| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to economic development; appropriating money for a grant to |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 WomenVenture; requiring a report. |
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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. APPROPRIATION. |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 (a) $8,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7commissioner of employment and economic development for a grant to WomenVenture |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8to: |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9 (1) support child care providers through business training and shared services programs |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10and to create materials that may be used, at no cost to child care providers, for start-up, |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11expansion, and operation of child care businesses statewide, with the goal of helping new |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12and existing child care businesses in underserved areas of the state become profitable and |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13sustainable; and |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14 (2) support business expansion for women food entrepreneurs throughout Minnesota's |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15food supply chain to help stabilize and strengthen their business operations, create distribution |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16networks, offer technical assistance and support to women entrepreneurs in agribusiness, |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17develop business plans, develop a workforce, research expansion strategies, and for other |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18related activities. |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19 (b) Eligible uses of the money include but are not limited to: |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20 (1) leasehold improvements; |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1.21 (2) additions, alterations, remodeling, or renovations to rented space; |
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| 22 | 22 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 23 | 23 | | 25-03598 as introduced02/14/25 REVISOR SS/VJ |
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| 24 | 24 | | SENATE |
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| 25 | 25 | | STATE OF MINNESOTA |
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| 26 | 26 | | S.F. No. 2336NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 27 | 27 | | (SENATE AUTHORS: PORT, Coleman, Pha and Nelson) |
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| 28 | 28 | | OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE |
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| 29 | 29 | | Introduction and first reading03/10/2025 |
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| 30 | 30 | | Referred to Jobs and Economic Development 2.1 (3) emergency grant funding for damage caused by natural disasters; |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2.2 (4) inventory or supplies; |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2.3 (5) machinery or equipment purchases; |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2.4 (6) working capital; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2.5 (7) debt refinancing. |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2.6 (c) Money distributed to entrepreneurs may be loans, forgivable loans, and grants. Of |
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| 36 | 36 | | 2.7this amount, up to five percent may be used for WomenVenture's technical assistance and |
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| 37 | 37 | | 2.8administrative costs. This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2028. |
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| 38 | 38 | | 2.9 (d) By December 15, 2028, WomenVenture must submit a report to the chairs and |
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| 39 | 39 | | 2.10ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over agriculture |
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| 40 | 40 | | 2.11and employment and economic development. The report must include a summary of the |
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| 41 | 41 | | 2.12uses of the appropriation, including the amount of the appropriation used for administration. |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2.13The report must also provide a breakdown of the amount of funding used for loans, forgivable |
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| 43 | 43 | | 2.14loans, and grants; information about the terms of the loans issued; a discussion of how |
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| 44 | 44 | | 2.15money from repaid loans will be used; the number of entrepreneurs assisted; and a breakdown |
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| 45 | 45 | | 2.16of how many entrepreneurs received assistance in each county. |
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| 46 | 46 | | 2Section 1. |
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| 47 | 47 | | 25-03598 as introduced02/14/25 REVISOR SS/VJ |
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