1999 Minnesota Statutes

     84.98 Minnesota conservation corps. 

    Subdivision 1.    Establishment.  The Minnesota 
 conservation corps is established and is under the supervision 
 of the commissioner of natural resources.  

    Subd. 2.    Plan.  (a) The commissioner of natural 
 resources shall develop a plan for the Minnesota conservation 
 corps to provide: 

    (1) equal opportunities of employment for youths with 
 preference given to youths who are economically, socially, 
 physically, or educationally disadvantaged and youths residing 
 in areas of substantial unemployment; 

    (2) equal opportunity for female and male youths; 

    (3) summer youth programs and year-round young adult 
 programs; 

    (4) ways in which exclusive bargaining representatives are 
 to be involved in regard to the planning and implementation of 
 positions and job duties of persons employed in projects; 

    (5) methods for coordinating the programs of the Minnesota 
 conservation corps with other publicly authorized or subsidized 
 programs in cooperation with the commissioners of children, 
 families, and learning and economic security, the workforce 
 development council, and other state and local youth service and 
 education entities; 

    (6) programs for participants to be assisted in gaining 
 employment or training upon completing the projects, including, 
 where feasible, in cooperation with the department of economic 
 security and educational agencies, arranging for career 
 assessment and planning services designed to enhance participant 
 transition from the Minnesota conservation corps to future 
 employment or education; 

    (7) a remedial education component utilizing, as resources 
 permit and where feasible, the services of the department of 
 economic security and educational agencies including instruction 
 in life skills and basic remedial skills for participants who 
 are deficient in the skills or who have not completed high 
 school; 

    (8) the manner of allocating the services of Minnesota 
 conservation corps members to the various divisions of the 
 department of natural resources, to other state, local, and 
 federal governmental conservation and natural resource managers, 
 and to federally recognized Indian tribes or bands; 

    (9) standards of conduct and other operating guidelines for 
 Minnesota conservation corps members; and 

    (10) a determination of preference for projects that will 
 provide long-term benefits to the public, will provide 
 productive work and public service experience to Minnesota 
 conservation corps members, will be primarily labor intensive, 
 and will provide a significant return on taxpayer investment.  

    (b) No later than July 1, 1990, the plan established under 
 this subdivision shall be adopted under the rulemaking 
 provisions of chapter 14.  

    Subd. 3.    Criteria for determining economic, social, 
 physical, or educational disadvantage.  (a) The criteria for 
 determining economic, social, physical, or educational 
 disadvantage shall be determined as provided in this subdivision.

    (b) Economically disadvantaged are persons who meet the 
 criteria for disadvantaged established by the department of 
 economic security or persons receiving services provided by the 
 department of human services such as welfare payments, food 
 stamps, or Minnesota family investment program.  

    (c) Socially disadvantaged are persons who have been 
 classified as persons in need of supervision by the court system.

    (d) Physically disadvantaged are persons who have been 
 identified as having special needs by public agencies that deal 
 with employment for the disabled. 

    (e) Educationally disadvantaged are persons who have 
 dropped out of school or are at risk of dropping out of school 
 and persons with learning disabilities or in need of special 
 education classes.  

    Subd. 4.    Requirements for eligibility for enrollment in 
 the corps.  A person is eligible to enroll in the Minnesota 
 conservation corps if the person is: 

    (1) a permanent resident of the state; 

    (2) unemployed or underemployed; 

    (3) at least age 15, but not older than age 26 years; 

    (4) free from medical or behavioral problems that would 
 render an individual unable to adjust to the standards, 
 discipline, or requirements of the corps; and 

    (5) in the young adult program, the person must have a high 
 school diploma or equivalent, or agree to work towards a high 
 school diploma or equivalent while participating in the program. 

    Subd. 5.    Corps member status.  Minnesota conservation 
 corps members are not covered for reemployment compensation if 
 their services are excluded under section 268.04, subdivision 
 12, and they are not eligible for other benefits except workers' 
 compensation.  The corps members are not employees of the state 
 within the meaning of section 43A.02, subdivision 21.  

    Subd. 6.    Fees.  The commissioner may charge a fee for 
 any service performed by the Minnesota conservation corps.  Fees 
 generated shall be deposited in a special revenue fund and 
 appropriated to the commissioner for Minnesota conservation 
 corps projects and administration. 

    Subd. 7.    Limitations on Minnesota conservation corps 
 projects.  Each employing agency must certify that the 
 assignment of Minnesota conservation corps members will not 
 result in the displacement of currently employed workers or 
 workers on seasonal layoff or layoff from a substantially 
 equivalent position, including partial displacement such as 
 reduction in hours of nonovertime work, wages, or other 
 employment benefits.  Supervising agencies that participate in 
 the program may not terminate, lay off, reduce the seasonal 
 hours, or reduce the working hours of any employee for the 
 purpose of using a corps member with available funds.  The 
 positions and job duties of persons employed in projects shall 
 be submitted to affected exclusive representatives prior to 
 actual assignment. 

    Subd. 8.    Expenditure of corps funds.  The 
 commissioner shall allocate money received for Minnesota 
 conservation corps work projects.  An appropriation from a 
 special revenue fund or account to the commissioner for 
 Minnesota conservation corps programs must be spent for projects 
 that are consistent with the purposes of the fund or account 
 from which the appropriation was made. 

    HIST: 1989 c 335 art 1 s 70; 1990 c 516 s 2; 1994 c 483 s 1; 
 1994 c 488 s 8; 1995 c 131 s 2; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 4 s 30; art 16 s 
 13; 1997 c 85 art 4 s 3; 1997 c 187 art 1 s 7; 1999 c 107 s 66; 
 1999 c 159 s 5; 1999 c 231 s 97