HF 1353

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/01/2023 10:55am

A bill for an act
relating to veterans; allowing veterans' spouses and current military service
members' spouses to receive eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
therapy through the veterans resilience project; appropriating money for a grant
to the veterans resilience project; amending 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.

Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 12, article 1, section 37, subdivision
2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2. Veterans Programs and Services

27,073,000

22,153,000

(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.
$1,100,000 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 deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin ,
veterans' spouses, new text end current military service
members new text begin , and current military service
members' spouses new text end 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.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin VETERANS RESILIENCE PROJECT; APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $400,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $400,000 in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated from the
general fund to the commissioner of veterans affairs for a grant to the veterans resilience
project. Grant funds must be used to make eye movement desensitization and reprocessing
therapy available to veterans, veterans' spouses, current military service members, and
current military service members' spouses who are suffering from posttraumatic stress
disorder and trauma. This appropriation is added to the base.
new text end