1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to the military; changing the reenlistment 
  1.3             bonus program; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, 
  1.4             section 192.501, as amended. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 192.501, as 
  1.7   amended by Laws 1995, chapter 186, section 48, is amended to 
  1.8   read: 
  1.9      192.501 [FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [REENLISTMENT BONUS.] (a) The adjutant 
  1.11  general shall may establish a program providing a reenlistment 
  1.12  bonus for reenlisting in the Minnesota national guard for 
  1.13  eligible active members of the Minnesota national guard in 
  1.14  accordance with this section.  An eligible active member of the 
  1.15  Minnesota national guard serving satisfactorily, as defined by 
  1.16  the adjutant general, shall, as determined by the adjutant 
  1.17  general, may be paid $250 per year for reenlisting in the 
  1.18  Minnesota national guard the bonus. 
  1.19     (b) A member must reenlist in the Minnesota national guard 
  1.20  for a minimum of three years Bonus payments must be made on a 
  1.21  schedule as determined by the adjutant general.  
  1.22     (c) A member is eligible for subsequent reenlistment 
  1.23  bonuses to the extent that total years of bonus eligibility are 
  1.24  limited to 12 years If a member fails to complete a term of 
  1.25  enlistment for which a bonus was paid, the department may seek 
  2.1   to recoup a prorated amount determined by the adjutant general.  
  2.2      (d) Bonus payments shall be paid in the month prior to the 
  2.3   anniversary of a member's current reenlistment.  
  2.4      (e) A member electing to receive tuition assistance under 
  2.5   subdivision 2, shall forfeit the reenlistment bonus for the 
  2.6   years that the tuition assistance is provided. 
  2.7      Subd. 2.  [TUITION REIMBURSEMENT EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 
  2.8   GRANTS.] (a) The adjutant general shall establish a program 
  2.9   providing tuition reimbursement post-secondary educational 
  2.10  assistance grants for eligible active members of the Minnesota 
  2.11  national guard in accordance with this section.  An active 
  2.12  member of the Minnesota national guard serving satisfactorily, 
  2.13  as defined by the adjutant general, shall be reimbursed for 
  2.14  tuition paid to a post-secondary education institution as 
  2.15  defined by section 136A.15, subdivision 5, upon proof of 
  2.16  satisfactory completion of course work, as determined by the 
  2.17  adjutant general.  A post-secondary education institution is 
  2.18  defined by section 136A.15, subdivision 6. 
  2.19     (b) In the case of tuition paid to a public institution 
  2.20  located in Minnesota, including any vocational or technical 
  2.21  school, tuition is limited to an amount equal to 50 percent of 
  2.22  the cost of tuition at that public institution, except as 
  2.23  provided in this section.  In the case of tuition paid to a 
  2.24  Minnesota private institution or vocational or technical school 
  2.25  or a public or private institution or vocational or technical 
  2.26  school not located in Minnesota, reimbursement is limited to 50 
  2.27  percent of the cost of tuition for lower division programs in 
  2.28  the college of liberal arts at the twin cities campus of the 
  2.29  University of Minnesota in the most recent academic year, except 
  2.30  as provided in this section.  Grant amounts must be determined 
  2.31  by the adjutant general for full-time students, as defined in 
  2.32  section 256D.02, subdivision 15, and part-time students, but 
  2.33  will not exceed 100 percent of the top rate of tuition as set by 
  2.34  the board of trustees of Minnesota state colleges and 
  2.35  universities in the most recent academic year.  Grants must be 
  2.36  paid upon proof of satisfactory completion of coursework as 
  3.1   defined by the adjutant general. 
  3.2      (c) If a member of the Minnesota national guard is killed 
  3.3   in the line of state active service or federally funded state 
  3.4   active service as defined in section 190.05, subdivision 5b, the 
  3.5   state shall reimburse 100 percent of the cost of tuition for 
  3.6   post-secondary courses satisfactorily completed by offer 
  3.7   educational assistance grants under the same conditions as 
  3.8   paragraph (b) to any surviving spouse and any surviving 
  3.9   dependents who are 23 years old or younger.  Reimbursement 
  3.10  Grants for surviving spouses and dependents is are limited in 
  3.11  amount and duration as is reimbursement for the to that to which 
  3.12  a national guard member would be entitled. 
  3.13     (d) The amount of tuition reimbursement for each eligible 
  3.14  individual shall be determined by the adjutant general according 
  3.15  to rules formulated within 30 days of June 4, 1989.  Tuition 
  3.16  reimbursement Educational assistance grants received under this 
  3.17  section shall not be considered by the Minnesota higher 
  3.18  education services office or by any other state board, 
  3.19  commission, or entity in determining a person's eligibility for 
  3.20  a scholarship or grant-in-aid under sections 136A.095 to 
  3.21  136A.1311. 
  3.22     (e) If a national guard member fails to complete a term of 
  3.23  enlistment during which educational assistance grants were paid, 
  3.24  the department may seek to recoup a prorated amount as 
  3.25  determined by the adjutant general. 
  3.26     Subd. 3.  [ENLISTMENT BONUS.] (a) The adjutant general may 
  3.27  establish a program providing an enlistment bonus for eligible 
  3.28  prospects, as defined by the adjutant general, who become 
  3.29  members of the Minnesota national guard. 
  3.30     (b) Enlistment bonus payment amounts must be established by 
  3.31  the adjutant general. 
  3.32     (c) Amount and availability of the enlistment bonus to 
  3.33  members will be dependent on annual appropriations. 
  3.34     (d) If a national guard member fails to complete a term of 
  3.35  enlistment for which a bonus was paid, the department may seek 
  3.36  to recoup a prorated amount as determined by the adjutant 
  4.1   general. 
  4.2      Subd. 4.  [RECORDKEEPING; RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION; FISCAL 
  4.3   MANAGEMENT.] The department of military affairs shall keep an 
  4.4   accurate record of the recipients of the reenlistment bonus and 
  4.5   tuition reimbursement, educational assistance grants, and 
  4.6   enlistment bonus and report the effectiveness of these programs 
  4.7   in the department's performance report.  The department shall 
  4.8   report to the legislature on the effectiveness of the 
  4.9   reenlistment bonus and tuition reimbursement programs in 
  4.10  retaining and recruiting members for the Minnesota National 
  4.11  Guard.  The report to the legislature shall be made by January 1 
  4.12  of each year.  The report shall include a review of the effect 
  4.13  that the reenlistment bonus and tuition reimbursement programs 
  4.14  have on the enlistment and reenlistment of national guard 
  4.15  members.  The report shall include an accurate record of the 
  4.16  effect that both the tuition reimbursement program and the 
  4.17  reenlistment bonus program have on the recruitment and retention 
  4.18  of members by rank, unit location, race, and sex. 
  4.19     The department of military affairs shall make a include in 
  4.20  its performance report measures of its specific effort efforts 
  4.21  to recruit and retain women and members of minority groups into 
  4.22  the guard through the use of the tuition reimbursement and 
  4.23  educational assistance grants, reenlistment bonus programs 
  4.24  bonuses, and enlistment bonuses. 
  4.25     Sec. 2.  [REPORT.] 
  4.26     The adjutant general shall report to the chairs of the 
  4.27  senate committee on finance and the house of representatives 
  4.28  committee on ways and means by March 1, 1997, on the results 
  4.29  achieved by the changes in financial incentives for national 
  4.30  guard members made by this act. 
  4.31     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  4.32     This act is effective July 1, 1996.