1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; encumbering money for 
  1.3             postservice benefits for participants in youth 
  1.4             community service; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, 
  1.5             section 121.707, subdivision 3. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 121.707, 
  1.8   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 3.  [POSTSERVICE BENEFIT.] (a) Each participant shall 
  1.10  receive a nontransferable postservice benefit upon successfully 
  1.11  completing the program.  The benefit must be not less than 
  1.12  $4,725 per year of full-time service or prorated for part-time 
  1.13  service or for partial service of at least 900 hours. 
  1.14     (b) Nothing in this subdivision prevents a grantee 
  1.15  organization from using funds from nonfederal or nonstate 
  1.16  sources to increase the value of postservice benefits above the 
  1.17  value described in paragraph (a). 
  1.18     (c) The higher education coordinating board shall establish 
  1.19  an account for depositing funds for postservice 
  1.20  benefits.  $4,725 shall be encumbered each time a participant 
  1.21  enrolls in the program.  When the participant completes the 
  1.22  program, the postservice benefits earned are transferred into 
  1.23  the postservice account.  Participants are eligible to draw 
  1.24  money from this account for seven years after they become 
  1.25  eligible for the benefits.  If a participant does not use a 
  2.1   postservice benefit according to subdivision 4 within seven 
  2.2   years after completing the program, the amount of the 
  2.3   postservice benefit shall be used to provide a postservice 
  2.4   benefit to another eligible participant. 
  2.5      (d) The state shall provide an additional postservice 
  2.6   benefit to any participant who successfully completes the 
  2.7   program.  The benefit must be a credit of five points to be 
  2.8   added to the competitive open rating of a participant who 
  2.9   obtains a passing grade on a civil service examination under 
  2.10  chapter 43A.  The benefit is available for five years after 
  2.11  completing the community service.