HF 561

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/02/2015 04:46pm

A bill for an act
relating to human services; establishing a jobs and health innovation grant
program for hard-to-employ Minnesotans; requiring reports; appropriating
money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256E.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

[256E.365] JOBS AND HEALTH INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAM
FOR HARD-TO-EMPLOY MINNESOTANS.

Subdivision 1.

Establishment.

The commissioner of human services shall establish a
grant program with the goal of creating new jobs for long-term and chronically unemployed
Minnesotans who are frequent and costly users of state and county interventions and
services. The targeted population for the grant program includes individuals who rely
heavily on government services, such as veterans, recently incarcerated individuals, and
individuals with mental health problems and chemical addiction.

Subd. 2.

Objectives.

The grant program shall:

(1) provide an incentive for the private employment sector to generate new
employment opportunities for the targeted population; and

(2) foster cross-agency collaboration at the state and local levels and reduce
government costs by eliminating inefficiencies and applying best practices.

Subd. 3.

Selection of grant recipients.

(a) Grants under this section shall be
awarded by the commissioner of human services. Before any grants are awarded, a
committee consisting of representatives from the Departments of Health, Human Services,
and Employment and Economic Development, and the Minnesota Housing Finance
Agency, shall meet to evaluate the grant applications and make recommendations to
the commissioner on awarding the grants.

(b) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an organization must be an
employer located in this state and must:

(1) commit to creating new full-time or part-time positions for the targeted population;

(2) demonstrate a clear plan for creating new jobs and verify that the funds will not
be used to preserve or fund existing jobs;

(3) demonstrate how a proposal will address and coordinate meeting the needs
of the targeted population, such as housing, mental and chemical health services, and
preventative health care;

(4) explain how employment opportunities will be coordinated with housing,
behavioral health, and other critical support services intended to ensure that program
participants become stable, contributing members of their communities;

(5) outline how the proposed employment strategies will reduce federal, state, and
local government costs, including public spending for shelter, food assistance, emergency
health care, incarceration, and other public safety costs; and

(6) demonstrate the capacity to deliver an integrated set of core services, including
new jobs, and the ability to track and report on the performance and results of their efforts.

(c) When making grants under this section, preference shall be given to eligible
organizations who demonstrate the ability to meet the objectives set forth in Laws 2007,
chapter 54, article 1, section 19.

Subd. 4.

Reporting requirements.

(a) An organization receiving a grant under this
section must report annually to the commissioner of human services on the numbers of
program participants who:

(1) were employed full time or part time;

(2) made child support payments, if applicable; and

(3) avoided institutionalization or incarceration.

(b) The commissioner of human services shall submit an annual report on the
progress of the grant program by January 15 each year to the senate and house of
representatives committees with jurisdiction over health, human services, and employment
and economic development.

Subd. 5.

Grant awards.

Grants shall be awarded to up to three organizations
per biennium.

Subd. 6.

Match.

In order to qualify for a grant, applicants must match, on a
one-to-one basis, the amount of state funds awarded with nonstate funds.

Sec. 2. REPORT.

The commissioner of human services, in consultation with the commissioner of
management and budget, shall calculate the savings generated to the state through
reduced state spending on government services resulting from implementation of the
grant program established in Minnesota Statutes, section 256E.365, and shall examine
the feasibility of replenishing funding for the grant program by utilizing the anticipated
savings. The commissioner of human services must report findings under this section to
the senate and house of representatives committees with jurisdiction over human services
by January 15, 2016.

Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION.

$4,000,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2016 from the general fund to the
commissioner of human services for the grant program described in section 1. This
appropriation does not cancel and is available until expended.