Act Summary

Article 1: Appropriations

1         

Summary of Appropriations.

2         

Jobs and Economic Development. Defines fiscal years and biennium.

3         

Department of Employment and Economic Development Appropriations.

Provides funding for:

·         contaminated site cleanup;

·         the Rural Policy and Development Center;

·         Women Venture;

·         the Metropolitan Economic Development Association;

·         Minnesota Inventors Congress;

·         Bio Business Alliance of Minnesota;

·         establishment of an aircraft completion center;

·         ice storm damage in Lake County;

·         Office of Science and Technology;

·         fire relief in Green Isle;

·         the Northeast Higher Education District;

·         windmill blade manufacturing;

·         small business and entrepreneur development;

·         Minnesota Jobs Skills Partnership;

·         Vocational rehabilitation programs;

·         state services for the blind programs;

·         centers for independent living;

·         Twin Cities RISE!;

·         Northern Connections;

·         Advocating Change Together;

·         extended employment services for persons with severe disabilities;

·         employment support for persons with mental illness;

·         Rise, Inc.;

·         Lifetrack Resources;

·         Minnesota youth programs;

·         Opportunities Industrialization Center programs;

·         Minneapolis summer youth employment programs;

·         St. Paul summer youth employment;

·         Youthbuild;

·         Indigenous Earthkeepers;

·         interpreters for regional transition programs for deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind students;

·         Ramsey County Building Lives program;

·         MN WORKS!;

·         Minnesota Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs;

·         Southeast Asian Collaborative in Hennepin County;

·         continuation of a demonstration program for high risk adults;

·         Enterprise Minnesota, Inc.; and

·         Minnesota Diversified Industries.

4         

Public facilities authority.  Appropriates funds for small community wastewater treatment.

5         

Explore Minnesota Tourism.  Appropriates money for:

•  the Upper Minnesota Film Office;

•  private sector tourism development;

•  the film jobs production program;

•  marketing grants; and

•  the Minnesota Film and TV Board.

6         

Housing Finance Agency.  Appropriates funds for the following:

•  challenge program;

•  housing trust fund;

•  rental assistance for the mentally ill;

•  family homeless prevention;

•  home ownership assistance fund;

•  affordable rental investment fund;

•  housing rehabilitation;

•  homeownership education, counseling, and training;

•  capacity building grants;

•  transfer of disaster relief contingency funds; and

•  demonstration project for high-risk adults.

7         

Department of Labor and Industry.  Appropriates funds for the following items:

·         Vinland Center;

·         apprenticeship programs;

·         prevailing wage enforcement; and

·         independent contractor investigations.

8         

Bureau of Mediation Services.

9         

Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals.

10     

Minnesota Historical Society.  Appropriates funds for:

•  education and outreach;

•  preservation and access;

•  the Minnesota International Center;

•  the Minnesota Air National Guard Museum;

•  the Minnesota Military Museum; and

•  Farmamerica.

11     

Board of the Arts.

12     

Minnesota Humanities Center.

13     

Public broadcasting.  Appropriates funds for:

•  public radio digital conversion assistance;

•  public television equipment grants;

•  public television matching grants;

•  Twin Cities regional cable;

•  public radio equipment grants;

•  community service grants; and

•  public educational radio equipment grants.

14     

Board of Accountancy.

15     

Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience, and Interior Design.

16     

Board of Cosmetologist Examiners.

17     

Board of Barber Examiners.

18     

Combative Sports Commission.

19     

Transfers from the workforce development fund to the general fund.

20     

Legislative Coordinating Commission.

Article 2: Employment and Economic Development-Related Provisions

1         

Agreements.  Clarifies that the department may enter into agreements with regional entities to prepare plans to ensure coordination for workforce development functions.

2

Vehicles.  Updates the statute to correspond with a previous change that transferred investigative staff to the Department of Commerce.

3         

Identification and classification.  Updates statute to reflect DEED rather than the Department of Energy, Planning and Development.

4         

Powers.  Provides that all federal money received by the commissioner of employment and economic development is subject to the requirements of Minnesota Statutes, section 3.3005.

5         

Receipts.  Technical.  Rewrites language related to department receipts.

6         

Duties.  Recodifies the duties, authorizations and limitations statutorily placed upon the department into one section of chapter 116J.

7  - 11

Greater Minnesota Business Development Infrastructure Grant Program.   Allows counties to receive grants under the program.

12     

Bioscience Business Development Public Infrastructure Grant Program.  Gives the commissioner authority to waive requirements related to eligible projects under certain circumstances.

13     

Minnesota Green Enterprise Assistance.  Directs the commissioner to lead a multiagency project to further green enterprise and green economy projects.

14    - 15

Contamination Clean Up Grants.  Increases the maximum grant amount to $500,000 and requires at least 35 percent of the money to be used for sites outside the metropolitan area if there are sufficient grant applications.

16     

Minnesota Science and Technology Economic Development Project.  Directs the Commissioner of Employment and Economic Development to lead a public-private project to provide advice on state agency collaboration in the design, coordination, and administration of a strategic science and technology program for the state.  Provides that the program is designed to promote the welfare of the people of the state, maximize economic growth, and create and retain jobs in the state's industrial base through enhancement of specified science and technology related activities.

17     

Duties.  Eliminates an obsolete reference to Minnesota Project Outreach Corporation which was repealed last year.  This change occurs within the Bureau of Small Business section of law.

18    - 19

Minnesota Investment Fund.  Expands the authorized uses of the Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF) to include renewable energy investments including low interest loans for equipment manufacturing, workforce training grants, development of a renewable energy supply chains and external marketing.  These activities would not be subject to the 50 percent of project cost limitation.

20     

Program accountability requirements. 

     Subd. 1.  Accountability measurement.  Requires the commissioner of employment and economic development to develop by October 1, 2009, a uniform accountability report for employment programs funded by state or federal funds.  The commissioner must also develop a formula for measuring return on investment and comparisons between programs.  Requires the commissioner to report to the legislature by October 15, 2009.

     Subd. 2.  Report to the legislature.  Requires the commissioner to report to the legislature in even numbered years information on each program receiving state or federal funds.  The information to be reported would include: the target population, the region where the program operated, the amount of state or federal funds received, the number of jobs affected by the program and the net number of new jobs created, the average annual wage per job, how unemployment is affected, how MFIP utilization is affected, the return on investment, and administrative costs.

     Subd. 3.  Report to the commissioner.  Before receiving a grant from the department, a recipient must report to the commissioner on the items required in subdivision 2.  The commissioner must notify grant applicants and recipients about the data collection and reporting requirements and provide compliance assistance.

     Subd. 4.  Biennial budget.  Requires biennial budget submissions to include information collected and reported under the proposal.

21     

Technical.  Eliminates references to the start up terms of Jobs Skills Partnership Board members.

22     

Workforce development funds.  Clarifies that workforce development funds may be used for low income worker training programs.

23     

Special assessment.  Increases the workforce development fund special assessment to .l2 percent from July 1, 2009, until June 30, 2011, and reverts to .10 percent beginning July 1, 2011, and thereafter.

24    - 25

Youth employment.  Adds improvements to the energy efficiency and environmental health of residential units and facilities to support community garden projects as eligible projects for grants for targeted youth programs and specifies that work on these types of projects qualifies as work experience components.

26     

Technical.  Removes an obsolete date reference.

27     

Displaced homemaker program.  Updates the department to DEED rather than economic security.

28     

Qualified company.  Modifies the criteria for being a company qualified to receive assistance under the small business growth acceleration program by changing the number of employees needed from 100 or fewer to 250 or fewer.

29     

Fund awards.  Increases the maximum amount of funds that may go for a project from 50 percent of the total cost to 75 percent of the total cost.  Companies receiving assistance must provide a match as follows:

·         companies with fewer than 50 employees must contribute $1 dollar for every $3 of assistance;

·         companies with between 50 and 100 employees must provide a one to one match; and

·         companies with 101 to 250 employees must contribute $3 dollars for each $1 of assistance.

30     

Resources and referral.  Updates an obsolete reference to the Job Skills Partnership (now the Workforce Investment Act).

31     

Local education and employment transitions system.  Same update as previous section.

32     

Revenue.  Updates reference to Explore Minnesota Tourism (previously called the Office of Tourism).

33     

MINNCORR.  Updates references to DEED rather than economic security.

34     

Library.  Updates the name reference from the State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped to the Minnesota Braille and Talking Book Library

35     

Blind vendors.  Specifies that DEED is not liable under state workers compensation laws for any injury incurred by a blind vendor’s employee or agent; that the department is not liable for the acts or omissions of a blind vendor, or employee or agent of the vendor that result in the blind vendor’s liability to a third party; and that the department is not liable for negligence based on a relationship with a blind vendor.

36     

Vending machines.  Provides for the sharing of federal revenue with blind vendors.

37     

County and tribal service agreements.  Eliminates an obsolete reference.

38     

On the job training.  Updates an old reference to the Job Training Partnership Act to the Workforce Investment Act.

39     

Application.  Removes obsolete language related to budget plans and establishes a new requirement to provide audited financial statements.

40     

Evaluation of applications.  Same update as previous section.

41     

Economic development strategy working group.  Creates an 18 member, bipartisan working group to develop an economic development strategy for the state.  The working group is to consist of six members of the senate and three public members appointed by the senate and six members of the house and three public members appointed by the house of representatives.  The Legislative Coordinating Commission is directed to provide staff support to the working group.  The group must report to the legislature by February 15, 2010.

42     

Green enterprise assistance appropriation.  Transfers a special revenue fund appropriation made in 2008 for the Green Jobs Task Force to the commissioner to fund the green enterprise assistance program.

43     

Revisor instructions.

44     

Repealers.  Repeals individual sections recodified into a single section outlining the department’s duties.

Article 3: Unemployment Insurance Policy

1     - 2

Reimbursable account.  Eliminates a step used by nonprofit or government entities in the process of switching between paying unemployment insurance taxes or reimbursing the state for unemployment benefits paid.  The stricken requirement allowed reimbursable accounts to be terminated only if the employing entity paid taxes of at least 125 percent of the unemployment benefits used in computing the experience rating.

3      

Cancellations.  Allows the commissioner to cancel at any time, unemployment interest, penalties, or fees due if pursuing collection is not in the public interest.  This authority to cancel does not apply to unemployment taxes or reimbursements.

4      

Compromise.  Specifies that the requirement that a compromise amount exceeding $10,000 be authorized by a DEED attorney.

5      

Unemployment benefits paid from state funds.  Removes burden of proof language.

6      

Applications and benefit account.  Modifies the conditions under which an applicant can withdraw a benefit account to strike the requirement that an applicant has not served the waiting week.  The applicant, however, must not have received unemployment benefits.

7      

Payments that delay benefits.  Provides that early distributions from a 401k or similar plan for which federal penalties have been paid, do not delay the payment of unemployment benefits.

8      

Back pay.  Provides that back pay received within 24 months of when a benefit account was established are deducted from unemployment insurance benefits.

9      

Available for suitable employment.  Strikes reference to “labor market area” and “transportation throughout the labor market area” in defining available for suitable employment.

10  

Benefits paid during voluntary unemployment.  Authorizes the payment of unemployment insurance benefits for certain workers who elect voluntary layoff in order to avoid the layoff another employee.

11  

Quit.  Makes technical changes.

12  

Quit defined.  Clarifies the status of a person working for a temporary agency who accepts employment with a client of the staffing service.

13  

Appeals.  Requires online appeal filings if an agent files an appeal on behalf of an employee.

14  

Collection fees.  Provides that if the IRS assesses a fee to the state for offsetting a fraud assessment against federal tax refund, the fee charged may be added to the total amount due.

15  

Audits.  Authorizes a $100 fee against an employer failing to provide an applicant’s weekly earnings breakdown if requested to do so by the commissioner.

16     

Dislocated worker program.  Waives the “available for suitable work” requirement for individuals participating in an entrepreneurship program.

17     

Effective dates.

Article 4: Unemployment Insurance Technical Changes

1         

Standard of proof.  Specifies all facts under unemployment insurance law are determined by a preponderance of evidence; strikes definition and specifies that the law is remedial in nature and must be applied in favor of awarding benefits.

2         

Rounding.  Provides that all computations must be rounded down to the nearest dollar amount.

3         

Agricultural employment.  Technical change; changes “shall not be” to “is not.”

4         

Independent contractors.  Clarifies that the independent contractor qualifications in section 181.723 determines independent contractor status for building construction contractors.

5         

Determination.  Provides a definition.

6         

Filing.  Clarifies definitions.

7         

Preponderance of evidence.  Reestablishes definition.

8         

Elections for covered employment.  Clarifies that elections to have noncovered employment be considered covered employment apply to all employees in that class of employment.

9         

Determinations of coverage.  Technical.

10     

Timely filing of reports.  Technical.

11     

General rule.  Conforms to rounding convention.

12     

Charge back exception.  Removes small employers in tourism or recreation from the exemption for being assessed for benefits paid out.

13     

Payments.  Strikes rounding convention.

14     

Experience rating.  Technical; changes “experience rating” to “assigned tax rate.”

15     

Costs.  Technical.

16     

Interest.  Strikes rounding convention.

17     

Debt notice.  Technical.

18     

Requirements.  Technical.

19     

Applications and determinations.  Clarifying change.

20     

Account requirement.  Strikes rounding convention.

21     

Second benefit accounts.  Technical.

22     

Personal identification.  Statutory reference change.

23     

Eligibility.  Statutory reference change; adds requirement that applicant be actively seeking work except in circumstances when an applicant is on jury duty or in reemployment assistance training.

24     

Not eligible.  Strikes rounding convention.

25     

Workers’ compensation/disability offset.  Technical.

26     

Social Security benefits.  Clarifying language.

27     

Deductible earnings.  Strikes rounding convention.

28     

Continued requests.  Clarifying language.

29     

Ineligibility.  Prohibits the use in establishing a benefit account of wage credits earned during employment that resulted in a discharge due to aggravated misconduct.

30     

Application.  Technical.

31     

Notification.  Technical.

32     

Determination.  Strikes “without regard to any burden of proof” in relation to information provided by applicant or employer on issues of benefit ineligibility.

33     

Commissioner’s discretion.  Technical.

34     

Hearings.  Requires notice that the judge will decide based on a preponderance of evidence and explain what that means.  Also requires explanation of hearing process.

35     

Request for reconsideration.  Technical.

36     

Decisions.  Clarifying change.

37     

Oaths, subpoenas.  Requires unemployment insurance judge to give full consideration to a request for subpoenas and specifies that judge can’t unreasonably deny a request.  Requires reconsideration.

38     

Use of evidence.  Clarifies conditions under which recorded testimony and other evidence may be made available.

39    - 40

Maximums.  Technical; strikes reference to rounding.

41     

Weekly benefits.  Technical; strikes reference to rounding.

42     

Notification.  Technical; strikes reference to rounding.

43    - 44

Overpayments.  Technical.

45     

Administration.  Clarifying.

46     

Wrongful use.  Strikes reference to Wagner-Peyser Act.

47     

Contingent account.  Technical.

48     

Telephone system.  Technical.

49     

Unemployment law judges.  Provides for salary increases for unemployment law judges.

50     

Revisor instructions.

51     

Repealers. Repeals sections that have been recodified or rewritten in the bill. Section 268.085, subdivision 14 defines “able to work.” Section 268.086 relates to continued requests for benefits.

52     

Effective dates.

Article 5: Labor Standards and Wages; Licensing and Fees

1         

Contract awards.  Provides that an agency is not liable for prevailing wage violations if its contract language requires compliance with prevailing wage laws.

2         

Compliance orders.  Requires the commissioner to issue a compliance order for repeated prevailing wage violations.

3         

Prevailing wage records and penalties.  Requires an employer to furnish under oath a certified payroll report for each employee specifying the employee’s name, identifying number, job classification, hours worked each day, total hours, rate of pay, gross earnings, tax deductions, total deductions, net pay per week, dollars contributed per hour for benefits, and benefit administrator information.

4         

Posting of law, rules.  Clarifies statutory cross-references.

5         

Penalties.  Clarifies statutory cross-references.

6         

Prevailing wage rate.  Clarifies what is encompassed by “prevailing wage rate.”

7         

Employer.  Defines “employer.”

8         

Contract requirements.  Requires that prevailing wage proposals and contracts include applicable prevailing wage determinations and notifications to contractors and subcontractors of the applicability of the state prevailing wage laws.  Failure to include the required items shall make the contracting authority liable to the contractor or subcontractor for any increases in wages paid based on the prevailing wage due on the project.

9         

Required equipment and apparel.  Requires certain equipment and apparel purchased by public employers or required for purchase by employees to be made in the United States.

10     

Deposit of revenues.  Appropriates money deposited in the contaminated site cleanup and development account to the commissioner of DEED.

11     

Building permit fees.  Sets out fee schedule for building permits.

12     

Registration of unlicensed individuals.  Extends date for electrical experience credit to January 1, 2009.

13     

License, registration and renewal fees.  Strikes language related to a fee for a duplicate electrical license.

14 - 17

Plumbers.  Provides for two year plumbing licenses.

18 - 19

Water conditioning. Provides for two year licensing of water conditioning contractors and installers.

20 - 23

Residential contractors, remodelers, and roofers.  Provides for two year licensing and aligns continuing education and bond requirements with two year licensing requirements.

24     

Contractor Recovery Fund fees.  Aligns with two year licensing.

25     

Additional assessment.  Aligns with two year licensing.

26     

Passenger boats and masters licenses.  Provides for two year licensing.

27 - 30

Boiler and pressure vehicle licensing.  Provides for two year licensing.

31 - 33

Manufactured housing licensing.  Provides for two year licensing and sets specifies fee schedule.

34     

Repealer.  Repeals manufactured housing license fees set in rule.

Article 6: Miscellaneous

1         

State sport.  Designates ice hockey as the official state sport.

2  -4

Small business development loan.  Allows loans for working capital and intangible property.

5         

Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area Citizens Advisory Council.   Eliminates sunset.

6         

Forest Resources Research Advisory Committee.  Eliminates sunset.

7         

Expenditures.  Authorizes expenditures from the Petroleum Tank Fund for investigations of contamination and clean up as a result of contamination caused by tar and tar like substances-excluding bituminous and asphalt pavement.

8         

University Neighborhood Development.  Directs the Board of Regents, the City of Minneapolis and Duluth, and specified neighborhood and business associations to form an organization to foster an environment around the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and Duluth campuses that are conducive to the purposes of higher education and a vital community.

9-15,

21-22,

28-29

Board of Barber and Cosmetology Examiners.  Separates the current board into two separate boards and provides for transfer of staff, allocation of funds, enforcement and duties.

16     

Business signs.  Requires a road or transit authority, before entering into a contract for construction, reconstruction, or improvement of a street or highway, to identify businesses that will experience access, parking, or visibility impacts during construction. Requires a road or transit authority to consult with an affected business to plan signage to mitigate adverse impacts.

17     

Mitigation of transportation construction impacts on business.  Defines "project" for purposes this section. Requires a road or transit authority, before beginning construction, to identify businesses that are adjacent to the construction area or whose access to the business premises or parking will be impaired. Requires a road or transit authority to designate an individual to serve as a business liaison between the road authority and the affected businesses and to provide information as specified.

18     

Apprenticeship Board.  Eliminates sunset.

19     

Employee misclassification.  Sets up an advisory task force on employee misclassification.

20     

Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Council.  Eliminates sunset.

23     

Definitions.  Specifies that for the C-BED projects, the Office of Commissioner of Iron Range Resources is a political subdivision.

24 - 26

Iron Range Resources/advisory committees.  Eliminates sunset.

27     

St. Paul RiverCentre.  Allows for partial forgiveness of the St. Paul RiverCentre Area loan debt to the state.

30     

Repealer.  Repeals prohibition of payment to alternative practitioners from worker’s compensation funds.

Article 7: Iron Range Resources

1, 4, 5, 8 - 13, 17, 18, 21

Voting requirements.  Specifies projects and expenditures subject to Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board approval require approval by at least seven board members.

2  - 3

Early separation incentive.  Authorizes an early retirement incentive program for employees of the commissioner who have attained the age of at least 60 years or have credit for at least 30 years of allowable service.

6  - 7

Private entity participation.  Adds nonprofit limited liability companies to the list of entities that the commissioner may establish, participate in the management of, and dispose of assets and clarifies the areas of the city of Biwabik for purposes of the Giants Ridge Recreation Area.

14                 

Higher education committee.  Provides for member expense reimbursement rates.

15                 

Taconite area environmental protection fund.  Requires at least seven board members to approve projects and expenditures and provides for local public works project funding amounts.

16                 

Taconite economic development fund.  Requires project and expenditure approval by at least seven members of the board and requires that repayment of a loan must be deposited in the taconite environmental protection fund and allocated for public works projects to house legislative districts in the same proportion as the taxable tonnage produced in those districts.

19                 

Transfer of funds.  Requires loan repayment for the Mesabi Nugget project to be transferred to a special account in the taconite environmental protection fund to be used for public works projects.

20                 

Investment of fund.  Directs that for fiscal years 2010 and 2011, $1,000,000 of the net interest, dividends and other earnings of the Douglas J. Johnson Fund be transferred to a special account for loans or grants to small businesses.

22                 

Producer grants.  Requires at least seven members of the board to approve projects or expenditures and specifies that for distributions in 2009 only, a special account is created in the taconite environmental protection fund to receive 15.5 cents per ton that would otherwise be allocated under taconite property tax relief to be used for cooperative renewable energy projects.

Article 8: Housing Finance Agency

1

Payment to the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund.  Amends § 327C.03, by adding subd. 6.  Allows certain park owners to collect the $12 annual payment for participation in the relocation trust fund as a lump sum or along with month lot rent, a fee of no more than $1 per month to cover the cost of participating in the relocation trust fund.  Requires the $1 fee to be separately itemized and clearly labeled “Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund.”

2         

Payment to the Minnesota manufactured home relocation trust fund.  Amends § 327C.095, subd. 12.  Modifies the way in which payments are made to the manufactured home relocation trust fund.  Allows the court to award a prevailing party reasonable attorney fees, court costs, and disbursements.

3         

Report.  Requires administrative cost deductions from trust fund to be included in report.

4         

Rehabilitation loans.  Amends § 462A.05, subd. 14.  Specifies rehabilitation loans are for owner-occupied housing. 

5         

Rehabilitation loans; existing owner occupied residential housing.  Amends § 462A.05, subd. 14a.  Increases the maximum amount of rehabilitation loans from $20,000 to $27,000 per loan.

6         

City.  Amends § 469.201, subd. 2.  Modifies the definition of “city.”

7         

City matching money.  Amends § 469.201, subd. 4.  Modifies the definition of “city matching money.”

8         

Housing activities.  Amends § 469.201, subd. 6.  Modifies the definition of “housing activities.”

9         

Lost unit.  Amends § 469.201, subd. 7.  Modifies the definition of “lost unit.”

10     

Targeted community.  Amends § 469.201, subd. 10.  Changes the term “targeted neighborhood” to “targeted community.”

11     

Targeted community money.  Amends § 469.201, subd. 11.  Changes the term “targeted neighborhood money” to “targeted community money.”

12     

Targeted community revitalization and financing program.  Amends § 469.201, subd. 12.  Changes the term “targeted neighborhood revitalization and financing program” to “targeted community revitalization and financing program.”

13     

Designation of targeted communities.  Amends § 469.202.  Makes technical changes to conform to modified terms.  Modifies the eligibility requirements for targeted communities by requiring a community meet three of four listed criteria (rather than two of three) and adds to the list of eligibility criteria an area that is characterized as having a disproportionate number of vacant residential buildings and foreclosures.

14     

Requirements.  Amends § 469.203, subd. 1.  Makes technical changes to conform to modified terms. 

15     

Targeted community participation in preparing revitalization program.  Amends § 469.203, subd. 2.  Makes technical changes to conform to modified terms.  Removes requirements specific to Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth.

16     

City approval of program.  Amends § 469.203, subd. 4.  Modifies the requirements for city approval of a revitalization program.

17     

Payment of state money.  Amends § 469.204, subd. 1.  Makes a technical change to conform to modified terms.

18     

Revolving fund.  Amends § 469.204, by adding subd. 4.  Establishes a targeted community revitalization revolving fund.  Provides that the fund consists of appropriations to the commissioner for the targeted community revitalization program and all proceeds that result from housing activities related to the program.

19     

City powers; uses of targeted community money.  Amends § 469.205.  Makes technical changes to conform to modified terms.

20     

Annual report.  Amends § 469.207, subd. 2.  Makes a technical change to conform to modified terms.

21     

Postponement.  Amends § 580.07.

     Subd. 1.  Postponement by mortgagee.  Makes no change.  This existing provision allows the lender to postpone a foreclosure sale, which has always been allowed for any reason.

     Subd. 2.  Postponement by mortgagor or owner.  Permits the borrower to postpone a foreclosure sale if the property is classified as homestead and has one to four dwelling units.  Permits postponement of the sale to a date that is five months after the originally scheduled date of the sale.  Reduces the post-sale redemption period from six months to five weeks, to keep the total time involved roughly the same.  Describes in detail the procedure for postponing the sale, including how this postponement is dealt with for purposes of avoiding future real estate title problems.

     Subd. 3.  Affidavit form.  Provides a form for the affidavit required in subdivision 2 as part of the process of getting the sale postponed.  The affidavit recites that the borrower meets the requirements provided in this section for getting the sale postponed.  An affidavit is a written statement signed under oath.

Effective date:  Makes the bill effective one month after final enactment and apply to foreclosure sales scheduled to take place on or after that date.

22     

Construction mitigation pilot program.  Establishes a pilot grant program.

23     

Repealer.  Repeals Minnesota Statutes, § 469.203, subd. 3 (targeted neighborhood revitalization and financing provision related to Minneapolis); § 469.204, subd. 2 (allocation of revitalization funds to cities of the first class); and § 469.204, subd. 3 (city matching money requirements for the revitalization program).

Article 9: Minnesota Heritage

1 - 3

Public television grants.  Provides that the commissioner of administration shall distribute block grants to public television stations annually instead of twice annually.  Provides that grant funds not spent by a station in the first year of a biennium do not cancel and may be carried over into the second year of the biennium.

Under current law, grants for operations costs are limited to the amount of Minnesota-based contributions received by a station in the prior fiscal year.  Also under current law, in calculating the amount of contributions received by a station, that portion of a foundation or corporate donation in excess of $500 is excluded.  Provides that the exclusion applies to that portion of the foundation or corporate donation in excess of $2,500, instead of $500. 

Provides for stations receiving grants to report to the commissioner annually by August 1, instead of July 1, along with a new grant request submission, on the purposes for which the grant money was spent.  This section strikes the requirement that the report by certified by an independent auditor or certified public accountant.  A later section of this bill provides a new additional reporting requirement.

4

Public radio grants.  Requires public radio stations seeking grants to submit applications according to state grant policies by August 1 each year, along with a new grant request submission.

5         

Public radio block grants.  Provides that grants funds distributed to public radio stations that are not spent during the first year of a biennium carry over into the second year. 

6         

Public radio stations; audit.  Strikes a requirement that the annual audit required of a public radio station include a review of station promotion, operation, and management and an analysis of the station’s used of state grant money. 

7         

Repayment of funds.  Current law requires state funds to be repaid to the state if assets purchased with the state funds are sold.  This section limits that provision to sale within five years.  Strikes a requirement for a biennial report on location and usage of assets purchased with state funds.

8         

Colocation report.  Requires the Management Analysis Division to study and report to the legislature on possible collocation of the offices of the Council on Black Minnesotans, the Council on Affairs of Chicano/Latino People, the Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans, and the metropolitan area office of the Indian Affairs Council.

9         

Revisor’s instruction.  Instructs the Revisor to change the term “commission” to “center” in Minnesota Statutes, when referring to the Minnesota Humanities Center.

10     

Repealer.  Repeals section 129D.13, subdivision 4 (Arts Board authority to develop and fund program categories).