1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; modifying the state council on 
  1.3             vocational technical education; appropriating money; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  1.5             136F.56, subdivisions 1, 2, 6, 7, and by adding a 
  1.6             subdivision. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  1.9   136F.56, subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [STATE AGENCY PURPOSE AND DUTIES.] The 
  1.11  state council on vocational technical education, formerly known 
  1.12  as the Minnesota state advisory council for vocational 
  1.13  education, is a state agency in the executive branch.  Its 
  1.14  purpose is to ~~implement section 112 of the Carl D. Perkins~~ 
  1.15  ~~Vocational Education Act of 1984, United States Code, title 20,~~ 
  1.16  ~~section 2322, and other purposes necessary to improve~~ serve as 
  1.17  an independent general advocate for quality vocational technical 
  1.18  education and workforce development provided through the use of 
  1.19  either state or federal funding.  Further, the council provides 
  1.20  relevant information to those state agencies providing 
  1.21  secondary, post-secondary, and adult vocational technical 
  1.22  education and workforce development services to the citizens of 
  1.23  Minnesota.  At least once each biennium, the council shall 
  1.24  report the results of its work to the governor, the legislature, 
  1.25  the state workforce development council, the board of trustees 
  1.26  of the Minnesota state colleges and universities, the state 
  2.1   board of education, and the general public.  The council shall 
  2.2   conduct evaluations, assessments, and analyses for the delivery 
  2.3   of vocational technical education and workforce development 
  2.4   systems as considered necessary by the council, and, to the 
  2.5   extent possible, in collaboration with agencies providing these 
  2.6   services.  The reports of the council shall include comments on, 
  2.7   advice to state agencies for workforce development, and 
  2.8   recommendations as may be necessary for the council to 
  2.9   successfully achieve its purpose.  The duties of the state 
  2.10  council shall include assisting the board of trustees of the 
  2.11  Minnesota state colleges and universities and the state 
  2.12  workforce development council in plans for federal block grant 
  2.13  programs.  In cooperation with the council, all agencies and 
  2.14  boards responsible for vocational technical education and 
  2.15  workforce development shall provide the council with reports 
  2.16  generated in the regular course of doing business and in 
  2.17  response to the council's need for information. 
  2.18     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  2.19  136F.56, subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.20     Subd. 2.  [MEMBERS; TERMS.] The governor shall appoint the 
  2.21  members of the council ~~according to United States Code, title~~ 
  2.22  ~~20, section 2322~~.  Except as otherwise provided ~~by that act~~, 
  2.23  members are governed by section 15.0575.  The council consists 
  2.24  of 16 members.  At least one member shall be appointed from each 
  2.25  of the following areas:  secondary vocational technical 
  2.26  education; post-secondary and adult vocational technical 
  2.27  education; workforce development and job training; human 
  2.28  services; the department of economic security; the state 
  2.29  legislature; educational guidance and counseling; and 
  2.30  individuals from the private sector representing large and small 
  2.31  businesses, labor and trade organizations, personnel agencies, 
  2.32  and agriculture. 
  2.33     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  2.34  136F.56, is amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.35     Subd. 2a.  [COUNCIL OPERATION.] The chair of the council 
  2.36  shall be selected from the private sector membership of the 
  3.1   council.  The council shall establish its rules of operation 
  3.2   which shall include provision for public input on the delivery 
  3.3   of vocational technical education services and workforce 
  3.4   development and the organization of council meetings. 
  3.5      Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  3.6   136F.56, subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
  3.7      Subd. 6.  [FISCAL AGENT.] In order to ensure its 
  3.8   operational independence and autonomy, the ~~board~~ council shall 
  3.9   ~~act as~~ select a fiscal agent ~~for the council and provide other~~ 
  3.10  from the available statewide workforce development agencies.  
  3.11  The selected fiscal agent shall provide the support services 
  3.12  necessary for disbursements, accounting, auditing, and reporting.
  3.13     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  3.14  136F.56, subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
  3.15     Subd. 7.  [STAFF.] The council may employ an executive 
  3.16  director and other staff needed to carry out its duties.  The 
  3.17  council shall have sole authority to determine its staff needs 
  3.18  and to select its staff.  The executive director shall serve in 
  3.19  the unclassified service and may be paid an allowance not to 
  3.20  exceed ~~$2,000~~ $2,500 annually for miscellaneous expenses in 
  3.21  connection with duties of the office. The council may contract 
  3.22  with professional, technical, and clerical consultants and 
  3.23  interns needed to carry out its functions. 
  3.24     Sec. 6.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.25     $280,000 is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal 
  3.26  year 1997 to the fiscal agent selected by the state council on 
  3.27  vocational technical education under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  3.28  136F.56, subdivision 7, for the operation of the state council 
  3.29  on vocational technical education.