Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to support workforce development by facilitating job skills training for individuals recently released from incarceration. The initiative is intended to aid their reintegration into society and enhance their employment prospects.

Main Provisions

• Funding Allocation: The bill appropriates $850,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 from the workforce development fund. These funds are allocated to the commissioner of employment and economic development specifically for a grant to Better Futures Minnesota.
• Target Recipients: The job skills training funding targets individuals who have been released from incarceration after serving sentences for felony-level offenses. This program is available to those released within the last 12 months.
• Reporting Requirements: Better Futures Minnesota is required to submit an annual report to the commissioner. This report must detail the expenditure of the funds and the outcomes of the training program, including statistics on participant numbers, homelessness, employment, recidivism rates, child support compliance, and specifics of the job skills training provided.

Significant Changes

The bill introduces targeted financial support and structured reporting for job skills training programs aimed at recently released inmates, a demographic facing significant barriers to employment.

Relevant Terms

• Workforce development
• Job skills training
• Incarceration
• Felony-level offense
• Recidivism
• Better Futures Minnesota
• Employment and economic development