Minnesota Legislature
HF 4333
as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 03/17/2022 02:20pm
Bill Text Versions
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| Introduction | Posted on 03/17/2022 |
Current Version - as introduced
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A bill for an act
relating to veterans; modifying veterans service office grant programs provisions;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 197.608,
subdivisions 4, 6; Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 12, article 1, section
37, subdivision 2.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 197.608, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Subd. 4.
Grant process.
(a) The commissioner shall determine the process for awarding
grants. A grant may be used only for the purpose of enhancing the operations of the County
Veterans Service Office.
(b) The commissioner shall provide a list of qualifying uses for grant expenditures as
developed in subdivision 5 and shall approve a grant under subdivision 6 only for a qualifying
use and if there are sufficient funds remaining in the grant program to cover the full amount
of the grant.
(c) The commissioner is authorized to use any unexpended funding for this program deleted text begin to
provide training and education for county veterans service officers.deleted text end new text begin for the following
purposes:
new text end
new text begin
(1) to provide training and education for county veterans service officers; and
new text end
new text begin
(2) to provide additional grants on a competitive basis to any county that proposes to
provide programs and services that the commissioner determines to be new and innovative
in serving veterans and their families.
new text end
Sec. 2.
Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 197.608, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
Subd. 6.
Grant amount.
(a) Each county is eligible to receive an annual grant of $7,500
for the following purposes:
(1) to provide outreach to the county's veterans;
(2) to assist in the reintegration of combat veterans into society;
(3) to collaborate with other social service agencies, educational institutions, and other
community organizations for the purposes of enhancing services offered to veterans;
(4) to reduce homelessness among veterans; and
(5) to enhance the operations of the county veterans service office.
(b) In addition to the grant amount in paragraph (a), each county is eligible to receive
an additional annual grant under this paragraph. The amount of each additional annual grant
must be determined by the commissioner and may not exceed:
(1) $0, if the county's veteran population is less than 1,000;
(2) $2,500, if the county's veteran population is 1,000 or more but less than 3,000;
(3) $5,000, if the county's veteran population is 3,000 or more but less than deleted text begin 4,999deleted text end new text begin 5,000new text end ;
(4) $7,500, if the county's veteran population is 5,000 or more but less than deleted text begin 9,999deleted text end new text begin 10,000new text end ;
(5) $10,000, if the county's veteran population is 10,000 or more but less than deleted text begin 19,999deleted text end new text begin
20,000new text end ;
(6) $15,000, if the county's veteran population is 20,000 or more but less than deleted text begin 29,999deleted text end new text begin
30,000new text end ; or
(7) $20,000, if the county's veteran population is 30,000 or more.
(c) The Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers is eligible to receive
an annual grant of deleted text begin $50,000deleted text end new text begin $100,000new text end . The grant shall be used for administrative costs of
the association, certification of mandated county veterans service officer training and
accreditation, and costs associated with reintegration services.
The veteran population of each county shall be determined by the figure supplied by the
United States Department of Veterans Affairs, as adopted by the commissioner.
Sec. 3.
Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 12, article 1, section 37, subdivision 2,
is amended to read:
Subd. 2.Veterans Programs and Services
|
deleted text begin
27,073,000 deleted text end new text begin 27,523,000 new text end |
deleted text begin
22,153,000 deleted text end new text begin 22,603,000 new text end |
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(a) CORE Program. $750,000 each year is
for the Counseling and Case Management
Outreach Referral and Education (CORE)
program.
(b) Veterans Service Organizations.
$353,000 each year is for grants to the
following congressionally chartered veterans
service organizations as designated by the
commissioner: Disabled American Veterans,
Military Order of the Purple Heart, the
American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars,
Vietnam Veterans of America, AMVETS, and
Paralyzed Veterans of America. This funding
must be allocated in direct proportion to the
funding currently being provided by the
commissioner to these organizations.
(c) Minnesota Assistance Council for
Veterans. $750,000 each year is for a grant
to the Minnesota Assistance Council for
Veterans to provide assistance throughout
Minnesota to veterans and their families who
are homeless or in danger of homelessness,
including assistance with the following:
(1) utilities;
(2) employment; and
(3) legal issues.
The assistance authorized under this paragraph
must be made only to veterans who have
resided in Minnesota for 30 days prior to
application for assistance and according to
other guidelines established by the
commissioner. In order to avoid duplication
of services, the commissioner must ensure that
this assistance is coordinated with all other
available programs for veterans.
(d) State's Veterans Cemeteries. $6,172,000
the first year and $1,672,000 the second year
are for the state's veterans cemeteries. Of these
amounts, $4,500,000 the first year is to
construct and equip the new veterans cemetery
in Redwood Falls.
(e) Honor Guards. $200,000 each year is for
compensation for honor guards at the funerals
of veterans under Minnesota Statutes, section
197.231.
(f) Minnesota GI Bill. $200,000 each year is
for the costs of administering the Minnesota
GI Bill postsecondary educational benefits,
on-the-job training, and apprenticeship
program under Minnesota Statutes, section
197.791.
(g) Gold Star Program. $100,000 each year
is for administering the Gold Star Program for
surviving family members of deceased
veterans.
(h) County Veterans Service Office.
deleted text begin $1,100,000deleted text end new text begin $1,550,000new text end each year is for
funding the County Veterans Service Office
grant program under Minnesota Statutes,
section 197.608.
(i) Veteran Homelessness Initiative.
$3,165,000 each year is for an initiative to
prevent and end veteran homelessness. The
commissioner of veterans affairs may provide
housing vouchers and other services to
alleviate homelessness among veterans and
former service members in Minnesota. The
commissioner may contract for program
administration and may establish a vacancy
reserve fund. The base for this appropriation
in fiscal year 2024 and each year thereafter is
$1,311,000.
(j) Camp Bliss. $75,000 each year is for a
grant to Independent Lifestyles, Inc. for
expenses related to retreats for veterans at
Camp Bliss in Walker, Minnesota, including
therapy, transportation, and activities
customized for veterans.
(k) Veterans On The Lake. $50,000 in the
first year is for a grant to Veterans on the Lake
for expenses related to retreats for veterans,
including therapy, transportation, and activities
customized for veterans.
(l) Veterans Resilience Project. $400,000
each year is for a grant to the veterans
resilience project. Grant funds must be used
to make eye movement desensitization and
reprocessing therapy available to veterans and
current military service members who are
suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder
and trauma. The base for this appropriation in
fiscal year 2024 and each year thereafter is
$200,000.
The veterans resilience project must report to
the commissioner of veterans affairs and the
chairs and ranking minority members of the
legislative committees with jurisdiction over
veterans affairs policy and finance by January
15 of each year on the program. The report
must include an overview of the program's
budget, a detailed explanation of program
expenditures, the number of veterans and
service members served by the program, and
a list and explanation of the services provided
to program participants.
(m) 9/11 Task Force. $500,000 the first year
is for the Advisory Task Force on 9/11 and
Global War on Terrorism Remembrance. The
task force must collect, memorialize, and
publish stories of Minnesotans' service in the
Global War on Terrorism and impacts on their
dependents. The task force must host a
remembrance program in September 2021.
This is a onetime appropriation.