1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to child health; requiring the commissioner 
  1.3             of health to provide tobacco use prevention grants for 
  1.4             youth; appropriating money; proposing coding for new 
  1.5             law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 145A. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [145A.135] [TOBACCO USE PREVENTION GRANTS FOR 
  1.8   YOUTH.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [COMPETITIVE GRANTS.] (a) The commissioner 
  1.10  of health, in consultation with the commissioner of children, 
  1.11  families, and learning, shall award grants to community health 
  1.12  boards for tobacco use prevention grants targeted at youth up to 
  1.13  age 18.  The commissioner shall issue a request for proposals by 
  1.14  September 1, 1999, require proposals to be submitted by November 
  1.15  1, 1999, and award grants by December 1, 1999.  The request for 
  1.16  proposals must describe the criteria for evaluation, outcome 
  1.17  measures, and evaluation methodology developed by the 
  1.18  commissioner under subdivision 4. 
  1.19     (b) The commissioner shall award grants to community health 
  1.20  boards that: 
  1.21     (1) have developed, in collaboration with community action 
  1.22  agencies established under sections 119A.374 to 119A.376, a 
  1.23  four-year plan to reduce the rate of smoking and tobacco use 
  1.24  among youth up to age 18; and 
  1.25     (2) will implement the plan in collaboration with community 
  2.1   action agencies, schools, and other public or private entities 
  2.2   conducting similar or related initiatives, in a manner that does 
  2.3   not duplicate existing efforts. 
  2.4   Community health boards, in collaboration with their community 
  2.5   action agencies, may form partnerships and jointly apply for 
  2.6   grants. 
  2.7      (c) The commissioner shall award at least two but not more 
  2.8   than four competitive grants.  Grants awarded by the 
  2.9   commissioner must target different areas of the state.  At least 
  2.10  one grant must target a youth population at high risk of tobacco 
  2.11  use. 
  2.12     (d) Grants shall be awarded for two years and may be 
  2.13  renewed by the commissioner for an additional two years.  A 
  2.14  grant recipient may request renewal of a grant by submitting to 
  2.15  the commissioner a written request for renewal, a description of 
  2.16  initiatives funded by the initial grant, and information on 
  2.17  progress toward achieving the outcome measures developed by the 
  2.18  commissioner under subdivision 4.  The commissioner may renew a 
  2.19  grant only if the commissioner determines that the grant 
  2.20  recipient has made adequate progress toward implementing its 
  2.21  plan and achieving the outcome measures. 
  2.22     Subd. 2.  [GRANTS TO COMMUNITY HEALTH BOARDS.] (a) The 
  2.23  commissioner shall award grants to each community health board 
  2.24  that submits a proposal to establish and implement, in 
  2.25  collaboration with community action agencies established under 
  2.26  sections 119A.374 to 119A.376, tobacco use prevention 
  2.27  initiatives targeted at youth up to age 18.  Proposals must be 
  2.28  developed in collaboration with the community action agencies.  
  2.29  The commissioner shall require community health boards to submit 
  2.30  proposals by November 1, 1999, and shall award grants by 
  2.31  December 15, 1999.  The commissioner shall establish grant 
  2.32  levels using the formula in section 145A.13. 
  2.33     (b) Grants shall be awarded for two years and may be 
  2.34  renewed by the commissioner for an additional two years.  A 
  2.35  community health board may request renewal of a grant by 
  2.36  submitting to the commissioner a written request for renewal, a 
  3.1   description of initiatives funded by the initial grant, and 
  3.2   information on progress toward achieving the outcome measures 
  3.3   developed by the commissioner under subdivision 4.  The 
  3.4   commissioner may renew a grant only if the commissioner 
  3.5   determines that the community health board has made adequate 
  3.6   progress toward implementing its plan and achieving the outcome 
  3.7   measures. 
  3.8      Subd. 3.  [PROHIBITION ON MULTIPLE AWARDS.] A community 
  3.9   health board may apply for grants under both subdivisions 1 and 
  3.10  2, but may accept only one grant award.  If a community health 
  3.11  board is awarded a grant under both subdivisions 1 and 2, the 
  3.12  board must return one of the grant awards to the commissioner.  
  3.13  If a grant awarded under subdivision 1 is returned, the 
  3.14  commissioner shall award this money to another applicant.  If a 
  3.15  grant awarded under subdivision 2 is returned, the commissioner 
  3.16  shall distribute this money on a pro rata basis to all other 
  3.17  community health boards awarded that grant. 
  3.18     Subd. 4.  [EVALUATION.] (a) The commissioner, in 
  3.19  consultation with the commissioner of children, families, and 
  3.20  learning, shall evaluate the effectiveness of the initiatives 
  3.21  funded by the grants provided under this section.  Grant 
  3.22  recipients shall cooperate with the commissioner in the 
  3.23  evaluation and provide the commissioner with outcomes data and 
  3.24  other information necessary to conduct the evaluation. 
  3.25     (b) The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner 
  3.26  of children, families, and learning, shall develop criteria for 
  3.27  evaluation, outcome measures, and an evaluation methodology by 
  3.28  September 1, 2000, and shall provide this information to grant 
  3.29  applicants.  The commissioner shall include evaluation results 
  3.30  in the preliminary and final reports required under subdivision 
  3.31  5. 
  3.32     Subd. 5.  [REPORTS.] The commissioner shall present a 
  3.33  preliminary report to the legislature by January 15, 2001, on 
  3.34  the grant program established by this section.  The preliminary 
  3.35  report must include information on grant recipients and grant 
  3.36  awards, a summary of the evaluation criteria, outcome measures, 
  4.1   and evaluation methodology, and preliminary evaluation results.  
  4.2   The commissioner shall submit a final report to the legislature 
  4.3   by January 15, 2003.  The final report must include information 
  4.4   on grant renewals, final evaluation results, and recommendations 
  4.5   for effective tobacco use prevention initiatives for youth. 
  4.6      Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  4.7      (a) $15,000,000 from the general fund is appropriated to 
  4.8   the commissioner of health for the biennium ending June 30, 
  4.9   2001, to implement section 1. 
  4.10     (b) Of this appropriation, $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2000 
  4.11  and $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2001 is for competitive grants 
  4.12  provided under section 1, subdivision 1. 
  4.13     (c) Of this appropriation, $4,600,000 in fiscal year 2000 
  4.14  and $4,600,000 in fiscal year 2001 is for grants to community 
  4.15  health boards provided under section 1, subdivision 2. 
  4.16     (d) Of this amount, $750,000 in fiscal year 2000 and 
  4.17  $750,000 in fiscal year 2001 is available to the commissioner 
  4.18  for costs related to evaluation.  This money is available until 
  4.19  expended. 
  4.20     (e) Of this amount, $150,000 in fiscal year 2000 and 
  4.21  $150,000 in fiscal year 2001 is available to the commissioner 
  4.22  for administrative costs.  Any balance remaining at the end of 
  4.23  fiscal year 2000 may be carried over to fiscal year 2001.