1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; creating a pilot grant program to encourage and support 
1.3 	underrepresented and disadvantaged girls in exploring and pursuing STEM careers; 
1.4 	appropriating money; requiring a report.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. PILOT GRANT PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE UNDERREPRESENTED 
1.7 	AND DISADVANTAGED GIRLS TO EXPLORE AND PURSUE STEM CAREERS.
 1.8 		Subdivision 1.Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the terms defined in this 
1.9 	subdivision have the meanings given.
1.10 	(b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of education.
1.11 	(c) "Eligible organization" means a community-based, STEM-affiliated organization 
1.12 	experienced in serving underrepresented or disadvantaged girls, a Minnesota public 
1.13 	elementary and secondary school providing STEM instruction and curricula, or other 
1.14 	Minnesota STEM-affiliated organizations experienced in serving underrepresented or 
1.15 	disadvantaged girls, consistent with the purposes of this section.
1.16 	(d) "Low-income" means income less than 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline 
1.17 	adjusted for a family size of four.
1.18 	(e) "STEM" means the subject areas of science, technology, engineering, and 
1.19 	mathematics.
1.20 	(f) "Underrepresented or disadvantaged girls" means females through age 17 who are:
1.21 	(1) American Indian, Asian, Black, or Hispanic;
1.22 	(2) disabled; or
2.1 	(3) low-income.
2.2 		Subd. 2.Grants; use of grant funds. (a) The commissioner shall award one grant to 
2.3 	an eligible organization serving underrepresented or disadvantaged girls in Ramsey County 
2.4 	and one grant to an eligible organization serving underrepresented or disadvantaged girls 
2.5 	in one or more counties in greater Minnesota. The eligible organizations receiving a grant 
2.6 	must use grant funds to encourage and support underrepresented or disadvantaged girls in 
2.7 	exploring and pursuing STEM careers consistent with paragraph (b).
2.8 	(b) Grant recipients must use grant funds for the following purposes:
2.9 	(1) to increase the awareness and interest of underrepresented or disadvantaged girls in 
2.10 	STEM occupations and fields, to develop the knowledge and confidence of underrepresented 
2.11 	or disadvantaged girls in STEM, and to increase the access of underrepresented or 
2.12 	disadvantaged girls to secondary, dual credit, and postsecondary programs leading to STEM 
2.13 	occupations; and
2.14 	(2) to provide financial assistance to help underrepresented or disadvantaged girls explore 
2.15 	and pursue STEM careers while balancing their responsibilities for work, job skills training 
2.16 	and education, and family caregiving, including financial assistance for child care, 
2.17 	transportation, or safe and stable housing.
2.18 		Subd. 3.Outcomes. The Ramsey County grant recipient must develop a model program 
2.19 	to encourage and support underrepresented or disadvantaged girls in exploring and pursuing 
2.20 	STEM careers that may be replicated and used in other Twin Cities metropolitan area 
2.21 	counties. The greater Minnesota grant recipient must develop a model program to encourage 
2.22 	and support underrepresented or disadvantaged girls in exploring and pursuing STEM 
2.23 	careers that may be replicated and used in other greater Minnesota counties.
2.24 		Subd. 4.Report.  By January 15, 2020, the commissioner must submit a written report 
2.25 	to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction 
2.26 	over kindergarten through grade 12 education containing information about the pilot grant 
2.27 	program design, activities, expenditures, and outcomes disaggregated by categories of race, 
2.28 	cultural group, family income, age, grade level, school district, geographic location, migrant 
2.29 	status, foreign immigrant status, home language, English learner status under Minnesota 
2.30 	Statutes, section 124D.59, disability, homelessness, and foster care status, to the extent the 
2.31 	information is available and no individual can be personally identified from that information.

2.32 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2017.

3.1 	Sec. 2. PILOT GRANT PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT 
3.2 	UNDERREPRESENTED OR DISADVANTAGED GIRLS IN EXPLORING AND 
3.3 	PURSUING STEM CAREERS; APPROPRIATION.
 3.4 	$....... in fiscal year 2018 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of 
3.5 	education for a pilot grant program to encourage and support underrepresented or 
3.6 	disadvantaged girls in exploring and pursuing STEM careers under section 1. This is a 
3.7 	onetime appropriation and is available until expended.

3.8 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for fiscal year 2018.