1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to economic development; establishing a program for emergency 
1.3 	community relief grants; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. COVID-19 EMERGENCY COMMUNITY RELIEF GRANTS.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. The COVID-19 emergency community relief grants 
1.7 	program is established to award grants to eligible nonprofit organizations to make grants 
1.8 	to individuals experiencing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. For 
1.9 	purposes of this section, "eligible nonprofit organizations" includes community intermediaries 
1.10 	such as local community foundations, Minnesota Initiative Foundations, tribal nations, 
1.11 	community development financial institutions, coalitions, networks, associations, or other 
1.12 	intermediaries that have an existing grant-making process in place, as directed by the 
1.13 	Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund (MDRF) and determined by the St. Paul & Minnesota 
1.14 	Foundation.
1.15 		Subd. 2.Statewide grants. To the extent practicable, grants shall be made so that an 
1.16 	approximately equal dollar amount of grants are made to individuals in the metropolitan 
1.17 	area and the nonmetropolitan area.
1.18 		Subd. 3.Eligibility for individuals. In order to qualify for a grant, an individual must 
1.19 	be able to demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Financial 
1.20 	hardship includes but is not limited to showing that an individual:
2.1 	(1) is not eligible to receive unemployment benefits. Such individuals may include but 
2.2 	are not limited to individuals in the country on an H1B or other work visa or are 
2.3 	self-employed;
2.4 	(2) will not receive unemployment benefits at a rate that is commensurate with their 
2.5 	earnings. Such individuals may include but are not limited to tipped employees whose 
2.6 	earnings do not accurately reflect income;
2.7 	(3) will have significant difficulty getting COVID-19-related federal or state assistance. 
2.8 	Such individuals may include but are not limited to individuals who are adult dependents 
2.9 	or other minor or college-aged dependents; or
2.10 	(4) will not be able to receive any COVID-19-related federal or state assistance. Such 
2.11 	individuals may include but are not limited to individuals who were not required to file 
2.12 	taxes for the past two years and adults who are elderly or disabled but are not receiving 
2.13 	Social Security benefits.
2.14 		Subd. 4.Maximum grant award. The amount of assistance shall depend on the 
2.15 	individual needs of the household, taking into consideration other resources that an individual 
2.16 	or household is eligible to receive. The maximum amount of assistance may not exceed 
2.17 	$1,500 per individual.
2.18 		Subd. 5.Use of grant funds. Grant funds received by an individual under this section 
2.19 	may be used for food, emergency household items, rent support, utility bills, and other 
2.20 	similar expenses. Assistance for rent support and utility bills must be made directly to the 
2.21 	rental property owner or utility company.

2.22 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

2.23 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 2.24 	$50,000,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2020 from the general fund to the commissioner 
2.25 	of  employment and economic development for a grant to the Minnesota Council on 
2.26 	Foundations for COVID-19 emergency community relief grants under section 1. This is a 
2.27 	onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2021.

2.28 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.