Purpose

The bill provides funding to support the Minnesota Helmets to Hardhats program. Its goal is to help National Guard reserve members, active duty military members, and veterans participate in apprenticeship programs and connect them with career training and jobs in the building and construction industries.

Main Provisions

• Funding authorization: Appropriates 238,000 in fiscal year 2026 and 238,000 in fiscal year 2027 from the workforce development fund.
• Grantee and program: Allocates the funds as a grant to Building Strong Communities for the Minnesota Helmets to Hardhats program.
• Program activities: Funds must be used to facilitate participation of National Guard reserve and active duty military members and veterans in apprenticeship programs registered with the Department of Labor and Industry, and to connect these members to career training and employment in the building and construction industries.
• Scope of activities: The program’s recruitment, selection, employment, and training activities are included as funded activities under the grant.

Funding and Administration

• Administration: The funds are appropriated to the commissioner of labor and industry to administer the grant to the designated recipient.
• Target outcome: Increase participation of veterans and military members in construction-related apprenticeships and related career pathways.

nondiscrimination and Protections

• nondiscrimination: The bill requires that program recruitment, selection, employment, and training must not discriminate based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, receipt of public assistance, or age.

Impact on Existing Law

• This act introduces new funding and program requirements for the Minnesota Helmets to Hardhats program.
• It does not create broad changes to Minnesota labor or equal opportunity laws, but it imposes explicit nondiscrimination protections specific to this program and allocates funds for its operation.

Relevant Terms - Minnesota Helmets to Hardhats program - National Guard - reserve and active duty military members - veterans - apprenticeship programs (registered with the Department of Labor and Industry) - Building Strong Communities - workforce development fund - commissioner of labor and industry - recruitment - selection - employment - training - building and construction industries - nondiscrimination - race - color - creed - religion - national origin - sex - sexual orientation - marital status - physical or mental disability - receipt of public assistance - age