piers109uk/MN-Statutes huggingface dataset:
116M.14 DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the meaning given them.
"Board" means the Minnesota emerging entrepreneur program.
"Commissioner" means the commissioner of employment and economic development.
"Department" means the Department of Employment and Economic Development.
"Low-income area" means:
(1) Minneapolis, St. Paul;
(2) those cities in the metropolitan area as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2, that have a median income for a family of four that is below 80 percent of the median income for a four-person family as of the latest report by the United States Census Bureau; and
(3) the area outside the metropolitan area.
"Low-income person" means a person who has an annual income, adjusted for family size, of not more than 80 percent of the area median family income for the county of residence as of the latest report by the United States Census Bureau.
"Metropolitan area" has the meaning given in section 473.121, subdivision 2.
"Minority business enterprise" means a business that is majority owned and operated by persons belonging to a racial or ethnic minority as defined in Code of Federal Regulations, title 49, section 23.5.
"Minority person" means a person belonging to a racial or ethnic minority as defined in Code of Federal Regulations, title 49, section 23.5.
"Program" means the Minnesota emerging entrepreneur program created by this chapter.
"Veteran" means a veteran as defined in section 197.447.
"Persons with disabilities" means an individual with a disability, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, United States Code, title 42, section 12102.
116L.146 EXPEDITED GRANT PROCESS.
(a) The board may authorize grants not to exceed $50,000 each through an expedited grant approval process to:
(1) eligible employers to provide training programs for up to 50 workers; or
(2) a public or private institution of higher education to:
(i) convert an existing curriculum for distance learning through interactive television or other communication methods; or
(ii) enable a training program to be offered when it would otherwise be canceled due to an enrollment shortfall of one or two students when the program is offered in a health-related field with a documented worker shortage and is part of a training program not exceeding two years in length.
(b) The board shall develop application procedures and evaluation policies for grants made under this section.
116M.16 POWERS.
The board may enter into contracts and grant agreements necessary to carry out its responsibilities.
The board may apply for, accept, and disburse gifts, grants, loans, or other property from the United States, the state, private foundations, or any other source. It may enter into an agreement required for the gifts, grants, or loans and may hold, use, and dispose of its assets in accordance with the terms of the gift, grant, loan, or agreement. Money received by the board under this subdivision must be deposited in a separate account in the state treasury and invested by the state Board of Investment. The amount deposited, including investment earnings, is appropriated to the board to carry out its duties.
116L.18 SPECIAL INCUMBENT WORKER TRAINING GRANTS.
The purpose of the special incumbent worker training grants is to expand opportunities for businesses and workers to gain new skills that are in demand in the Minnesota economy. The board shall establish criteria for incumbent worker grants under this section and may encourage creative training models, innovative partnerships, and expansion or replication of promising practices.
(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given them.
(b) "Incumbent worker" means an individual employed by a qualifying employer.
(c) "Qualifying employer" means a for-profit business or nonprofit organization in Minnesota with at least one full-time paid employee. Public sector organizations are not considered qualifying employers.
(d) "Eligible organization" has the meaning given in section 116L.17.
A grant to an eligible organization may not exceed $400,000.
The board shall require matching funds from qualifying employers in the form of funding, equipment, or faculty.
Eligible organizations shall use funds granted under this section for direct training services to provide a measurable increase in the job-related skills of participating incumbent workers. Eligible organizations may also provide basic assessment, counseling, and preemployment training services requested by the qualifying employer. No funds may be used for support services as described in section 116L.17, subdivision 4, clause (2).
The board and the commissioner of employment and economic development shall jointly develop performance outcome measures and standards for this program. The commissioner and board shall consult with eligible organizations in establishing standards. Measures at a minimum must include posttraining retention, promotion, and wage increase. The board and commissioner shall provide a report to the legislature by March 1 of each year on the previous fiscal year's program performance. Eligible organizations must provide performance data in a timely manner for the completion of this report.
116M.17 DUTIES.
The board shall investigate and evaluate methods to enhance urban development, particularly methods relating to economic diversification through minority business enterprises and job creation for minority and other persons in low-income areas. The enterprises shall include, but are not limited to, technologically innovative industries, value-added manufacturing, and information industries.
The department shall provide technical assistance and informational outreach about the program to lenders, nonprofit corporations, and low-income and minority communities throughout the state that support the development of business enterprises and entrepreneurs.
The board shall adopt an annual budget and work program and a biennial budget.
The department shall submit an annual report to the legislature of an accounting of loans made under section 116M.18, including information on loans made, the number of jobs created by the program, the impact on low-income areas, and recommendations concerning minority business development and jobs for persons in low-income areas.
116J.72 EXISTING LICENSES.
Nothing in sections 116J.69 to 116J.71 shall affect the validity of duration of an existing issued license.
116J.71 NEW LICENSES.
Any new business license authorized by the legislature or established by rule after June 2, 1981, shall conform to the policy in section 116J.69.
116J.70 DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of sections 116J.69 to 116J.71, the terms defined in this section have the meanings given them.
"Business license" or "license" means any permit, registration, certification, or other form of approval authorized by statute or rule to be issued by any agency or instrumentality of the state of Minnesota as a condition of doing business in Minnesota. The term also includes, when applicable, the substantive and procedural criteria governing the qualifications for, and issuance and maintenance of, a business license.
[Repealed, 2014 c 271 art 1 s 3]
116L.19 DEFINITIONS.
The definitions in this section apply to sections 116L.19 to 116L.976.
"Commissioner" means the commissioner of employment and economic development.
"Department" means the Department of Employment and Economic Development.
"Employment and training services" means programs, activities, and services related to job training, job placement, and job creation including job service programs, Workforce Investment Act programs, job search, counseling, case management, community work experience programs, displaced homemaker programs as federally defined including the Minnesota Family Resiliency Partnership established under section 116L.96, disadvantaged job training programs, grant diversion, youth employment programs, Conservation Corps, apprenticeship programs, community development corporations, workforce development services to employers, and opportunities industrialization centers.
"Income maintenance and support services" means programs through which the state or its subdivisions provide direct financial or in-kind support to unemployed or underemployed persons, including unemployment benefits, the Minnesota family investment program, general assistance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, energy assistance, disability determinations, and child care. Income maintenance and support services do not include medical assistance, aging services, social services, community social services, mental health services, or services for the emotionally disturbed, the developmentally disabled, or residents of nursing homes.
For purposes of employment and training services, "Indian tribe" means a tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community of Indians that is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians, and for which a reservation exists as is consistent with Public Law 100-485, as amended.
"Local service unit" means a county, counties operating under a joint powers agreement, one or more counties and one or more cities of the first class operating under a joint powers agreement, or a city of the first class.
"Public assistance" means the Minnesota family investment program and general assistance.
"Service provider" means a public, private, or nonprofit agency that is capable of providing or administrating one or more of the employment and training services or income maintenance and support services.
116L.191 WORKFORCE CENTER; CREDENTIAL ASSISTANCE.
(a) The commissioner shall provide at local workforce centers services that assist individuals in identifying and obtaining industry-recognized credentials for jobs, particularly jobs in high demand. The workforce centers must consult and cooperate with training institutions, particularly postsecondary institutions, to identify credential programs to individuals.
(b) Each workforce center shall provide information under section 116J.4011, paragraph (b), clause (3), linked as a shortcut from the desktop of each workforce center computer and available in hard copy. Prominent signs should be posted in workforce centers directing individuals to where they can find a list of top job vacancies and related credential information.
116J.74 DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of sections 116J.73 to 116J.86, the following terms have the meanings given them.
"Agency" has the meaning given it in section 14.02, subdivision 2.
"Applicant" means a person acting personally or authorized to act on behalf of any other person for the purpose of securing a license.
"Bureau" means the Bureau of Business Licenses.
"Commissioner" means the commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development.
"Director" means the director of the Bureau of Business Licenses.
"Business license" or "license" has the meaning given it in section 116J.70, subdivision 2.
[Repealed, 2014 c 271 art 2 s 9]
"Person" means any individual, proprietorship, partnership, association, cooperative, corporation, nonprofit organization, state or local government agency, and any other organization required to obtain one or more licenses.
116J.73 BUREAU OF BUSINESS LICENSES; DECLARATION OF PURPOSE.
It is the intent of the legislature that a program of business license assistance be established to provide a centralized state government office to which business license applicants may obtain comprehensive license information and assistance. The program of business assistance will be directed to commercial business undertakings, projects, and activities rather than to the issuance of licenses for individual privileges, including the occupational licenses for practicing a trade or profession, licenses for operating a motor vehicle, and amateur sporting licenses, including, but not limited to, hunting and fishing.
116L.20 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FUND.
(a) In addition to amounts due from an employer under the Minnesota unemployment insurance program, each employer, except an employer making reimbursements is liable for a special assessment levied at the rate of .10 percent per year on all taxable wages, as defined in section 268.035, subdivision 24, except that effective July 1, 2009, until June 30, 2011, the special assessment shall be levied at a rate of .12 percent per year on all taxable wages as defined in section 268.035, subdivision 24. The assessment shall become due and be paid by each employer on the same schedule and in the same manner as other amounts due from an employer under section 268.051, subdivision 1.
(b) The special assessment levied under this section shall be subject to the same requirements and collection procedures as any amounts due from an employer under the Minnesota unemployment insurance program.
(a) The money collected under this section shall be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the workforce development fund to provide for employment and training programs. The workforce development fund is created as a special account in the state treasury.
(b) All money in the fund not otherwise appropriated or transferred is appropriated to the Job Skills Partnership Board for the purposes of section 116L.17 and as provided for in paragraph (d). The board must act as the fiscal agent for the money and must disburse that money for the purposes of section 116L.17, not allowing the money to be used for any other obligation of the state. All money in the workforce development fund shall be deposited, administered, and disbursed in the same manner and under the same conditions and requirements as are provided by law for the other special accounts in the state treasury, except that all interest or net income resulting from the investment or deposit of money in the fund shall accrue to the fund for the purposes of the fund.
(c) Reimbursement for costs related to collection of the special assessment shall be in an amount negotiated between the commissioner and the United States Department of Labor.
(d) If the board determines that the conditions of section 116L.05, subdivision 5, have been met, the board may use funds for the purposes outlined in section 116L.04, or to provide incumbent worker training services under section 116L.18.
116L.35 INVENTORY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.
(a) By January 15, 2020, and by January 15 of each even-numbered year thereafter, the commissioner of employment and economic development must submit a report to the chairs of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over economic development that provides an inventory of all economic development programs, including any workforce development programs, either provided by or overseen by any agency of the state of Minnesota.
(b) Programs related to economic development that must be included in the report include those that:
(1) receive federal funds or state funds;
(2) provide assistance to either businesses or individuals; or
(3) support internships, apprenticeships, career and technical education, or any form of employment training.
(c) For each economic development program, the report must include, at a minimum, the following information:
(1) details of program costs;
(2) the number of staff, both within the department and any outside organization;
(3) the number of program participants;
(4) the demographic information including, but not limited to, race, age, gender, and income of program participants;
(5) a list of any and all subgrantees receiving funds from the program, as well as the amount of funding received;
(6) information about other sources of funding including other public or private funding or in-kind donations;
(7) evidence that:
(i) the organization administering a program;
(ii) a business receiving a loan for a new or expanded business from a program; or
(iii) a subgrantee of a program is in good standing with the Minnesota Secretary of State and the Minnesota Department of Revenue;
(8) a short description of what each program does; and
(9) to the extent practical, quantifiable measures of program success.
(d) In addition to the information required under paragraph (c), a program related to economic development under paragraph (b) that requests an increase in state funding over the previous biennium must provide the following:
(1) detailed information regarding the need for increased funds; and
(2) the planned uses of the increased funds.
116J.76 GENERAL FUNCTIONS; POWERS AND DUTIES.
The bureau, by and through the director or the director's duly authorized employees, shall have the following functions, powers, and duties:
(1) providing comprehensive information on licenses required for business undertakings, projects, and activities in the state and making the information available to applicants and other persons;
(2) providing interested persons with an opinion as to the number, kind, and source of required licenses and potential difficulties in obtaining the licenses, based on a review of a potential applicant's business concept at an early stage in its planning;
(3) developing with the assistance of other departments a master application procedure to expedite the identification and processing of these licenses;
(4) facilitating or recommending consolidation of hearings required pursuant to licensing applications when feasible and advantageous;
(5) encouraging and facilitating the participation of federal and local government agencies in licensing coordination;
(6) making recommendations for eliminating, consolidating, simplifying, expediting, or otherwise improving licensing procedures affecting business undertakings;
(7) serving as an advocate for small business license applicants with state, federal, and local agencies in the process of applying for licenses and complying with licensing standards and requirements; and
(8) adopting rules, procedures, instructions, and forms as are required to carry out the functions, powers, and duties imposed upon the bureau by sections 116J.73 to 116J.86.
116L.361 DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of sections 116L.361 to 116L.366, the following terms have the meanings given them.
[Repealed, 2014 c 271 art 2 s 9; 2014 c 286 art 5 s 5]
"Eligible organization" means a public agency or a nonprofit organization that can demonstrate an ability to implement a program for education and training services provided to targeted youth. Eligible organizations may include local jurisdictions, public school districts, private nonsectarian schools, postsecondary educational institutes, alternative schools, community groups, and labor organizations.
"Program" means the services and activities performed or contracted for by an eligible organization for which a grant has been received or for which a grant application has been submitted to the commissioner.
"Homeless individual" or "homeless person" means:
(1) an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and
(2) an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is:
(i) a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter or dwelling designed to provide temporary living accommodations;
(ii) an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or
(iii) a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for humans.
The term "homeless individual" does not include any individual imprisoned or otherwise detained under federal or state law.
"Targeted youth" means at-risk persons who are at least 16 years of age but not older than 24 years of age, are eligible for the high school graduation incentive program under section 124D.68, subdivision 2, or are economically disadvantaged as defined in United States Code, title 29, section 1503, and are part of one of the following groups:
(1) persons who are not attending any school and have not received a secondary school diploma or its equivalent; or
(2) persons currently enrolled in a traditional or alternative school setting or a commissioner of education-selected high school equivalency program and who, in the opinion of an official of the school, are in danger of dropping out of the school.
"Low income" means incomes that are at or less than 80 percent of the area median income, adjusted for family size, as estimated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
116J.77 ASSISTANCE OF OTHER AGENCIES.
To effect the purposes of sections 116J.73 to 116J.86, and when requested by the commissioner, an agency shall to the extent practicable provide assistance, services, facilities, and data as will enable the bureau to carry out its functions, powers, and duties.
116L.362 GRANTS.
(a) The commissioner shall make grants to eligible organizations for programs to provide education and training services to targeted youth. The purpose of these programs is to provide specialized training and work experience for targeted youth who have not been served effectively by the current educational system. The programs are to include a work experience component with work projects that result in the rehabilitation, improvement, or construction of (1) residential units for the homeless; (2) improvements to the energy efficiency and environmental health of residential units and other green jobs purposes; (3) facilities to support community garden projects; or (4) education, social service, or health facilities which are owned by a public agency or a private nonprofit organization.
(b) Eligible facilities must principally provide services to homeless or low income individuals and families, and include the following:
(1) Head Start or day care centers, including playhouses or similar incidental structures;
(2) homeless, battered women, or other shelters;
(3) transitional housing and tiny houses;
(4) youth or senior citizen centers;
(5) community health centers; and
(6) community garden facilities.
Two or more eligible organizations may jointly apply for a grant. The commissioner shall administer the grant program.
Interested eligible organizations must apply to the commissioner for the grants. The advisory committee must review the applications and provide to the commissioner a list of recommended eligible organizations that the advisory committee determines meet the requirements for receiving a grant. The total grant award for any program may not exceed $150,000 per year. In awarding grants, the advisory committee and the commissioner must give priority to:
(1) continuing and expanding effective programs by providing grant money to organizations that are operating or have operated a successful program that meets the program purposes under section 116L.364; and
(2) distributing programs throughout the state through start-up grants for programs in areas that are not served by an existing program.
To receive a grant under this section, the eligible organization must match the grant money with at least an equal amount of nonstate money. The commissioner must verify that the eligible organization has matched the grant money. Nothing in this subdivision shall prevent an eligible organization from applying for and receiving grants for more than one program. A grant received by an eligible organization from the federal Youthbuild Project under United States Code, title 42, section 5091, is nonstate money and may be used to meet the state match requirement. State grant money awarded under this section may be used by grantee organizations for match requirements of a federal Youthbuild Project.
116J.78 COMPREHENSIVE LICENSE INFORMATION.
Not later than 90 days from June 2, 1981, each agency issuing licenses for business undertakings, projects, and activities shall report to the bureau, in a form prescribed by the bureau, on each and every type of license administered or issued by the agency. Application forms, applicable agency rules, fee schedules, and the estimated time period necessary for license application consideration based on experience and statutory or regulatory requirements shall accompany each report. The reports shall be updated every two years.
Each agency issuing licenses for business undertakings, projects, and activities shall, subsequent to its report pursuant to subdivision 1, provide the bureau with a report of any new license or modification of any existing license, or licensing procedures, together with applicable forms, rules, and information required under subdivisions 1 and 2 regarding new or modified licenses.
The bureau shall prepare an information file on agency license requirements upon receipt of the agency reports and shall develop methods for its maintenance, revision, updating, and ready access.
The bureau shall provide comprehensive license information on the basis of information submitted in subdivisions 1 to 3. The bureau may prepare and distribute publications, guides, and other materials based upon the agency reports and the information file. These materials are designed to serve the convenience of license applicants and explain license requirements affecting business, including requirements having multiple license or multiple agency aspects.
116J.79 PREAPPLICATION CONFERENCES.
The bureau, at the request of any person, proceeding in accordance with this section, may conduct a preapplication conference, pending the formal submission of application forms, in which affected agencies shall participate to the extent practicable in order to clarify the nature and scope of their interest, to provide guidance regarding license application and review procedures, and to coordinate agency actions and data collection or submission regarding license application.
If, in the course of a preapplication conference, it becomes clear in the opinion of the director that a proposed business undertaking: (a) may require multiple licenses from the same or different state departments; (b) will take place in phases over an extended period of time; (c) will involve substantial expense for preparation of detailed plans, specifications and license applications; or (d) is of a new or unique nature, then each affected agency shall, at the request of the director to the extent practicable, provide the applicant with a written review and opinion as to all licenses which the agency would require for the proposed undertaking, the standards and conditions which would have to be met in order to obtain the licenses, timetables involved, and any properly related circumstances or findings.
Each agency participating in the review and opinion process shall render the written opinion within a period not exceeding 60 days from the date fixed by the director. This period may be extended by the director at the request of an interested agency for the further consideration of information provided in accordance with this section. The director shall advise the person having requested the review and opinion of the extension, the reasons for it, and the revised period fixed by the director for rendering the written opinion. The person shall be entitled to confer with the bureau and with any agency having been granted an extension of time to ascertain what further information, if any, is required to facilitate the rendering of the review and opinion.
A preapplication review and opinion shall not relieve the person from the responsibility of obtaining any required licenses and shall be contingent upon the submission of all detailed plans, specifications, and information required for license applications. An agency's written opinion as to required licenses shall remain in effect indefinitely for the proposed business undertaking, project, or activity as described in the applicant's submission. However, if new license requirements or related standards over which an agency has no control or discretion in establishing subsequently become effective, the new license requirements or standards shall not be considered to have been part of the preapplication review and opinion. The opinion of the agency may be modified or amended by the agency at any time and shall not prohibit the agency from requiring additional licenses as deemed necessary for the applicant.
The bureau shall promulgate rules for the procedures to be followed in the conduct of preapplication reviews and opinions.
116L.3625 ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.
The commissioner may use up to five percent of the biennial appropriation for Youthbuild from the general fund to pay costs incurred by the department in administering Youthbuild during the biennium.
116L.364 PROGRAM PURPOSE AND DESIGN.
The grants awarded under section 116L.362 are for a youth employment and training program directed at targeted youth who are likely to be at risk of not completing their high school education. Each program must include education, work experience, job skills, and leadership training and peer support components. Each participant must be offered counseling and other services to identify and overcome problems that might interfere with successfully completing the program.
A program must contain an education component that requires program participants to complete their secondary education in a traditional public or private secondary school, a suitable alternative school setting, or a commissioner of education-selected high school equivalency program. Program participants must be working toward the completion of their secondary education or literacy advancement.
A work experience component must be included in each program. The work experience component must provide vocational skills training in an industry where there is a viable expectation of job opportunities. A training subsidy, living allowance, or stipend, not to exceed an amount equal to 100 percent of the poverty line for a family of two as defined in the final rules and regulations of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, may be provided to program participants. The wage or stipend must be provided to participants who are recipients of public assistance in a manner or amount which will not reduce public assistance benefits. The work experience component must be designed so that work projects result in (1) the expansion or improvement of residential units for homeless persons and low income families; (2) improvements to the energy efficiency and environmental health of residential units; (3) facilities to support community garden projects; or (4) rehabilitation, improvement, or construction of eligible education, social service, or health facilities that principally serve homeless or low income individuals and families. Any work project must include direct supervision by individuals skilled in each specific vocation. Program participants may earn credits toward the completion of their secondary education from their participation in the work experience component.
A job readiness skills component must comprise at least 20 percent of each program. The component must provide program participants with job search skills, placement assistance, and other job readiness skills to ensure that participants will have an understanding of the building trades, unions, self-employment, and other employment opportunities and be able to compete in the employment market.
Each program must provide participants with meaningful opportunities to develop leadership skills such as decision making, problem solving, and negotiating. The program must encourage participants to develop strong peer group ties that support their mutual pursuit of skills and values.
116J.81 LICENSE COORDINATION AND ASSISTANCE TO APPLICANTS.
Any applicant for licenses required for a business undertaking, project, or activity may confer with the bureau to obtain assistance in the prompt and efficient processing and review of applications.
The bureau shall, so far as possible, render assistance; and the director may designate an officer or employee of the bureau to act as an expediter for the purpose of:
(1) facilitating contacts for the applicant with agencies responsible for processing and reviewing license applications;
(2) arranging conferences to clarify the interest and requirements of any agency with respect to license applications;
(3) considering with agencies the feasibility of consolidating hearings and data required of the applicant; and
(4) assisting the applicant in the resolution of outstanding issues identified by agencies, including delays experienced in license review.
116L.365 HOUSING FOR HOMELESS.
Any residential or transitional housing units that become available through a work project that is part of the program described in section 116L.364 must be allocated in the following order:
(1) homeless targeted youth who have participated in constructing, rehabilitating, or improving the unit;
(2) homeless families with at least one dependent;
(3) other homeless individuals;
(4) other low income families and individuals; and
(5) families or individuals that receive public assistance and that do not qualify in any other priority group.
The eligible organization receiving a grant under section 116L.362 shall acquire property or buildings for the construction or rehabilitation of residential units at the lowest possible cost. Possible sources of property and funding include the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, Farmers Home Administration, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, and the local housing authority.
The program must address how to manage these residential units, including the source of financing for the maintenance costs of the buildings. Any management plan must include the participation of the residents and local established neighborhood groups.
116J.82 CONSOLIDATED HEARINGS.
The bureau may request the Office of Administrative Hearings to consolidate hearings insofar as it is feasible and agreeable to all parties.
A consolidated hearing shall be conducted in a manner consistent with sections 14.001 to 14.69, and the applicable rules of the Office of Administrative Hearings.
The Office of Administrative Hearings, with the consent of the agencies having license jurisdiction, may provide for a prehearing conference to assist in the disposition of the type, time, place, and parties of the consolidated hearing, the simplification of the issues, the stipulations as to agreed facts and necessary documents, and other relevant matters.
116L.40 DEFINITIONS.
When used in sections 116L.40 to 116L.42, the following terms have the meanings given them unless the context requires otherwise.
"Agreement" means the agreement between an employer and the commissioner for a project.
"Automation technology" means a process or procedure performed with minimal human assistance. Automation or automatic control is the use of various control systems for operating equipment such as machinery, processes in factories, or other applications with minimal or reduced human intervention. Adoption, implementation, and utilization of any one of three types of automation in production are acceptable for consideration of this program, including fixed automation, programmable automation, and flexible automation.
"Commissioner" means the commissioner of employment and economic development.
"Disability" has the meaning given under United States Code, title 42, chapter 126.
"Employee" means the individual employed in a new or existing job.
"Employer" means the individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or association providing new jobs or investing in new automation technology and entering into an agreement.
"New job" means a job:
(1) that is provided by a new or expanding business at a location in Minnesota outside of the metropolitan area, as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2;
(2) that provides at least 32 hours of work per week for a minimum of nine months per year and is permanent with no planned termination date;
(3) that is certified by the commissioner as qualifying under the program before the first employee is hired to fill the job; and
(4) for which an employee hired was not (i) formerly employed by the employer in the state, or (ii) a replacement worker, including a worker newly hired as a result of a labor dispute.
"Program" means the project or projects established under sections 116L.40 to 116L.42.
"Program costs" means all necessary and incidental costs of providing program services. The term does not include the cost of purchasing equipment to be owned or used by the training or educational institution or service.
"Program services" means training and education specifically directed to new or existing jobs that are determined to be appropriate by the commissioner, including in-house training; services provided by institutions of higher education and federal, state, or local agencies; or private training or educational services. Administrative services and assessment and testing costs are included.
"Project" means a training arrangement that is the subject of an agreement entered into between the commissioner and an employer to provide program services.
116J.85 FEDERAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION.
Federal and local government license agencies shall be encouraged to participate in the business license information, coordination, and assistance services of the bureau and to make information available to applicants through the bureau with respect to any business undertaking, project, or activity which is referred to the bureau under the provisions of sections 116J.73 to 116J.86.
The bureau shall, so far as is practicable, advise applicants of federal and local agency license requirements and shall maintain an information file on licenses for which the state has delegated issuance authority to local government agencies.
The director shall consult with local government officials with respect to cooperation in coordinating state and local license application and review procedures and shall recommend to the governor and the legislature any actions which would facilitate this coordination.
116L.56 DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this section and section 116L.561, the terms defined in this section have the meanings given them.
"Eligible applicant" means an individual who is between the ages of 14 and 24 and economically disadvantaged.
An at-risk youth who is classified as a family of one is deemed economically disadvantaged. For purposes of eligibility determination the following individuals are considered at risk:
(1) a pregnant or parenting youth;
(2) a youth with limited English proficiency;
(3) a potential or actual school dropout;
(4) a youth in an offender or diversion program;
(5) a public assistance recipient or a recipient of group home services;
(6) a youth with disabilities including learning disabilities;
(7) a child of drug or alcohol abusers or a youth with substance use disorder;
(8) a homeless or runaway youth;
(9) a youth with basic skills deficiency;
(10) a youth with an educational attainment of one or more levels below grade level appropriate to age; or
(11) a foster child.
"Employer" means a private or public employer.
116J.86 COMPILATION AND MAINTENANCE OF STATISTICAL DATA.
The bureau shall obtain and keep on an annual basis appropriate statistical data regarding the number of licenses issued by agencies, the amount of time necessary for the licenses to be issued, the cost of obtaining the licenses, the types of projects for which specific licenses are issued, a geographic distribution of licenses issued, and other pertinent data which the director deems appropriate. The bureau shall analyze the data by type of license and by agency responsible and shall make its findings available to the public.
116J.84 SERVICES PROVIDED AT NO CHARGE.
Services rendered by the bureau shall be made available without charge. Nothing contained in this section shall relieve an applicant of any part of the fees or charges established for the review and approval of license applications or relieve an applicant of any of the apportioned costs of a consolidated hearing conducted under sections 116J.79 and 116J.80.
116J.83 LICENSE AUTHORITY RETAINED.
Each agency having jurisdiction to approve or deny a license shall have the continuing power vested in it to make such determinations. The provisions of sections 116J.73 to 116J.86 shall not lessen or reduce these powers and shall modify the procedures followed in carrying out these powers only to the extent provided in sections 116J.73 to 116J.86.
116L.42 JOBS TRAINING GRANTS.
Amounts paid by employers for program costs are repaid by a job training grant equal to the lesser of the following:
(1) the amount of program costs specified in the agreement for the project; or
(2) the amount of program costs paid by the employer for training employees under a project.
(a) By February 1, 2024, the commissioner shall report to the governor and the legislature on the program. The report must include at least:
(1) the amount of grants issued under the program;
(2) the number of individuals receiving training under the program, including the number of new hires who are individuals with disabilities;
(3) the number of new hires attributable to the program, including the number of new hires who are individuals with disabilities;
(4) an analysis of the effectiveness of the grant in encouraging employment or investments in automation technology; and
(5) any other information the commissioner determines appropriate.
(b) The report to the legislature must be distributed as provided in section 3.195.
116L.561 MINNESOTA YOUTH PROGRAM.
The Minnesota youth program is established to:
(1) improve the employability of eligible applicants through exposure to public or private sector work;
(2) enhance the basic educational skills of eligible applicants;
(3) encourage the completion of high school or equivalency;
(4) assist eligible applicants to enter employment, school-to-work transition programs, the military, or postsecondary education or training;
(5) enhance the citizenship skills of eligible applicants through community service and service-learning; and
(6) provide educational, career, and life skills counseling.
The rate of pay for Minnesota youth program positions with public, private nonprofit, and private for-profit employers is the minimum wage. Employers may use their own funds to increase the participants' hourly wage rates. Youths designated as supervisors may be paid at a higher level to be determined by the local contractor.
The commissioner may enter into arrangements with existing public and private nonprofit organizations and agencies with experience in administering youth employment programs for the purpose of providing employment opportunities for eligible applicants in furtherance of this section and section 116L.56. The Department of Employment and Economic Development shall retain ultimate responsibility for the administration of this employment program.
Preference shall be given to local contractors with experience in administering youth employment and training programs and those who have demonstrated efforts to coordinate state and federal youth programs locally.
Seventy percent of Minnesota youth program funds must be allocated based on the county's share of economically disadvantaged youth. The remaining 30 percent must be allocated based on the county's share of population ages 14 to 24.
Of the total allocation, up to 15 percent may be used for administrative purposes and the remainder may be used for a combination of training and participant support activities.
Each contractor shall report to the commissioner in a format to be determined by the commissioner.
Data collected on individuals under this subdivision are private data on individuals as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 12, except that summary data may be provided under section 13.05, subdivision 7.
Wages and subsidies under this section may be paid for part-time employment.
An employer may not lay off, terminate, or reduce the working hours of an employee for the purpose of hiring an individual with funds provided by this section. An employer may not hire an individual with funds available under this section if any other individual is laid off from the same or a substantially equivalent job.
116J.872 ECONOMIC RESPONSE TEAM.
(a) The department shall operate a fast-action economic response team to contact and work with businesses that are identified as being:
(1) at risk for relocating or expanding outside the state; or
(2) prospects for expansion or relocation within the state.
(b) The fast-action response team must contact identified businesses within 24 hours.
116L.60 PURPOSE.
It is the purpose of sections 116L.60 to 116L.64 to provide financial assistance for comprehensive job training and related services for economically disadvantaged, unemployed, and underemployed individuals through opportunities industrialization centers.
116L.562 YOUTH-AT-WORK GRANT PROGRAM.
The commissioner shall award grants to eligible organizations for the purpose of providing workforce development and training opportunities to economically disadvantaged or at-risk youth ages 14 to 24.
For purposes of this section:
(1) "eligible organization" or "eligible applicant" means a local government unit, nonprofit organization, community action agency, or a public school district;
(2) "at-risk youth" means youth classified as at-risk under section 116L.56, subdivision 2; and
(3) "economically disadvantaged" means youth who are economically disadvantaged as defined in the rules and regulations of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
(a) In awarding competitive grants, priority shall be given to programs that:
(1) provide students with information about education and training requirements for careers in high-growth, in-demand occupations;
(2) serve youth from communities of color who are underrepresented in the workforce; or
(3) serve youth with disabilities.
(b) Eligible organizations must have demonstrated effectiveness in administering youth workforce programs and must leverage nonstate or private sector funds.
(c) New eligible applicants must be youth-serving organizations with significant capacity and demonstrable youth development experience and outcomes to operate a youth workforce development project.
(d) If a program is not operated by a local unit of government or a workforce development board, the grant recipient must coordinate the program with the local workforce development board.
Each grant recipient shall report to the commissioner in a format to be determined by commissioner.
116L.61 DEFINITIONS.
When used in sections 116L.60 to 116L.64 the terms in this section have the meanings given them.
"Council" means the Minnesota State Council of the Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America.
"Economically disadvantaged" means an individual who meets the criteria for an economically disadvantaged person established by rule by the commissioner.
"Underemployed" means an individual:
(1) working part time but seeking full-time work; or
(2) working full time but receiving wages below the greater of:
(i) the poverty level determined in accordance with criteria established by the Department of Employment and Economic Development; or
(ii) 70 percent of the lower living standard income level as determined by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.
"Unemployed" means an individual who is without a job, and who wants and is available for work.
116L.62 DISTRIBUTION AND USE OF STATE MONEY.
The commissioner shall distribute the money appropriated for:
(a) comprehensive job training and related services or job opportunities programs for economically disadvantaged, unemployed, and underemployed individuals, including persons of limited English speaking ability, through opportunities industrialization centers; and
(b) the establishment and operation in Minnesota of these centers.
Comprehensive job training and related services include: recruitment, counseling, remediation, motivational prejob training, vocational training, job development, job placement, and other appropriate services enabling individuals to secure and retain employment at their maximum capacity.
116L.64 MONEY DISTRIBUTION.
The commissioner may make a distribution of money directly to a program, or make a distribution subject to conditions that ensure use consistent with the distribution and utilization of money under federal legislation regarding job training and related services.