1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to public safety; establishing the board of 
  1.3             firefighter training and education; establishing a 
  1.4             firefighter training reimbursement program; 
  1.5             authorizing rulemaking; appropriating money; proposing 
  1.6             coding for new law as Minnesota Statutes, chapter 299N.
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [299N.01] [DEFINITIONS.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [SCOPE.] The terms used in this chapter 
  1.10  have the meanings given them in this section. 
  1.11     Subd. 2.  [FIRE DEPARTMENT.] "Fire department" means a 
  1.12  regularly organized fire department, fire protection district, 
  1.13  or fire company, as defined in the Uniform Fire Code adopted 
  1.14  under section 299F.011, regularly charged with the 
  1.15  responsibility of providing fire protection to the state or a 
  1.16  local government and includes a private nonprofit fire 
  1.17  department directly serving a local government.  It does not 
  1.18  include industrial fire brigades. 
  1.19     Subd. 3.  [FIREFIGHTER.] "Firefighter" means a volunteer, 
  1.20  paid on-call, part-time, or career firefighter serving a general 
  1.21  population within the boundaries of the state. 
  1.22     Sec. 2.  [299N.02] [BOARD OF FIREFIGHTER TRAINING AND 
  1.23  EDUCATION.] 
  1.24     Subdivision 1.  [PURPOSE.] The board of firefighter 
  1.25  training and education is established.  The purpose of the board 
  1.26  is to review the educational needs of firefighters and fire 
  2.1   departments in the state and to make recommendations to 
  2.2   educational institutions, fire education providers, and the 
  2.3   legislature on ways to improve firefighter training and skills, 
  2.4   address changes in technology, and through education and 
  2.5   training enhance the safety of firefighters; to establish 
  2.6   firefighter training standards; and to reimburse fire 
  2.7   departments for training as provided in section 299N.03.  
  2.8      Subd. 2.  [MEMBERSHIP.] Notwithstanding any provision of 
  2.9   chapter 15 to the contrary, the board of firefighter training 
  2.10  and education consists of the following members: 
  2.11     (1) five members representing the Minnesota State Fire 
  2.12  Department Association, four of whom must be volunteer 
  2.13  firefighters and one of whom may be a career firefighter, 
  2.14  appointed by the governor; 
  2.15     (2) two members representing the Minnesota State Fire 
  2.16  Chiefs Association, one of whom must be a volunteer fire chief, 
  2.17  appointed by the governor; 
  2.18     (3) two members representing the Minnesota Professional 
  2.19  Fire Fighters Association, appointed by the governor; 
  2.20     (4) two members representing Minnesota home rule charter 
  2.21  and statutory cities, appointed by the governor; 
  2.22     (5) two members representing Minnesota towns, appointed by 
  2.23  the governor; 
  2.24     (6) the commissioner of public safety or the commissioner's 
  2.25  designee; and 
  2.26     (7) one public member not affiliated or associated with any 
  2.27  member or interest represented in clauses (1) to (6), appointed 
  2.28  by the governor. 
  2.29     The Minnesota State Fire Department Association shall 
  2.30  recommend five persons to be the members described in clause 
  2.31  (1), the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association shall recommend 
  2.32  two persons to be the members described in clause (2), the 
  2.33  Minnesota Professional Fire Fighters Association shall recommend 
  2.34  two persons to be the members described in clause (3), the 
  2.35  Minnesota League of Cities shall recommend two persons to be the 
  2.36  members described in clause (4), and the Minnesota Association 
  3.1   of Townships shall recommend two persons to be the members 
  3.2   described in clause (5).  In making the appointments the 
  3.3   governor shall try to achieve representation from all geographic 
  3.4   areas of the state. 
  3.5      Subd. 3.  [TERMS; CHAIR; COMPENSATION.] Members of the 
  3.6   board shall serve for terms of four years.  The governor shall 
  3.7   appoint a chair from among the members.  Terms, compensation, 
  3.8   and filling of vacancies are subject to section 15.0575, 
  3.9   subdivisions 3, 4, and 5.  
  3.10     Subd. 4.  [POWERS AND DUTIES.] (a) The board shall: 
  3.11     (1) review fire service training needs and make 
  3.12  recommendations on reimbursable training to Minnesota fire 
  3.13  service organizations; 
  3.14     (2) establish standards for reimbursable educational 
  3.15  programs for the fire service and develop procedures for 
  3.16  continuing oversight of the programs; 
  3.17     (3) establish qualifications and renewal requirements for 
  3.18  fire service training instructors in programs established under 
  3.19  clause (2); 
  3.20     (4) report to fire service organizations, the Minnesota 
  3.21  state colleges and universities, and private providers of 
  3.22  firefighter training on the quality and effectiveness of 
  3.23  training programs provided in Minnesota; 
  3.24     (5) administer funds for fire service educational programs 
  3.25  and services; and 
  3.26     (6) adopt rules necessary to carry out its duties. 
  3.27     (b) The board may: 
  3.28     (1) hire an executive director in the unclassified service 
  3.29  and hire staff as appropriate; 
  3.30     (2) contract for technical or professional services 
  3.31  according to section 15.061; 
  3.32     (3) pay expenses necessary to carry out its duties; 
  3.33     (4) apply for, receive, and accept grants, gifts, devises, 
  3.34  and endowments that any entity may make to the board for the 
  3.35  purposes of this chapter and may use any money given to it 
  3.36  consistent with the terms and conditions under which the money 
  4.1   was received and for the purposes stated; 
  4.2      (5) make recommendations to the legislature to improve the 
  4.3   quality of firefighter training; 
  4.4      (6) collect and provide data, subject to section 13.03; 
  4.5      (7) conduct studies and surveys and make reports; and 
  4.6      (8) conduct other activities necessary to carry out its 
  4.7   duties. 
  4.8      Sec. 3.  [299N.03] [FIREFIGHTER TRAINING AND REIMBURSEMENT 
  4.9   PROGRAM.] 
  4.10     The board shall adopt rules establishing the requirements 
  4.11  for fire departments to obtain reimbursement for firefighter 
  4.12  training costs up to a limit established by the board. 
  4.13     Sec. 4.  [INITIAL TERMS OF BOARD MEMBERS.] 
  4.14     Of the members of the board of firefighter training and 
  4.15  education initially appointed by the governor, five members must 
  4.16  be appointed for two-year terms, five appointed for three-year 
  4.17  terms, and five appointed for four-year terms. 
  4.18     Sec. 5.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  4.19     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the board 
  4.20  of firefighter training and education for the purposes of 
  4.21  implementing and administering this act, to be available for the 
  4.22  biennium ending June 30, 2001.