1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to public safety; establishing a grant program to assist local law 
1.3 	enforcement agencies to develop or expand lifesaver programs that locate lost 
1.4 	or wandering persons who are mentally impaired; authorizing rulemaking; 
1.5 	appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
1.6 	chapter 299C.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. [299C.563] LIFESAVER GRANT PROGRAM.
1.9 		Subdivision 1.Grant program. The commissioner of public safety shall establish 
1.10 	a lifesaver grant program to assist local law enforcement agencies with the costs of 
1.11 	developing lifesaver rapid response programs designed to quickly find individuals with 
1.12 	medical conditions that cause wandering and result in many of these individuals becoming 
1.13 	lost and missing. The search and rescue program must electronically track a lost or 
1.14 	missing vulnerable senior citizen or an individual who is mentally impaired due to autism, 
1.15 	Down Syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, or other mental impairment that causes wandering. 
1.16 	The lifesaver program participant wears a small transmitter on the wrist to allow the local 
1.17 	law enforcement agency to electronically locate the participant, if necessary, using a radio 
1.18 	receiver. Grants may be awarded to new and existing programs. The commissioner shall 
1.19 	administer and promote the grant program throughout the state and serve as liaison to 
1.20 	lifesaver programs.
1.21 		Subd. 2.Application; eligibility. A county law enforcement agency or two or 
1.22 	more county, or county and city law enforcement agencies may apply for a grant to 
1.23 	the commissioner of public safety for a grant in a form and manner established by the 
1.24 	commissioner. The application must include:
1.25 	(1) an estimate of the number of people who might qualify for lifesaver assistance;
2.1 	(2) an estimate of the start-up cost for new programs or expansion costs for existing 
2.2 	programs;
2.3 	(3) a statement of the number of personnel available for tracking lost persons;
2.4 	(4) a statement of available local funding sources; and
2.5 	(5) other information requested by the commissioner.
2.6 		Subd. 3.Grant awards. To the extent funds are available, the commissioner may 
2.7 	award, on a first-come, first-served basis, grants of up to $4,000 to eligible applicants 
2.8 	to develop a new lifesaver program and up to $2,000 to eligible applicants to expand 
2.9 	an existing program. Recipients developing a new lifesaver program shall be given 
2.10 	priority over recipients expanding an existing program. Grant recipients must be located 
2.11 	throughout the state to the extent feasible and consistent with this section.
2.12 		Subd. 4.Uses of grant award. (a) A grant recipient may use an award only for 
2.13 	the following:
2.14 	(1) to purchase emergency response kits, which shall include, at a minimum, 
2.15 	equipment necessary to track and triangulate searches, transmitters, receivers, or any 
2.16 	other related equipment; and
2.17 	(2) to train search personnel.
2.18 	(b) A grant recipient shall manage and provide for the operating costs of the lifesaver 
2.19 	program after its initial development or expansion based on whether the grant is to 
2.20 	develop a new program or expand an existing program.
2.21 		Subd. 5.Lifesaver grant program account. The lifesaver grant program account 
2.22 	is established in the state treasury. The account shall consist of contributions from 
2.23 	private sources and state money when appropriated. Money deposited in the account is 
2.24 	appropriated to the commissioner of public safety for the purposes of this section. Money 
2.25 	in the account that is not expended in the fiscal year in which it is appropriated does not 
2.26 	revert to the general fund but is available until expended.
2.27 		Subd. 6.Rulemaking authority. The commissioner of public safety may adopt 
2.28 	rules under chapter 14 as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this section 
2.29 	including, at least, the annual deadline for submitting applications for a grant, procedures 
2.30 	for reporting search and rescue statistics using technology obtained with a grant, and 
2.31 	procedures for implementing or expanding a lifesaver program.
2.32 		Subd. 7.Report by local agencies. A grant recipient shall file a report with the 
2.33 	commissioner itemizing the expenditures made to develop or expand its lifesaver program 
2.34 	and how the recipient will provide for continued operating costs of the program.
2.35 		Subd. 8.Report to legislature. The commissioner shall report to the house 
2.36 	of representatives and senate committees having jurisdiction over public safety by 
3.1 	January 15, 2018, on the coordination and implementation of lifesaver programs and the 
3.2 	implementation, use, and administration of the grant program under this section. 

3.3 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 3.4 	$....... in fiscal year 2016 and $....... in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated from the 
3.5 	general fund to the commissioner of public safety for the purposes of the lifesaver grant 
3.6 	program under section 1.