1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; directing the commissioner to 
  1.3             consult with commission members before selecting a 
  1.4             commission director; removing the repeal of the youth 
  1.5             works program; appropriating money; amending Minnesota 
  1.6             Statutes 1996, section 121.703, subdivision 3; 
  1.7             repealing Laws 1993, chapter 146, article 5, section 
  1.8             20. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 121.703, 
  1.11  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subd. 3.  [DUTIES.] (a) The commission shall: 
  1.13     (1) develop, with the assistance of the governor, the 
  1.14  commissioner of children, families, and learning, and affected 
  1.15  state agencies, a comprehensive state plan to provide services 
  1.16  under sections 121.701 to 121.710 and federal law; 
  1.17     (2) actively pursue public and private funding sources for 
  1.18  services, including funding available under federal law; 
  1.19     (3) coordinate volunteer service-learning programs within 
  1.20  the state; 
  1.21     (4) develop, in cooperation with the workforce development 
  1.22  council and the commissioner of children, families, and 
  1.23  learning, volunteer service-learning programs, including 
  1.24  curriculum, materials, and methods of instruction; 
  1.25     (5) work collaboratively with the workforce development 
  1.26  council, the commissioner of children, families, and learning, 
  1.27  schools, public and private agencies, for-profit and nonprofit 
  2.1   employers, and labor unions to identify mentoring and 
  2.2   service-learning opportunities, solicit and recruit participants 
  2.3   for these programs, and disseminate information on the programs; 
  2.4      (6) administer the youth works grant program under sections 
  2.5   121.704 to 121.709, with assistance from the commissioner of 
  2.6   children, families, and learning and the executive director of 
  2.7   the higher education services office, including soliciting and 
  2.8   approving grant applications from eligible organizations, and 
  2.9   administering individual postservice benefits; 
  2.10     (7) establish an evaluation plan for programs developed and 
  2.11  services provided under sections 121.701 to 121.710; 
  2.12     (8) report to the governor, commissioner of children, 
  2.13  families, and learning, and legislature; 
  2.14     (9) provide oversight and support for school, campus, and 
  2.15  community-based service programs; and 
  2.16     (10) administer the federal AmeriCorps program. 
  2.17     (b) Nothing in sections 121.701 to 121.710 precludes an 
  2.18  organization from independently seeking public or private 
  2.19  funding to accomplish purposes similar to those described in 
  2.20  paragraph (a). 
  2.21     (c) The commissioner of children, families, and learning 
  2.22  shall consult with commission members before the commissioner 
  2.23  selects the executive director for the commission. 
  2.24     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION; YOUTH WORKS PROGRAM.] 
  2.25     $1,900,000 in fiscal year 1998 and $1,900,000 in fiscal 
  2.26  year 1999 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.27  commissioner of children, families, and learning for the purpose 
  2.28  of Minnesota Statutes, section 121.707.  The commissioner may 
  2.29  allocate up to five percent of the appropriation in each fiscal 
  2.30  year for the cost of administering the program. 
  2.31     Sec. 3.  [REPEALER.] 
  2.32     Laws 1993, chapter 146, article 5, section 20, is repealed.