H.F. 3865 Summary

• Total appropriations of $122.35 million for fiscal year 2017 to the Departments of Employment and Economic Development, Labor and Industry, and Commerce; Housing Finance Agency; Public Utilities Commission; and Explore Minnesota Tourism.

• Border-to-Border Broadband Development Program receives $100 million for deposit in the broadband fund; up to 2% may be used for administrative costs including broadband deployment data collection, verification, mapping, and adoption surveys.

• Created emerging entrepreneur fund program providing $6 million total ($5 million for small business lending, $1 million for technical assistance grants) to support businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, persons with disabilities, or located in low-income areas in the seven-county metropolitan area.

• Workforce development competitive grant programs receive $12.1 million, including $8 million for Youth at Work and $4.1 million for Pathways to Prosperity programs.

• Modified utility assessment procedures by creating a utility assessment account in the special revenue fund for energy planning and advocacy unit costs recovered from public utilities.