1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to state government; modifying a grant for assistive technology; amending 
1.3 	Laws 2015, First Special Session chapter 1, article 1, section 2, subdivision 6.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. Laws 2015, First Special Session chapter 1, article 1, section 2, subdivision 6, 
1.6 	is amended to read:

1.7	Subd. 6.Vocational Rehabilitation

1.8	Appropriations by Fund
	
1.9	General
	22,611,000
	21,611,000
	
1.10
1.11	Workforce 
Development
	7,830,000
	7,830,000
	
1.12 	(a) $10,800,000 each year is from the general 
1.13 	fund for the state's vocational rehabilitation 
1.14 	program under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 
1.15 	268A.
1.16 	(b) $2,261,000 each year is from the general 
1.17 	fund for grants to centers for independent 
1.18 	living under Minnesota Statutes, section 
1.19 	268A.11.
1.20 	(c) $5,745,000 each year from the general fund 
1.21 	and $6,830,000 each year from the workforce 
1.22 	development fund are for extended 
1.23 	employment services for persons with severe 
2.1 	disabilities under Minnesota Statutes, section 
2.2 	268A.15.
2.3 	(d) $250,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $250,000 
2.4 	in fiscal year 2017 are for rate increases to 
2.5 	providers of extended employment services 
2.6 	for persons with severe disabilities under 
2.7 	Minnesota Statutes, section 268A.15. This 
2.8 	appropriation is added to the agency's base.
2.9 	(e) $2,555,000 each year is from the general 
2.10 	fund for grants to programs that provide 
2.11 	employment support services to persons with 
2.12 	mental illness under Minnesota Statutes, 
2.13 	sections 268A.13 and 268A.14.
2.14 	(f) $1,000,000 each year is from the workforce 
2.15 	development fund for grants under Minnesota 
2.16 	Statutes, section 268A.16, for employment 
2.17 	services for persons, including transition-aged 
2.18 	youth, who are deaf, deafblind, or 
2.19 	hard-of-hearing. If the amount in the first year 
2.20 	is insufficient, the amount in the second year 
2.21 	is available in the first year.
2.22 	(g) $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2016 is for a 
2.23 	grant to Assistive Technology of Minnesota, 
2.24 	a statewide nonprofit organization that is 
2.25 	exclusively dedicated to the issues of access 
2.26 	to and the acquisition of assistive technology. 
2.27 	The purpose of the grant is to acquire assistive 
2.28 	technology and to work in tandem with 
2.29 	individuals using this technology to create 
2.30 	career paths Assistive Technology of 
2.31 	Minnesota must use the funds to provide 
2.32 	low-interest loans to individuals of all ages 
2.33 	and types of disabilities to purchase assistive 
2.34 	technology and employment-related 
2.35 	equipment. This is a onetime appropriation.
3.1 	(h) For purposes of this subdivision, 
3.2 	Minnesota Diversified Industries, Inc. is an 
3.3 	eligible provider of services for persons with 
3.4 	severe disabilities under Minnesota Statutes, 
3.5 	section 268A.15.

3.6 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective retroactively from July 1, 2015.