HF 777

1st Engrossment - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/12/2015 03:42pm

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; creating a grant program for spinal cord injury and
traumatic brain injury research; establishing the spinal cord and traumatic brain
injury advisory council; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law
in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 136A.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [136A.901] SPINAL CORD INJURY AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN
INJURY RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Grant program. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall establish a grant program
to award grants to institutions in Minnesota for research into spinal cord injuries and
traumatic brain injuries. Grants shall be awarded to conduct research into new and
innovative treatments and rehabilitative efforts for the functional improvement of people
with spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. Research topics may include, but are not
limited to, pharmaceutical, medical device, brain stimulus, and rehabilitative approaches
and techniques. The commissioner, in consultation with the advisory council established
under section 136A.907, shall award 40 percent of the grant funds for research involving
spinal cord injuries, 40 percent to research involving traumatic brain injuries, and 20
percent to the small business grant and loan program established in subdivision 2.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Small business grant and loan program. new text end

new text begin A program to provide
grants and loans to small businesses conducting research on innovative treatments and
rehabilitative efforts for the functional improvement of people with spinal cord and
traumatic brain injuries is established to provide phase I and phase II research for these
conditions. Phase I research is to establish the technical merit, feasibility, and commercial
potential of the proposed research and research and development efforts and to determine
the quality of performance. Phase II is research to continue the research and research and
development efforts initiated in phase I. Funding for phase II shall be based on the results
achieved in phase I and the scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of the
project proposed in phase II. A business is a "small business" if the business, including its
affiliates, has no more than 500 employees.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin By January 15, 2016, and each January 15 thereafter, the
commissioner shall submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the
senate and house of representatives committees having jurisdiction over the Office of
Higher Education, specifying the institutions receiving grants under this section and the
purposes for which the grant funds were used.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [136A.907] SPINAL CORD AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
ADVISORY COUNCIL.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Membership. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall appoint a 12-member Spinal
Cord and Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council consisting of:
new text end

new text begin (1) one member representing the University of Minnesota Medical School;
new text end

new text begin (2) one member representing the Mayo Medical School;
new text end

new text begin (3) one member representing the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Center;
new text end

new text begin (4) one member representing Hennepin County Medical Center;
new text end

new text begin (5) one member who is a neurosurgeon;
new text end

new text begin (6) one member who has a spinal cord injury;
new text end

new text begin (7) one member who is a family member of a person with a spinal cord injury;
new text end

new text begin (8) one member who has a traumatic brain injury;
new text end

new text begin (9) one member who is a family member of a person with a traumatic brain injury;
new text end

new text begin (10) one member who is a physician specializing in the treatment of spinal cord injury;
new text end

new text begin (11) one member who is a physician specializing in the treatment of traumatic brain
injury; and
new text end

new text begin (12) one member who is a rehabilitative specialist.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Organization. new text end

new text begin The advisory council shall be organized and administered
under section 15.059, except that subdivision 2 shall not apply. Except as provided in
subdivision 4, the commissioner shall appoint council members to two-year terms and
appoint one member as chair.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin First appointments and first meeting. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall appoint
the first members of the council by September 1, 2015. The chair shall convene the first
meeting by November 1, 2015.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Terms of initial council members. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall designate six
of the initial council members to serve one-year terms and six to serve two-year terms.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Conflict of interest. new text end

new text begin Council members must disclose in a written statement
any financial interest in any organization that the council recommends to receive a grant.
The written statement must accompany the grant recommendations and must explain
the nature of the conflict.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Duties. new text end

new text begin The advisory council shall:
new text end

new text begin (1) develop criteria for evaluating and awarding the research grants under section
136A.901;
new text end

new text begin (2) review research proposals and make recommendations by January 15 of each
year to the director for purposes of awarding grants under section 136A.901; and
new text end

new text begin (3) perform other duties as authorized by the commissioner.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Staffing. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall provide administrative support to the
council to perform its duties.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $....... for fiscal year 2016 and $....... for fiscal year 2017 are appropriated from
the general fund to the commissioner of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education
for the grants authorized in section 1. $....... of the appropriation may be used by the
commissioner to administer the grant program under section 1.
new text end