MN Senate Journal reports…

Senator Westrom introduced–​ S.F. No. 740: A bill for an act relating to labor; modifying grant award requirements for the​ border-to-border broadband development grant program; repealing certain labor standards for​ broadband industry installers; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 116J.395, subdivision 6;​ repealing Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 116J.395, subdivisions 9, 10; 216B.17, subdivision 9;​ 326B.198.​ Referred to the Committee on Labor.

Details on the bill…

Current Version – as introduced

Line numbers1.11.21.31.41.51.61.7
1.81.91.101.111.121.131.141.151.161.171.181.191.201.211.222.12.22.32.42.52.62.72.82.92.102.112.122.132.142.152.162.172.182.192.202.212.222.232.242.252.262.272.282.292.302.31
2.32
3.13.23.3

A bill for an act
relating to labor; modifying grant award requirements for the border-to-border
broadband development grant program; repealing certain labor standards for
broadband industry installers; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 116J.395,
subdivision 6; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 116J.395, subdivisions
9, 10; 216B.17, subdivision 9; 326B.198.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 116J.395, subdivision 6, is amended to read:

Subd. 6.

Awarding grants.

(a) In evaluating applications and awarding grants, the
commissioner shall give priority to applications that are constructed in areas identified by
the director of the Office of Broadband Development as unserved.

(b) In evaluating applications and awarding grants, the commissioner may give priority
to applications that:

(1) are constructed in areas identified by the director of the Office of Broadband
Development as underserved;

(2) offer new or substantially upgraded broadband service to important community
institutions including, but not limited to, libraries, educational institutions, public safety
facilities, and healthcare facilities;

(3) facilitate the use of telehealth and electronic health records;

(4) serve economically distressed areas of the state, as measured by indices of
unemployment, poverty, or population loss that are significantly greater than the statewide
average;

(5) provide technical support and train residents, businesses, and institutions in the
community served by the project to utilize broadband service;

(6) include a component to actively promote the adoption of the newly available
broadband services in the community;

(7) provide evidence of strong support for the project from citizens, government,
businesses, and institutions in the community;

(8) provide access to broadband service to a greater number of unserved or underserved
households and businesses; or

(9) leverage greater amounts of funding for the project from other private and public
sources; or.

(10) commit to implementation of workforce best practices, meaning all laborers and
mechanics performing construction, installation, remodeling, or repairs on the project sites
for which the grant is provided:

(i) are paid the prevailing wage rate as defined in section 177.42, subdivision 6, and the
applicant and all of its construction contractors and subcontractors agree that the payment
of prevailing wage to such laborers and mechanics is subject to the requirements and
enforcement provisions under sections 177.27, 177.30, 177.32, 177.41 to 177.435, and
177.45, which the commissioner of labor and industry shall have the authority to enforce;
or

(ii) receive from the employer:

(A) at least 40 hours of hands-on skills training annually;

(B) employer-paid family health insurance coverage; and

(C) employer-paid retirement benefit payments equal to no less than 15 percent of the
employee’s total taxable wages.

(c) The commissioner shall endeavor to award grants under this section to qualified
applicants in all regions of the state.

(d) The commissioner shall endeavor to award no less than 50 percent of grant awards
from general fund appropriations for the border-to-border broadband grant program under
section 116J.396 for applicants that agree to implement the workforce best practices in this
section. The applicant’s agreement to implement the workforce best practices described in
paragraph (b) must be an express condition of providing the grant in the grant agreement.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective January 1, 2026.

Sec. 2. REPEALER.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 116J.395, subdivisions 9 and 10; 216B.17, subdivision
9; and 326B.198, are repealed.