HF2114

Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to establish a grant program to promote the training and job placement of realtime stenographic writers, such as court reporters and closed captioners, to address a shortage in these professionals.

Main Provisions

• Grant Program Establishment: The Minnesota Office of Higher Education is tasked with creating a grant program that will fund eligible educational institutions to train and assist realtime stenographic writers.
• Grant Distribution: Two grants, each amounting to $300,000, will be awarded each year starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. One grant is intended for a recipient within the seven-county metropolitan area, and the other for a recipient outside this area.
• Eligibility and Prioritization: Priority in grant awarding will be given to institutions that can significantly enhance their training capacity, demonstrate effective partnerships with educational entities, businesses, and community organizations, or propose innovative training and job placement approaches for stenographic writers.

Significant Changes

• Scholarships and Grants: Institutions may use grant funds to provide individual grants or scholarships to students. Scholarship recipients must agree to work as realtime stenographic writers for a certain period. There are also provisions for potential repayment waivers if recipients cannot find suitable employment due to economic conditions.

• Reporting Requirements: Institutions receiving grants must submit annual reports detailing the effectiveness of the funded activities in increasing the number of trained and employed stenographic writers. The Commissioner of the Office of Higher Education must then report to the relevant legislative committees, offering insights and recommendations.

Relevant Terms

• Realtime stenographic writer
• Court reporters
• Closed captioners
• Office of Higher Education
• Scholarships
• Seven-county metropolitan area
• Job placement assistance
• Economic conditions waiver