Minnesota conference committee adopts jobs and workforce policy agreement, defers several items

The Jobs Policy and Workforce Conference Committee of the Minnesota Legislature adopted a set of labor and workforce policy provisions on May 16, 2025, in St. Paul, approving a package of technical clarifications and program changes while deferring several contested items for further negotiation.

Committee members said they would adopt the set of provisions assembled by House nonpartisan staff and confirmed by Senate counsel, and they approved the package by voice vote after a motion by Senator Bobby Champion to adopt the provisions articulated by staff.

The adopted language includes administrative and program-level changes across multiple workforce and economic development programs. Staff told members the package reflects agreements to: add tribal economic development entities and community development financial institutions to certain eligible lenders; remove federal-matching language from the Minnesota Forward Fund; increase allowable grant and project cost caps (the House language allows up to a 15% increase over direct costs for partnership and pathways programs); count degrees toward workforce outcomes; create a special revenue fund account for an emerging entrepreneur program; clarify parking revenue reporting; and make technical corrections to 2023 appropriations for the Expanding Opportunity Fund and Promise Grants. The committee also adopted the Senate position to extend the availability of Minnesota Forward Fund appropriations through fiscal 2030 and the House position to extend a 2023 appropriation for Ramsey County through the end of fiscal 2027…