Bill Text: MN HF77 | 2011-2012 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Healthy community promotion and circle of support development initiative grant program funding provided, and money appropriated.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-01-31 - Author added Murdock [HF77 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2011-HF77-Introduced.html
1.2relating to human services; establishing grant programs to promote healthy
1.3communities and the development of circles of support initiatives; appropriating
1.4money.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. PURPOSE.
1.7The Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force, developed out of recommendations from
1.8the Legislative Commission to End Poverty, was created to identify specific policies,
1.9strategies, and actions to:
1.10(1) increase opportunities for poor and near-poor families and individuals to acquire
1.11assets and create and build wealth;
1.12(2) expand the utilization of individual development account programs;
1.13(3) reduce or eliminate predatory financial practices in Minnesota;
1.14(4) provide financial literacy information to low-income families and individuals at
1.15the time the recipient has the ability, opportunity, and motivation to receive, understand,
1.16and act on the information provided; and
1.17(5) identify incentives and mechanisms to increase community engagement in
1.18combating poverty and helping poor and near-poor families and individuals to acquire
1.19assets and create and build wealth.
1.20The grant programs created in sections 2 and 3 are strategies to promote community
1.21engagement in combating poverty.
1.22 Sec. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE HEALTHY COMMUNITY
1.23INITIATIVES.
2.1 (a) The commissioner of human services must contract with the Search Institute to
2.2help local communities develop, expand, and maintain the tools, training, and resources
2.3needed to foster positive community development and effectively engage people in their
2.4community. The Search Institute must: (1) provide training in community mobilization,
2.5youth development, and assets getting to outcomes; (2) provide ongoing technical
2.6assistance to communities receiving grants under this section; (3) use best practices to
2.7promote community development; (4) share best program practices with other interested
2.8communities; (5) create electronic and other opportunities for communities to share
2.9experiences in and resources for promoting healthy community development; and (6)
2.10provide an annual report of the strong communities project.
2.11 (b) Specifically, the Search Institute must use a competitive grant process to select
2.12ten interested communities throughout Minnesota to undertake strong community
2.13mobilization initiatives to support communities wishing to catalyze multiple sectors to
2.14create or strengthen a community collaboration to address issues of poverty in their
2.15communities. The Search Institute must provide the selected communities with the tools,
2.16training, and resources they need for successfully implementing initiatives focused on
2.17strengthening the community. The Search Institute also must use a competitive grant
2.18process to provide eight strong community innovation grants to encourage current
2.19community initiatives to bring new innovation approaches to their work to reduce poverty.
2.20Finally, the Search Institute must work to strengthen networking and information sharing
2.21activities among all healthy community initiatives throughout Minnesota, including
2.22sharing best program practices and providing personal and electronic opportunities for
2.23peer learning and ongoing program support.
2.24(c) In order to receive a grant under paragraph (b), a community must show
2.25involvement of at least three sectors of their community and the active leadership of both
2.26youth and adults. Sectors may include, but are not limited to, local government, schools,
2.27community action agencies, faith communities, businesses, higher education institutions,
2.28and the medical community. In addition, communities must agree to: (1) attend training
2.29on community mobilization processes and strength-based approaches; (2) apply the assets
2.30getting to outcomes process in their initiative; (3) meet at least two times during the
2.31grant period to share successes and challenges with other grantees; (4) participate on an
2.32electronic listserv to share information throughout the period on their work; and (5) all
2.33communication requirements and reporting processes.
2.34 (d) The commissioner of human services must evaluate the effectiveness of this
2.35program and must recommend to the committees of the legislature with jurisdiction over
2.36health and human services reform and finance by February 15, 2013, whether or not
3.1to make the program available statewide. The Search Institute annually must report to
3.2the commissioner of human services on the services it provided and the grant money
3.3it expended under this section.
3.4EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
3.5 Sec. 3. CIRCLES OF SUPPORT GRANTS.
3.6The commissioner of human services must provide grants to community action
3.7agencies to help local communities develop, expand, and maintain the tools, training, and
3.8resources needed to foster social assets to assist people out of poverty through circles of
3.9support. The circles of support model must provide a framework for a community to build
3.10relationships across class and race lines so that people can work together to advocate for
3.11change in their communities and move individuals toward self-sufficiency.
3.12Specifically, circles of support initiatives must focus on increasing social capital,
3.13income, educational attainment, and individual accountability, while reducing debt,
3.14service dependency, and addressing systemic disparities that hold poverty in place. The
3.15effort must support the development of local guiding coalitions as the link between the
3.16community and circles of support for resource development and funding leverage.
3.17EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2011.
3.18 Sec. 4. APPROPRIATIONS.
3.19 (a) $....... in fiscal year 2012 and $....... in fiscal year 2013 are appropriated from
3.20the general fund to the commissioner of human services for contracting with the Search
3.21Institute to promote healthy community initiatives under section 2, paragraph (b). The
3.22commissioner may expend up to five percent of the appropriation to provide for the
3.23program evaluation under section 2, paragraph (d).
3.24(b) $....... in fiscal year 2012 and $....... in fiscal year 2013 are appropriated from the
3.25general fund to the commissioner of human services for the purpose of providing grants to
3.26community action agencies for circles of support initiatives under section 3.
3.27EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2011.
3.28 Sec. 5. NORTHERN CONNECTIONS.
3.29$....... is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal year 2011 and fiscal year 2012
3.30to the commissioner of employment and economic development for a grant to Northern
3.31Connections in Perham for a workforce program that provides one-stop supportive
3.32services to individuals as they transition into the workforce.
4.1 Sec. 6. WORKFORCE TRANSITION SERVICES.
4.2$....... is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal year 2011 and fiscal year 2012
4.3to the commissioner of employment and economic development for grants to counties that
4.4have a written collaboration agreement to establish and operate programs that provide
4.5one-stop supportive services to individuals as they transition into the workforce. The
4.6commissioner must award grants on a competitive basis in accordance with criteria to be
4.7developed by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioner of human services.
1.3communities and the development of circles of support initiatives; appropriating
1.4money.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. PURPOSE.
1.7The Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force, developed out of recommendations from
1.8the Legislative Commission to End Poverty, was created to identify specific policies,
1.9strategies, and actions to:
1.10(1) increase opportunities for poor and near-poor families and individuals to acquire
1.11assets and create and build wealth;
1.12(2) expand the utilization of individual development account programs;
1.13(3) reduce or eliminate predatory financial practices in Minnesota;
1.14(4) provide financial literacy information to low-income families and individuals at
1.15the time the recipient has the ability, opportunity, and motivation to receive, understand,
1.16and act on the information provided; and
1.17(5) identify incentives and mechanisms to increase community engagement in
1.18combating poverty and helping poor and near-poor families and individuals to acquire
1.19assets and create and build wealth.
1.20The grant programs created in sections 2 and 3 are strategies to promote community
1.21engagement in combating poverty.
1.22 Sec. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE HEALTHY COMMUNITY
1.23INITIATIVES.
2.1 (a) The commissioner of human services must contract with the Search Institute to
2.2help local communities develop, expand, and maintain the tools, training, and resources
2.3needed to foster positive community development and effectively engage people in their
2.4community. The Search Institute must: (1) provide training in community mobilization,
2.5youth development, and assets getting to outcomes; (2) provide ongoing technical
2.6assistance to communities receiving grants under this section; (3) use best practices to
2.7promote community development; (4) share best program practices with other interested
2.8communities; (5) create electronic and other opportunities for communities to share
2.9experiences in and resources for promoting healthy community development; and (6)
2.10provide an annual report of the strong communities project.
2.11 (b) Specifically, the Search Institute must use a competitive grant process to select
2.12ten interested communities throughout Minnesota to undertake strong community
2.13mobilization initiatives to support communities wishing to catalyze multiple sectors to
2.14create or strengthen a community collaboration to address issues of poverty in their
2.15communities. The Search Institute must provide the selected communities with the tools,
2.16training, and resources they need for successfully implementing initiatives focused on
2.17strengthening the community. The Search Institute also must use a competitive grant
2.18process to provide eight strong community innovation grants to encourage current
2.19community initiatives to bring new innovation approaches to their work to reduce poverty.
2.20Finally, the Search Institute must work to strengthen networking and information sharing
2.21activities among all healthy community initiatives throughout Minnesota, including
2.22sharing best program practices and providing personal and electronic opportunities for
2.23peer learning and ongoing program support.
2.24(c) In order to receive a grant under paragraph (b), a community must show
2.25involvement of at least three sectors of their community and the active leadership of both
2.26youth and adults. Sectors may include, but are not limited to, local government, schools,
2.27community action agencies, faith communities, businesses, higher education institutions,
2.28and the medical community. In addition, communities must agree to: (1) attend training
2.29on community mobilization processes and strength-based approaches; (2) apply the assets
2.30getting to outcomes process in their initiative; (3) meet at least two times during the
2.31grant period to share successes and challenges with other grantees; (4) participate on an
2.32electronic listserv to share information throughout the period on their work; and (5) all
2.33communication requirements and reporting processes.
2.34 (d) The commissioner of human services must evaluate the effectiveness of this
2.35program and must recommend to the committees of the legislature with jurisdiction over
2.36health and human services reform and finance by February 15, 2013, whether or not
3.1to make the program available statewide. The Search Institute annually must report to
3.2the commissioner of human services on the services it provided and the grant money
3.3it expended under this section.
3.4EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
3.5 Sec. 3. CIRCLES OF SUPPORT GRANTS.
3.6The commissioner of human services must provide grants to community action
3.7agencies to help local communities develop, expand, and maintain the tools, training, and
3.8resources needed to foster social assets to assist people out of poverty through circles of
3.9support. The circles of support model must provide a framework for a community to build
3.10relationships across class and race lines so that people can work together to advocate for
3.11change in their communities and move individuals toward self-sufficiency.
3.12Specifically, circles of support initiatives must focus on increasing social capital,
3.13income, educational attainment, and individual accountability, while reducing debt,
3.14service dependency, and addressing systemic disparities that hold poverty in place. The
3.15effort must support the development of local guiding coalitions as the link between the
3.16community and circles of support for resource development and funding leverage.
3.17EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2011.
3.18 Sec. 4. APPROPRIATIONS.
3.19 (a) $....... in fiscal year 2012 and $....... in fiscal year 2013 are appropriated from
3.20the general fund to the commissioner of human services for contracting with the Search
3.21Institute to promote healthy community initiatives under section 2, paragraph (b). The
3.22commissioner may expend up to five percent of the appropriation to provide for the
3.23program evaluation under section 2, paragraph (d).
3.24(b) $....... in fiscal year 2012 and $....... in fiscal year 2013 are appropriated from the
3.25general fund to the commissioner of human services for the purpose of providing grants to
3.26community action agencies for circles of support initiatives under section 3.
3.27EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2011.
3.28 Sec. 5. NORTHERN CONNECTIONS.
3.29$....... is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal year 2011 and fiscal year 2012
3.30to the commissioner of employment and economic development for a grant to Northern
3.31Connections in Perham for a workforce program that provides one-stop supportive
3.32services to individuals as they transition into the workforce.
4.1 Sec. 6. WORKFORCE TRANSITION SERVICES.
4.2$....... is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal year 2011 and fiscal year 2012
4.3to the commissioner of employment and economic development for grants to counties that
4.4have a written collaboration agreement to establish and operate programs that provide
4.5one-stop supportive services to individuals as they transition into the workforce. The
4.6commissioner must award grants on a competitive basis in accordance with criteria to be
4.7developed by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioner of human services.
