1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to higher education; creating an institutional grant program for real-time
1.3 stenographic writer training; requiring reports; appropriating money.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5 Section 1. REAL-TIME STENOGRAPHIC WRITER TRAINING GRANT.
1.6 Subdivision 1.Definition.For purposes of this section, "real-time stenographic writer"
1.7means a writer that translates spoken word into text utilizing a stenographic machine and
1.8a shorthand theory based on phonetics.
1.9 Subd. 2.Establishment and application.(a) The commissioner of the Office of Higher
1.10Education must establish a grant program for eligible institutions under Minnesota Statutes,
1.11section 136A.103, to promote the training and job placement of real-time stenographic
1.12writers, including court reporters and closed captioners.
1.13 (b) The grant application must include (1) a description of the training and assistance
1.14to be funded using the grant amount, including how the training and assistance will increase
1.15the number of real-time stenographic writers, and (2) a description of how the eligible
1.16institution intends to continue providing the training and assistance to be funded by the
1.17grant after the end of the grant period. The commissioner may determine additional
1.18application requirements and establish deadlines to which Minnesota Statutes, chapter 14,
1.19including Minnesota Statutes, section 14.386, do not apply.
1.20 Subd. 3.Awarding grants.(a) The commissioner must award two grants of $300,000
1.21each year beginning the 2025-2026 academic year until the appropriation is expended. One
1.22grantee must be in the seven-county metropolitan area as defined by Minnesota Statutes,
1Section 1.
REVISOR VH/KR 25-0294902/28/25
State of Minnesota
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. F. No. 2114
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
Authored by Norris and Wolgamott03/10/2025
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Higher Education Finance and Policy 2.1section 473.121, subdivision 2. The other grantee must be outside the seven-county
2.2metropolitan area.
2.3 (b) The commissioner shall give a priority to eligible institutions that:
2.4 (1) possess the most substantial capability to increase their capacity to train real-time
2.5stenographic writers;
2.6 (2) demonstrate the most promising collaboration with educational institutions, businesses,
2.7labor organizations, or other community groups having the potential to train or provide job
2.8placement assistance to real-time stenographic writers; or
2.9 (3) propose the most promising and innovative approaches for initiating or expanding
2.10training or job placement assistance efforts with respect to real-time stenographic writers.
2.11 (c) The first grants must be awarded for the 2025-2026 academic year.
2.12 Subd. 4.Individual grants and scholarships.(a) If an eligible institution uses any of
2.13the grant money under this section for individual grants or scholarships, the grant or
2.14scholarship must comply with this paragraph. The amount of the grant or scholarship must
2.15be based on the amount of need of the scholarship recipient for financial assistance. To be
2.16eligible to receive a grant or scholarship under this section, a recipient must enter into an
2.17agreement with the enrolling school to be employed as a real-time stenographic writer for
2.18six months for each semester or equivalent in which the person receives a grant or
2.19scholarship.
2.20 (b) The commissioner must establish requirements for employment for recipients of
2.21grants or scholarships under paragraph (a), including requirements for repayment of grant
2.22or scholarship amounts in the event of failure to meet the requirements for employment.
2.23The commissioner may waive, in whole or in part, the requirements for repayment of grant
2.24or scholarship amounts on the basis of economic conditions which may affect the ability of
2.25scholarship recipients to find work as real-time stenographic writers. The requirements and
2.26waivers under this paragraph are not subject to Minnesota Statutes, chapter 14, including
2.27Minnesota Statutes, section 14.386.
2.28 Subd. 5.Reporting.(a) By January 15 in any fiscal year an eligible institution receives
2.29a grant, the institution must submit a report to the commissioner of the Office of Higher
2.30Education. The report must include:
2.31 (1) an assessment by the institution of the effectiveness of activities carried out using
2.32such funds in increasing the number of real-time stenographic writers; and
2Section 1.
REVISOR VH/KR 25-0294902/28/25 3.1 (2) a description of the best practices identified by the eligible institution for increasing
3.2the number of individuals who are trained, employed, and retained in employment as
3.3real-time stenographic writers.
3.4 (b) In any year the commissioner of the Office of Higher Education receives a report
3.5under paragraph (a), the commissioner must report to the legislative committees with
3.6jurisdiction over higher education the results of the reports under paragraph (a) and
3.7recommendations for the program.
3.8 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment.
3.9 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
3.10 $3,150,000 in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
3.11of the Office of Higher Education for purposes of section 1. This is a onetime appropriation
3.12and is available through June 30, 2029. This funding is only intended for the educational
3.13training of real-time stenographic writers and must not be used to fund digital recording or
3.14artificial intelligence transcription. The commissioner may use up to five percent of this
3.15appropriation for administrative costs.
3Sec. 2.
REVISOR VH/KR 25-0294902/28/25