Purpose

To provide a one-time financial grant to support the creation of a Latino Center for Community Engagement (LCCE) by COPAL (Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina). The goal is to create a new center that helps with workforce development and employment for the Latino community in Minnesota.

What this bill would do

• Allocate seven million dollars ($7,000,000) from the General Fund in fiscal year 2026.
• Direct the funds to the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) as a grant to COPAL.
• Require COPAL to design, construct, furnish, and equip the new Latino Center for Community Engagement (LCCE).
• Have the LCCE provide working spaces for COPAL and partner organizations.
• Use the center as a training hub to foster workforce development and employment opportunities.

Key terms and entities

• General Fund
• Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
• COPAL (Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Acción Latina)
• Latino Center for Community Engagement (LCCE)
• Design, construct, furnish, and equip
• Workforce development
• Employment
• One-time appropriation
• Fiscal year 2026

Timing and availability

• The appropriation is available in fiscal year 2026.
• The funds remain available until the project is completed or abandoned, subject to Minnesota Statutes section 16A.642.
• This is a onetime appropriation, not an ongoing yearly funding commitment.

Significant changes to existing law

• The bill proposes a new one-time appropriation for a specific center and does not specify changes to a broad program or statute beyond the allocation and related terms. It uses current appropriation mechanisms and statutory guidelines (e.g., 16A.642) to govern availability.

Practical impact

• Creates a dedicated funding stream to establish a Latino-focused community engagement and workforce development center.
• Aims to provide physical space and a training hub for COPAL and partner organizations to support employment outcomes in the Latino community.

Relevant Terms - COPAL - LCCE - Latino Center for Community Engagement - General Fund - DEED - grant - design, construct, furnish, and equip - workforce development - employment - one-time appropriation - fiscal year 2026 - Minnesota Statutes section 16A.642