| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to immigration; eliminating the Office of New Americans; repealing |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 116J.4231. |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5 Section 1. REPEALER. |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 116J.4231, is repealed. |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective June 30, 2025. |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 9 | 9 | | REVISOR SS/NS 25-0431702/25/25 |
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| 10 | 10 | | State of Minnesota |
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| 11 | 11 | | This Document can be made available |
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| 12 | 12 | | in alternative formats upon request |
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| 13 | 13 | | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 14 | 14 | | H. F. No. 2058 |
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| 15 | 15 | | NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 16 | 16 | | Authored by Schultz, Engen and Gordon03/10/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy 116J.4231 OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS. |
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| 18 | 18 | | Subdivision 1.Office established; purpose.(a) The Office of New Americans is established |
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| 19 | 19 | | within the Department of Employment and Economic Development. The governor must appoint |
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| 20 | 20 | | an assistant commissioner who serves in the unclassified service. The assistant commissioner must |
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| 21 | 21 | | hire a program manager, an office assistant, and any staff necessary to carry out the office's duties |
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| 22 | 22 | | under subdivision 2. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) The purpose of the office is to foster immigrant and refugee inclusion through an intentional |
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| 24 | 24 | | process to improve economic mobility, enhance civic participation, and improve receiving |
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| 25 | 25 | | communities' openness to immigrants and refugees by incorporating the needs and aspirations of |
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| 26 | 26 | | immigrants and refugees, their families, and their communities for the benefit of all by fulfilling |
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| 27 | 27 | | the duties outlined in subdivision 2. |
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| 28 | 28 | | Subd. 2.Duties.The Office of New Americans has the following duties: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) create and implement a statewide strategy and programming to foster and promote immigrant |
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| 30 | 30 | | and refugee inclusion in Minnesota so as to improve economic mobility, enhance civic participation, |
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| 31 | 31 | | and improve receiving communities' openness to immigrants and refugees; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) address the state's workforce needs by connecting employers and job seekers within the |
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| 33 | 33 | | immigrant and refugee community; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) identify and support implementation of programs and strategies to reduce employment |
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| 35 | 35 | | barriers for immigrants and refugees, including the creation of alternative employment pathways; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (4) support programs and activities designed to ensure equitable access to the workforce for |
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| 37 | 37 | | immigrants and refugees, including those who are disabled; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (5) support equitable opportunities for immigrants and refugees to access state government |
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| 39 | 39 | | services and grants, including collaborating with Minnesota's ethnic councils as created by section |
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| 40 | 40 | | 15.0145; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (6) work with state agencies, Minnesota's ethnic councils, and community and foundation |
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| 42 | 42 | | partners to undertake studies and research and analyze economic and demographic trends to better |
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| 43 | 43 | | understand and serve the state's immigrant and refugee communities; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (7) coordinate and establish best practices for language access initiatives to all state agencies |
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| 45 | 45 | | after soliciting input from Minnesota's ethnic councils; |
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| 46 | 46 | | (8) convene stakeholders to further the objectives identified in subdivision 1; |
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| 47 | 47 | | (9) make policy recommendations to the governor on issues impacting immigrants and refugees |
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| 48 | 48 | | after soliciting input from Minnesota's ethnic councils; |
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| 49 | 49 | | (10) engage all stakeholders to further the objectives identified in subdivision 1 within the |
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| 50 | 50 | | context of workforce access and workforce readiness, including in the areas of employment, housing, |
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| 51 | 51 | | legal services, health care, and education and communicate the importance of immigrant and refugee |
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| 52 | 52 | | inclusion in the success of immigrants, refugees, their children, and the communities in which they |
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| 53 | 53 | | settle; |
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| 54 | 54 | | (11) engage with and support existing municipal and county offices that promote and foster |
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| 55 | 55 | | immigrant and refugee inclusion and encourage the development of new municipal and county |
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| 56 | 56 | | offices dedicated to immigrant and refugee inclusion; |
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| 57 | 57 | | (12) serve as the point of contact for immigrants and refugees accessing resources both within |
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| 58 | 58 | | the department and with boards charged with oversight of a profession; |
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| 59 | 59 | | (13) promulgate rules necessary to implement and effectuate this section; |
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| 60 | 60 | | (14) provide an annual report, as required by subdivision 3; |
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| 61 | 61 | | (15) perform any other activities consistent with the office's purpose; and |
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| 62 | 62 | | (16) administer any grant program or other appropriation to the office. |
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| 63 | 63 | | Subd. 3.Reporting.(a) Beginning January 15, 2025, and each year thereafter, the Office of |
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| 64 | 64 | | New Americans shall report to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over the office's activities |
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| 65 | 65 | | during the previous year. |
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| 66 | 66 | | (b) The report shall contain, at a minimum: |
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| 67 | 67 | | 1R |
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| 68 | 68 | | APPENDIX |
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| 69 | 69 | | Repealed Minnesota Statutes: 25-04317 (1) a summary of the office's activities; |
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| 70 | 70 | | (2) suggested policies, incentives, and legislation designed to accelerate the achievement of the |
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| 71 | 71 | | duties under subdivision 2; |
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| 72 | 72 | | (3) any proposed legislative and policy initiatives; |
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| 73 | 73 | | (4) the amount and types of grants awarded under subdivision 6; and |
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| 74 | 74 | | (5) any other information deemed necessary and requested by the legislative committees with |
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| 75 | 75 | | jurisdiction over the office. |
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| 76 | 76 | | (c) The report may be submitted electronically and is subject to section 3.195, subdivision 1. |
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| 77 | 77 | | Subd. 4.Interdepartmental Coordinating Council on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.(a) |
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| 78 | 78 | | An Interdepartmental Coordinating Council on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs is established to |
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| 79 | 79 | | advise the Office of New Americans. |
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| 80 | 80 | | (b) The purpose of the council is to identify and establish ways in which state departments, |
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| 81 | 81 | | agencies, and Minnesota's ethnic councils can work together to deliver state programs and services |
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| 82 | 82 | | effectively and efficiently to Minnesota's immigrant and refugee populations. The council shall |
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| 83 | 83 | | implement policies, procedures, and programs requested by the governor through the state |
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| 84 | 84 | | departments and offices. |
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| 85 | 85 | | (c) The council shall be chaired by the assistant commissioner of the Office of New Americans |
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| 86 | 86 | | and shall include the commissioners, department directors, or designees from the following: |
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| 87 | 87 | | (1) the governor's office; |
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| 88 | 88 | | (2) the Department of Administration; |
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| 89 | 89 | | (3) the Department of Employment and Economic Development; |
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| 90 | 90 | | (4) the Department of Human Services; |
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| 91 | 91 | | (5) the Department of Human Services Refugee Resettlement Programs Office; |
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| 92 | 92 | | (6) the Department of Labor and Industry; |
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| 93 | 93 | | (7) the Department of Health; |
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| 94 | 94 | | (8) the Department of Education; |
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| 95 | 95 | | (9) the Office of Higher Education; |
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| 96 | 96 | | (10) the Department of Public Safety; |
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| 97 | 97 | | (11) the Department of Corrections; |
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| 98 | 98 | | (12) the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans; |
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| 99 | 99 | | (13) the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage; and |
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| 100 | 100 | | (14) the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs. |
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| 101 | 101 | | (d) Each department or office specified in paragraph (c) shall designate one staff member as an |
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| 102 | 102 | | immigrant and refugee services liaison. The liaison's responsibilities shall include: |
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| 103 | 103 | | (1) preparation and dissemination of information and services available to immigrants and |
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| 104 | 104 | | refugees; and |
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| 105 | 105 | | (2) interfacing with the Office of New Americans on issues that impact immigrants and refugees. |
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| 106 | 106 | | Subd. 5.No right of action.Nothing in this section shall be construed to create any right or |
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| 107 | 107 | | benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the state; its |
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| 108 | 108 | | departments, agencies, or entities; its officers, employees, or agents; or any other person. |
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| 109 | 109 | | Subd. 6.Grants.The Office of New Americans may apply for grants for interested state agencies, |
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| 110 | 110 | | community partners, and stakeholders under this section to carry out the duties under subdivision |
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| 111 | 111 | | 2. |
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| 112 | 112 | | 2R |
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| 113 | 113 | | APPENDIX |
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| 114 | 114 | | Repealed Minnesota Statutes: 25-04317 |
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