Bill Text: MN HF2757 | 2011-2012 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Hard-to-employ Minnesotans grant program established for jobs innovation, and money appropriated.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-03-12 - Author added Slocum [HF2757 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2011-HF2757-Introduced.html
1.2relating to jobs; establishing a jobs innovation for hard-to-employ Minnesotans
1.3grant program; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
1.4Statutes, chapter 116J.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. [116J.8748] JOBS INNOVATION FOR HARD-TO-EMPLOY
1.7MINNESOTANS GRANT PROGRAM.
1.8 Subdivision 1. Establishment. The commissioner of employment and economic
1.9development shall establish a grant program with the goal of creating new jobs for
1.10long-term and chronically unemployed Minnesotans who are frequent and costly users
1.11of state and county interventions and services. The targeted population for the grant
1.12program includes individuals who rely heavily on government services, such as veterans,
1.13recently incarcerated individuals, and individuals with mental health problems and
1.14chemical addiction.
1.15 Subd. 2. Objectives. The grant program shall:
1.16(1) provide an incentive for the private employment sector to generate new
1.17employment opportunities for the targeted population; and
1.18(2) foster cross-agency collaboration at the state and local levels and reduce
1.19government costs by eliminating inefficiencies and applying best practices.
1.20 Subd. 3. Selection of grant recipients. (a) Grants under this section shall be
1.21awarded by the commissioner of employment and economic development. Before any
1.22grants are awarded, a committee consisting of representatives from the Departments of
1.23Employment and Economic Development, Health and Human Services, and Corrections,
2.1and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, shall meet and evaluate the grant applications
2.2and make recommendations to the commissioner on awarding the grants.
2.3(b) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an organization must be an
2.4employer located in this state and must:
2.5(1) commit to creating new full-time or part-time positions for the targeted
2.6population;
2.7(2) demonstrate a clear plan for creating new jobs and verify that the funds will not
2.8be used to preserve or fund existing jobs;
2.9(3) demonstrate how a proposal will address and coordinate meeting the needs
2.10of the targeted population, such as housing, mental and chemical health services, and
2.11preventative health care;
2.12(4) explain how employment opportunities will be coordinated with housing,
2.13behavioral health, and other critical support services intended to ensure that program
2.14participants become stable, contributing members of their communities;
2.15(5) outline how the proposed employment strategies will reduce federal, state, and
2.16local government costs, including public spending for shelter, food assistance, emergency
2.17health care, incarceration, and other public safety costs; and
2.18(6) demonstrate the capacity to deliver an integrated set of core services, including
2.19new jobs, and the ability to track and report on the performance and results of their efforts.
2.20(c) When making grants under this section, preference shall be given to eligible
2.21organizations who demonstrate the ability to meet the objectives set forth in Laws 2007,
2.22chapter 54, article 1, section 19.
2.23 Subd. 4. Reporting requirements. (a) An organization receiving a grant under
2.24this section must report annually to the commissioner of employment and economic
2.25development on the number of program participants who:
2.26(1) were employed full time or part time;
2.27(2) made child support payments, if applicable; and
2.28(3) avoided institutionalization or incarceration.
2.29(b) The commissioner of employment and economic development shall submit
2.30an annual report on the progress of the grant program by January 15 each year to the
2.31senate and house of representatives committees with jurisdiction over employment and
2.32economic development.
2.33 Subd. 5. Grant awards. Grants shall be awarded to up to three organizations
2.34per biennium.
2.35 Subd. 6. Match. In order to qualify for a grant, applicants must match, on a
2.36one-to-one basis, the amount of state funds awarded with nonstate funds.
3.1 Sec. 2. REPORT.
3.2The commissioner of employment and economic development, in consultation
3.3with the commissioner of management and budget, shall calculate the savings generated
3.4to the state through reduced state spending on government services resulting from
3.5implementation of the grant program and shall examine the feasibility of replenishing the
3.6grant program by utilizing the anticipated savings. The commissioner of employment and
3.7economic development must report the findings to the senate and house of representatives
3.8committees with jurisdiction over employment and economic development by January
3.915, 2013.
3.10 Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION.
3.11$3,000,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2013 from the general fund to the
3.12commissioner of employment and economic development for the grant program described
3.13in section 1. This appropriation does not cancel and is available until expended.
1.3grant program; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
1.4Statutes, chapter 116J.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. [116J.8748] JOBS INNOVATION FOR HARD-TO-EMPLOY
1.7MINNESOTANS GRANT PROGRAM.
1.8 Subdivision 1. Establishment. The commissioner of employment and economic
1.9development shall establish a grant program with the goal of creating new jobs for
1.10long-term and chronically unemployed Minnesotans who are frequent and costly users
1.11of state and county interventions and services. The targeted population for the grant
1.12program includes individuals who rely heavily on government services, such as veterans,
1.13recently incarcerated individuals, and individuals with mental health problems and
1.14chemical addiction.
1.15 Subd. 2. Objectives. The grant program shall:
1.16(1) provide an incentive for the private employment sector to generate new
1.17employment opportunities for the targeted population; and
1.18(2) foster cross-agency collaboration at the state and local levels and reduce
1.19government costs by eliminating inefficiencies and applying best practices.
1.20 Subd. 3. Selection of grant recipients. (a) Grants under this section shall be
1.21awarded by the commissioner of employment and economic development. Before any
1.22grants are awarded, a committee consisting of representatives from the Departments of
1.23Employment and Economic Development, Health and Human Services, and Corrections,
2.1and the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, shall meet and evaluate the grant applications
2.2and make recommendations to the commissioner on awarding the grants.
2.3(b) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an organization must be an
2.4employer located in this state and must:
2.5(1) commit to creating new full-time or part-time positions for the targeted
2.6population;
2.7(2) demonstrate a clear plan for creating new jobs and verify that the funds will not
2.8be used to preserve or fund existing jobs;
2.9(3) demonstrate how a proposal will address and coordinate meeting the needs
2.10of the targeted population, such as housing, mental and chemical health services, and
2.11preventative health care;
2.12(4) explain how employment opportunities will be coordinated with housing,
2.13behavioral health, and other critical support services intended to ensure that program
2.14participants become stable, contributing members of their communities;
2.15(5) outline how the proposed employment strategies will reduce federal, state, and
2.16local government costs, including public spending for shelter, food assistance, emergency
2.17health care, incarceration, and other public safety costs; and
2.18(6) demonstrate the capacity to deliver an integrated set of core services, including
2.19new jobs, and the ability to track and report on the performance and results of their efforts.
2.20(c) When making grants under this section, preference shall be given to eligible
2.21organizations who demonstrate the ability to meet the objectives set forth in Laws 2007,
2.22chapter 54, article 1, section 19.
2.23 Subd. 4. Reporting requirements. (a) An organization receiving a grant under
2.24this section must report annually to the commissioner of employment and economic
2.25development on the number of program participants who:
2.26(1) were employed full time or part time;
2.27(2) made child support payments, if applicable; and
2.28(3) avoided institutionalization or incarceration.
2.29(b) The commissioner of employment and economic development shall submit
2.30an annual report on the progress of the grant program by January 15 each year to the
2.31senate and house of representatives committees with jurisdiction over employment and
2.32economic development.
2.33 Subd. 5. Grant awards. Grants shall be awarded to up to three organizations
2.34per biennium.
2.35 Subd. 6. Match. In order to qualify for a grant, applicants must match, on a
2.36one-to-one basis, the amount of state funds awarded with nonstate funds.
3.1 Sec. 2. REPORT.
3.2The commissioner of employment and economic development, in consultation
3.3with the commissioner of management and budget, shall calculate the savings generated
3.4to the state through reduced state spending on government services resulting from
3.5implementation of the grant program and shall examine the feasibility of replenishing the
3.6grant program by utilizing the anticipated savings. The commissioner of employment and
3.7economic development must report the findings to the senate and house of representatives
3.8committees with jurisdiction over employment and economic development by January
3.915, 2013.
3.10 Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION.
3.11$3,000,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2013 from the general fund to the
3.12commissioner of employment and economic development for the grant program described
3.13in section 1. This appropriation does not cancel and is available until expended.
