MN SF993

Establishes a grant program administered by the commissioner of human services to provide funding to disability and home and community-based service providers for recruiting and retaining direct support and frontline workers.

Eligible workers earning $30 per hour or less may receive up to $1,000 annually for retention bonuses, recruitment incentives, postsecondary education costs, child care, transportation, and other workforce-related expenses.

Grant awards are excluded from income and asset calculations for determining eligibility for child care assistance, general assistance, food support, housing support, and other economic assistance programs.

Appropriates $43,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 for the workforce incentive fund grants and $4,000,000 for a statewide awareness-building recruitment campaign for direct care professionals conducted by the commissioner of employment and economic development.

Commissioner may audit grantees up to six years after award to verify compliance with allowable uses and must recover any overpayments or misused funds.