1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to corrections; authorizing a restitution 
  1.3             grant program for adult offenders; proposing coding 
  1.4             for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 243. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [243.278] [RESTITUTION GRANT PROGRAM.] 
  1.7      Subdivision 1.  [GRANT PROGRAM.] A restitution grant 
  1.8   program is established under the commissioner of corrections to 
  1.9   provide and finance work for eligible offenders.  Offenders 
  1.10  eligible to participate in the program are adult offenders who 
  1.11  have monetary restitution obligations to victims. 
  1.12     Subd. 2.  [ADMINISTERING PROGRAM.] The department of 
  1.13  corrections shall administer the grant program.  The 
  1.14  commissioner shall award grants to community corrections 
  1.15  agencies, other state and local agencies, and nonprofit agencies 
  1.16  that meet the program criteria developed by the commissioner.  
  1.17  The criteria developed by the commissioner may include a 
  1.18  requirement that the agency provide a match to the grant amount 
  1.19  consisting of in-kind services, money, or both. 
  1.20     Subd. 3.  [COOPERATION; TYPES OF PROGRAMS.] The 
  1.21  commissioner of corrections shall work with the commissioner of 
  1.22  natural resources, the commissioner of economic security, local 
  1.23  government and nonprofit agencies, and the courts to design and 
  1.24  develop suitable restitution grant programs.  Programs must 
  1.25  provide services to communities including, but not necessarily 
  2.1   limited to, park maintenance, recycling, and other related work. 
  2.2   Eligible offenders may earn monetary restitution on behalf of a 
  2.3   victim or perform a service for the victim.  Work performed by 
  2.4   eligible offenders must not result in the displacement of 
  2.5   currently employed full-time or part-time workers or workers on 
  2.6   seasonal layoff or layoff from a substantially equivalent 
  2.7   position, including partial displacement such as reduction in 
  2.8   hours of nonovertime work, wages, or other employment benefits.  
  2.9   Any monetary restitution earned by an eligible offender must 
  2.10  either be forwarded to the victim or held in an account for the 
  2.11  benefit of the victim. 
  2.12     Subd. 4.  [REFERRAL TO PROGRAM.] The grant program must 
  2.13  provide that eligible offenders may be referred to the program 
  2.14  by a community diversion agency, a correctional agency, or by a 
  2.15  court order of monetary restitution.