governor May 8, 1997, 11:20 a.m.