1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to economic development; providing support 
  1.3             for the development of workforce identification 
  1.4             systems; appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  1.7      $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  1.8   commissioner of trade and economic development for grants to 
  1.9   local or regional economic development agencies to support the 
  1.10  development and use of labor force assessments that will allow 
  1.11  the agencies to recognize areas in which the skill sets or 
  1.12  education of the available workforce are underused.  Projects 
  1.13  are eligible for grants of up to 60 percent of the total project 
  1.14  costs.  The commissioner shall develop criteria for these grants 
  1.15  that will maximize their effectiveness in assisting local 
  1.16  economic development efforts.  The criteria shall give a 
  1.17  preference to projects that have the support and involvement of 
  1.18  multiple economic development agencies in a geographic region, 
  1.19  provided that the size of the area covered by a project does not 
  1.20  interfere with the usefulness of the labor force information 
  1.21  generated.  This is a one-time appropriation and is not added to 
  1.22  the agency's budget base.