1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to economic development; reinstating notice 
  1.3             requirement for certain employee layoffs; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 2001 Supplement, section 116L.17, 
  1.5             by adding subdivisions. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2001 Supplement, section 
  1.8   116L.17, is amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 10.  [EARLY WARNING INDICATORS.] The board, in 
  1.10  cooperation with the commissioners of revenue and trade and 
  1.11  economic development, shall establish and oversee an early 
  1.12  warning system to identify industries and businesses likely to 
  1.13  experience large losses in employment, including a plant closing 
  1.14  or a substantial layoff, by collecting and analyzing information 
  1.15  which may include, but not be limited to, products and markets 
  1.16  experiencing declining growth rates, companies and industries 
  1.17  subject to competition from production in low-wage counties, 
  1.18  changes in ownership, layoff and employment patterns, payments 
  1.19  of unemployment taxes, and state tax payments.  The board may 
  1.20  request the assistance of businesses, business organizations, 
  1.21  and trade associations in identifying businesses, industries, 
  1.22  and specific establishments that are likely to experience large 
  1.23  losses in employment.  The board may request information and 
  1.24  other assistance from other state agencies for the purposes of 
  1.25  this subdivision. 
  2.1      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2001 Supplement, section 
  2.2   116L.17, is amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.3      Subd. 11.  [NOTICE.] (a) The board shall encourage those 
  2.4   business establishments considering a decision to effect a plant 
  2.5   closing, substantial layoff, or relocation of operations located 
  2.6   in this state to give notice of that decision as early as 
  2.7   possible to the commissioner, the employees of the affected 
  2.8   establishment, any employee organization representing the 
  2.9   employees, and the local government unit in which the affected 
  2.10  establishment is located.  This notice shall be in addition to 
  2.11  any notice required under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining 
  2.12  Notification Act, United States Code, title 29, section 2101.  
  2.13     (b) For purposes of this subdivision and subdivision 10, 
  2.14  "plant closing" means the announced or actual permanent or 
  2.15  temporary shutdown of a single site of employment, or one or 
  2.16  more facilities or operating units within a single site of 
  2.17  employment, if the shutdown results in an employment loss at the 
  2.18  single site of employment during any 30-day period for 50 or 
  2.19  more employees, excluding employees who work less than 20 hours 
  2.20  per week.