| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to state government; establishing the Minnesota Migration Act and |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 Minnesota Migration Act account; requiring a report; appropriating money to study |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4 and provide reparation grants for American descendants of chattel slavery who |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5 reside in this state; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 363A. |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8 Section 1. [363A.60] MINNESOTA MIGRATION ACT ACCOUNT. |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9 The Minnesota Migration Act account is established in the special revenue fund in the |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10state treasury. Funds in the account are appropriated to the commissioner of human rights |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11for the administration of the grants awarded by the Minnesota Migration Act Advisory |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12Council. |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13 Sec. 2. MINNESOTA MIGRATION ACT. |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14 Subdivision 1.Findings.The legislature finds: |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15 (1) beginning in 1619 and continuing through 1863, slavery enriched American industries |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16and commercial and financial institutions and transformed the newly established United |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17States into an international economic power through the oppressive, dehumanizing, and |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18tortuous system of enslaved Black labor; |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19 (2) slave owners invested heavily in the territory that is now known as the state of |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20Minnesota and after slavery ended in the United States, the slave owners were compensated |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1.21for the loss of their slaves. Those persons who were held in bondage were never compensated |
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| 22 | 22 | | 1.22for their labor, despite the promise of "40 acres and a mule"; |
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| 23 | 23 | | 1Sec. 2. |
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| 24 | 24 | | REVISOR SGS/RC 25-0386302/24/25 |
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| 25 | 25 | | State of Minnesota |
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| 26 | 26 | | This Document can be made available |
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| 27 | 27 | | in alternative formats upon request |
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| 28 | 28 | | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 29 | 29 | | H. F. No. 2094 |
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| 30 | 30 | | NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 31 | 31 | | Authored by Frazier03/10/2025 |
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| 32 | 32 | | The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on State Government Finance and Policy 2.1 (3) although slavery was illegal in Minnesota, Dred Scott and Harriet Scott were held |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2.2in military bondage at Fort Snelling, along with other African Americans who were used |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2.3for enslaved labor by United States Army agents. This was in violation of the Northwest |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2.4Ordinance of 1787 and the Missouri Compromise of 1820; |
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| 36 | 36 | | 2.5 (4) in the aftermath of slavery, African American citizens of this country continued to |
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| 37 | 37 | | 2.6face brutal discrimination as evidenced by Jim Crow laws, such as forced segregation, mass |
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| 38 | 38 | | 2.7atrocities in Tulsa and Rosewood, the lynching period in history, and to this day mass |
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| 39 | 39 | | 2.8incarceration; |
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| 40 | 40 | | 2.9 (5) in Minnesota, systemic discrimination was perpetrated through redlining and racial |
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| 41 | 41 | | 2.10covenants; access to housing; environmental injustice; and the removal of St. Paul's Rondo |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2.11neighborhood, which was the center of American descendants of chattel slavery business |
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| 43 | 43 | | 2.12and residential, spiritual, and cultural life, for the construction of I-94 and other interstate |
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| 44 | 44 | | 2.13systems that harmed Black communities in Minnesota; |
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| 45 | 45 | | 2.14 (6) that structural institutionalized racism in Minnesota and all of American society has |
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| 46 | 46 | | 2.15led to overwhelming Black-white disparities in housing, business investment, economic |
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| 47 | 47 | | 2.16prosperity, health and wellness, life expectancy, and infant mortality; |
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| 48 | 48 | | 2.17 (7) that according to the November 2020 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2.18reparations are considered the most effective means of breaking down the societal structure |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2.19related to power, money, and access to resources and may be the only solution that can be |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2.20applied intergenerationally that would be an investment in the future and in reducing |
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| 52 | 52 | | 2.21disparities; |
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| 53 | 53 | | 2.22 (8) that local and state governments throughout the United States have demonstrated a |
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| 54 | 54 | | 2.23commitment to addressing disparities by creating programs to generate public and private |
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| 55 | 55 | | 2.24sources of funding, including dedicating tax revenues from enterprises that have historically |
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| 56 | 56 | | 2.25profited from targeting African American consumers and other forms of discrimination that |
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| 57 | 57 | | 2.26have fueled Black-white disparities; and |
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| 58 | 58 | | 2.27 (9) that the tragic murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer has stirred a |
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| 59 | 59 | | 2.28local, national, and international reckoning of the immorality of the racial hierarchy that |
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| 60 | 60 | | 2.29exists under our democratic institutions and defies the founding values of this nation "that |
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| 61 | 61 | | 2.30all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable |
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| 62 | 62 | | 2.31Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." |
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| 63 | 63 | | 2.32 Subd. 2.Acknowledgment and apology.The state shall issue an apology for the past |
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| 64 | 64 | | 2.33occurrence of chattel slavery and notable slave owners in Minnesota. Minnesota |
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| 65 | 65 | | 2.34acknowledges and issues an official apology: |
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| 66 | 66 | | 2Sec. 2. |
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| 67 | 67 | | REVISOR SGS/RC 25-0386302/24/25 3.1 (1) for holding Dred and Harriet Scott in military slavery at Fort Snelling; |
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| 68 | 68 | | 3.2 (2) to the family of Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson, and Isaac McGhie for the lynching |
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| 69 | 69 | | 3.3that took place in 1920 in Duluth and shall issue an antilynching proclamation and legislation |
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| 70 | 70 | | 3.4for the state; |
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| 71 | 71 | | 3.5 (3) to the Rondo neighborhood and other Black communities for the construction of the |
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| 72 | 72 | | 3.6I- 94 freeway and other highways that were constructed in Black communities in Minnesota; |
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| 73 | 73 | | 3.7 (4) to the families of George Floyd, Philando Castille, Hardel Sherrell, and Jamar Clark |
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| 74 | 74 | | 3.8and the state shall implement remedies to reform law enforcement in the state; |
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| 75 | 75 | | 3.9 (5) for allowing racial housing covenants in deeds in the state and committing to work |
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| 76 | 76 | | 3.10to create generational wealth for the American descendants of chattel slavery; |
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| 77 | 77 | | 3.11 (6) for having the word "slavery" removed from the Minnesota state constitution; and |
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| 78 | 78 | | 3.12 (7) for the systemic racism in the state and the impact slavery has had on descendants |
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| 79 | 79 | | 3.13of chattel slavery in this state, and the state shall commit to ending systemic racism in the |
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| 80 | 80 | | 3.14state that prevents upward mobility of Minnesota's Black residents. |
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| 81 | 81 | | 3.15 Sec. 3. MINNESOTA MIGRATION ACT ADVISORY COUNCIL; CREATION; |
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| 82 | 82 | | 3.16DUTIES; REPORTS. |
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| 83 | 83 | | 3.17 Subdivision 1.Advisory council established.The Minnesota Migration Act Advisory |
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| 84 | 84 | | 3.18Council is established to analyze the past economic benefits of slavery and institutional |
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| 85 | 85 | | 3.19racism that accrued to owners and businesses that received those benefits and to identify |
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| 86 | 86 | | 3.20and document the money received from the dehumanizing activity of slavery by identifying |
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| 87 | 87 | | 3.21the public and private institutions that benefited from anti-Black practices. The focus of the |
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| 88 | 88 | | 3.22committee shall be to develop criteria to determine how to distribute funding to compensate |
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| 89 | 89 | | 3.23persons and address systems harmed by these anti-Black practices and to distribute grants |
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| 90 | 90 | | 3.24to achieve those compensation goals. Nothing in this section is a substitution for the need |
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| 91 | 91 | | 3.25for reparations to the descendants of slaves from the federal government. The advisory |
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| 92 | 92 | | 3.26council shall, among other issues, address the following: |
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| 93 | 93 | | 3.27 (1) review international standards of remedy for wrongs and injuries caused by the state, |
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| 94 | 94 | | 3.28including full reparations and special measures, as understood by various relevant |
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| 95 | 95 | | 3.29international protocols, laws, and findings; |
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| 96 | 96 | | 3.30 (2) provide input to the state on how to issue a formal apology on behalf of the people |
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| 97 | 97 | | 3.31of Minnesota for the perpetration of gross human rights violations and crimes against |
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| 98 | 98 | | 3.32humanity on enslaved African and American descendants of chattel slavery; |
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| 99 | 99 | | 3Sec. 3. |
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| 100 | 100 | | REVISOR SGS/RC 25-0386302/24/25 4.1 (3) review which laws and policies that continue to disproportionately and negatively |
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| 101 | 101 | | 4.2affect African Americans as a group and perpetuate the lingering material and psychosocial |
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| 102 | 102 | | 4.3effects of slavery and how they can be eliminated; |
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| 103 | 103 | | 4.4 (4) review and study how the injuries resulting from matters described in this subdivision |
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| 104 | 104 | | 4.5can be reversed and how to provide appropriate policies, programs, projects, and |
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| 105 | 105 | | 4.6recommendations for the purpose of reversing the injuries; |
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| 106 | 106 | | 4.7 (5) determine what form of compensation to African Americans who are descendants |
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| 107 | 107 | | 4.8of persons enslaved in the United States can be achieved; |
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| 108 | 108 | | 4.9 (6) determine what form of compensation should be awarded, through what |
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| 109 | 109 | | 4.10instrumentalities, and who should be eligible for the grants awarded by the advisory council |
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| 110 | 110 | | 4.11and distribute those grants as provided in this section; and |
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| 111 | 111 | | 4.12 (7) determine if any other forms of rehabilitation or restitution are appropriate to remedy |
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| 112 | 112 | | 4.13issues identified by the advisory council. |
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| 113 | 113 | | 4.14 Subd. 2.Membership.(a) The advisory council shall consist of the following 19 voting |
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| 114 | 114 | | 4.15members, appointed by the commissioner of the Department of Human Rights in consultation |
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| 115 | 115 | | 4.16with the governor and the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, except as otherwise |
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| 116 | 116 | | 4.17specified, and six nonvoting members. All members must be chosen with an emphasis on |
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| 117 | 117 | | 4.18appointing members who are descendants of persons believed to have been enslaved in the |
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| 118 | 118 | | 4.19United States, or members of the American descendants of chattel slavery with lived |
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| 119 | 119 | | 4.20experience of racial discrimination and who were impacted by policies which have caused |
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| 120 | 120 | | 4.21intergenerational trauma. The advisory council shall include: |
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| 121 | 121 | | 4.22 (1) two members of the house of representatives, one from the majority party appointed |
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| 122 | 122 | | 4.23by the speaker of the house and one from the minority party appointed by the minority |
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| 123 | 123 | | 4.24leader; |
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| 124 | 124 | | 4.25 (2) two members of the senate, one from the majority party appointed by the senate |
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| 125 | 125 | | 4.26majority leader and one from the minority party appointed by the senate minority leader; |
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| 126 | 126 | | 4.27 (3) two members who are educators or who have worked in the education system; |
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| 127 | 127 | | 4.28 (4) two members who are leaders in the business and labor community; |
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| 128 | 128 | | 4.29 (5) two members who are community activists engaged in solving issues caused by racial |
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| 129 | 129 | | 4.30disparities; |
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| 130 | 130 | | 4.31 (6) two members who are leaders in the faith community; |
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| 131 | 131 | | 4.32 (7) two members who are professionals or have worked in the health care industry; |
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| 132 | 132 | | 4Sec. 3. |
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| 133 | 133 | | REVISOR SGS/RC 25-0386302/24/25 5.1 (8) three members who are historians, economists, legal analysts, or policy experts who |
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| 134 | 134 | | 5.2have expertise in issues the advisory council is studying; |
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| 135 | 135 | | 5.3 (9) two youth members; and |
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| 136 | 136 | | 5.4 (10) the commissioners of housing finance, health, human services, human rights, |
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| 137 | 137 | | 5.5employment and economic development, and education, or their designees, who shall be |
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| 138 | 138 | | 5.6ex officio nonvoting members of the council. |
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| 139 | 139 | | 5.7 (b) The council is governed by Minnesota Statutes, section 15.059, and the advisory |
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| 140 | 140 | | 5.8council shall expire five years after the date of enactment. |
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| 141 | 141 | | 5.9 (c) The chair shall convene the council at least monthly. |
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| 142 | 142 | | 5.10 (d) The commissioner of human rights shall provide staff and administrative services |
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| 143 | 143 | | 5.11for the advisory council. |
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| 144 | 144 | | 5.12 (e) The council is subject to Minnesota Statutes, chapter 13D. |
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| 145 | 145 | | 5.13 Subd. 3.Goals and outcomes; report.The advisory council shall establish goals related |
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| 146 | 146 | | 5.14to addressing the directive to the advisory council provided in this section and determine a |
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| 147 | 147 | | 5.15baseline against which progress shall be monitored and set measurable outcomes. The goals |
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| 148 | 148 | | 5.16established must include guidelines for grants distributed by the advisory council. The |
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| 149 | 149 | | 5.17advisory council shall use existing measures and data collection systems to determine |
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| 150 | 150 | | 5.18baseline data against which progress shall be measured. The council shall include the |
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| 151 | 151 | | 5.19proposed goals and the measurable outcomes to meet these goals, including the grant making |
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| 152 | 152 | | 5.20in its initial report to the legislature due March 31, 2026. |
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| 153 | 153 | | 5.21 Subd. 4.Conflict of interest.Advisory council members must disclose to the council, |
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| 154 | 154 | | 5.22refrain from participating in discussions, and recuse themselves from voting on any matter |
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| 155 | 155 | | 5.23before the council if the member has a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest means a |
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| 156 | 156 | | 5.24financial association that has the potential to bias or have the appearance of biasing a council |
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| 157 | 157 | | 5.25member's decision related to the Minnesota Migration Act grant decision process or other |
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| 158 | 158 | | 5.26council activities under this section. |
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| 159 | 159 | | 5.27 Subd. 5.Grants.(a) The commissioner of human rights shall submit a report of the |
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| 160 | 160 | | 5.28grants proposed by the advisory council to be awarded for the upcoming fiscal year to the |
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| 161 | 161 | | 5.29chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over |
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| 162 | 162 | | 5.30health, human services policy and finance, education, employment and economic |
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| 163 | 163 | | 5.31development, and housing policy and finance, by March 31 of each year, beginning March |
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| 164 | 164 | | 5.3231, 2026. |
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| 165 | 165 | | 5Sec. 3. |
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| 166 | 166 | | REVISOR SGS/RC 25-0386302/24/25 6.1 (b) The commissioner of human rights shall award grants from the Minnesota Migration |
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| 167 | 167 | | 6.2Act account under Minnesota Statutes, section 363A.60. The grants shall be awarded to |
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| 168 | 168 | | 6.3proposals selected by the advisory council that address the priorities in this section, unless |
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| 169 | 169 | | 6.4otherwise appropriated by the legislature. |
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| 170 | 170 | | 6.5 Subd. 6.Reports.The advisory council shall report annually to the chairs and ranking |
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| 171 | 171 | | 6.6minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health, human services |
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| 172 | 172 | | 6.7policy and finance, education, employment and economic development, and housing finance |
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| 173 | 173 | | 6.8and policy by March 31 of each year, beginning March 31, 2026. The report shall include |
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| 174 | 174 | | 6.9information about the individual projects that receive grants and the overall role of the |
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| 175 | 175 | | 6.10project in addressing inequalities and systematic problems caused by the institution of |
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| 176 | 176 | | 6.11slavery. The report must describe the grantees and the activities implemented, along with |
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| 177 | 177 | | 6.12measurable outcomes as determined by the council. At a minimum, the report must include |
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| 178 | 178 | | 6.13information about who has received the grants and who the funding will benefit. |
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| 179 | 179 | | 6.14 Sec. 4. APPROPRIATION; MINNESOTA MIGRATION ACT ADVISORY |
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| 180 | 180 | | 6.15COUNCIL. |
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| 181 | 181 | | 6.16 (a) $....... in fiscal year 2026 and $....... in fiscal year 2027 are appropriated from the |
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| 182 | 182 | | 6.17general fund to the commissioner of human rights for the Minnesota Migration Act Advisory |
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| 183 | 183 | | 6.18Council to complete the work in section 3 related to the effects of systemic racism on Black |
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| 184 | 184 | | 6.19Minnesotans who are descendants of persons who were treated as chattel slaves in this state. |
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| 185 | 185 | | 6.20A portion of this funding may be used to hire additional staff to support the administration |
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| 186 | 186 | | 6.21and operation of the Minnesota Migration Act Advisory Council. |
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| 187 | 187 | | 6.22 (b) $100,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the |
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| 188 | 188 | | 6.23Minnesota Migration Act account under Minnesota Statutes, section 363A.60. |
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| 189 | 189 | | 6Sec. 4. |
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| 190 | 190 | | REVISOR SGS/RC 25-0386302/24/25 |
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