1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; modifying the Spinal Cord and Traumatic Brain Injury 
1.3 	Advisory Council; creating a spinal cord and traumatic brain injury student research 
1.4 	scholarship and education program; appropriating money;amending Minnesota 
1.5 	Statutes 2016, section 136A.902, subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in 
1.6 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 136A.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 136A.902, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.9 		Subdivision 1.Membership. The commissioner shall appoint a 12-member advisory 
1.10 	council consisting of:
1.11 	(1) one member representing the University of Minnesota Medical School;
1.12 	(2) one member representing the Mayo Medical School;
1.13 	(3) one member representing the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Center;
1.14 	(4) one member representing Hennepin County Medical Center;
1.15 	(5) one member who is a neurosurgeon;
1.16 	(6) one member who has a spinal cord injury;
1.17 	(7) one member who is a family member of a person with a spinal cord injury;
1.18 	(8) one member who has a traumatic brain injury;
1.19 	(9) one member who is a veteran who has a spinal cord injury or a traumatic brain injury;
1.20 	(10) one member who is a veteran who has a traumatic brain injury;
1.21 	(11) one member who is a family member of a person with a traumatic brain injury;
2.1 	(11) (12) one member who is a physician specializing in the treatment of spinal cord 
2.2 	injury representing Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare; and
2.3 	(12) (13) one member who is a physician specializing in the treatment of traumatic brain 
2.4 	injury; and
2.5 	(14) one member representing Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare.

2.6 	Sec. 2. [136A.903] SPINAL CORD AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY STUDENT 
2.7 	RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP AND EDUCATION PROGRAM.
2.8 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. The commissioner, in consultation with the advisory 
2.9 	council established under section 136A.902, shall establish a program to award scholarships 
2.10 	for spinal cord and traumatic brain injury student research and education. The purpose of 
2.11 	this program is to build the Minnesota spinal cord and traumatic brain injury workforce by 
2.12 	integrating foundational concepts for students, patients, and members of the community 
2.13 	and expanding educational, training, and career opportunities.
2.14 		Subd. 2.Program administration. (a) The commissioner, in consultation with the 
2.15 	advisory council established under section 136A.902, shall select an appropriate partnering 
2.16 	institution to manage the scholarship and education program. Application for the partnership 
2.17 	shall be in a manner prescribed by the commissioner and may be renewed annually. In order 
2.18 	to be eligible, applicants must:
2.19 	(1) be Minnesota-based;
2.20 	(2) have experience working with issues related to spinal cord and traumatic brain injury; 
2.21 	and
2.22 	(3) be able to engage various levels of postsecondary study.
2.23 	(b) The selected managing partner shall be responsible for establishing criteria for 
2.24 	scholarship eligibility, prescribing the manner of application for scholarships, determining 
2.25 	the distribution of scholarships across all levels of study, and selecting scholarship recipients. 
2.26 	The managing partner may use no more than ten percent of any appropriation to cover 
2.27 	indirect costs related to the administration of the program.
2.28 		Subd. 3.First awards. The commissioner must select a managing partner by September 
2.29 	1, 2017. The first scholarships must be awarded by February 15, 2018.
2.30 		Subd. 4.Award limits. An award for study at the undergraduate level may not exceed 
2.31 	$5,000. An award for study at the graduate level may not exceed $45,000. An award for 
2.32 	study at the postdoctoral level may not exceed $75,000.
3.1 		Subd. 5.Reporting. (a) By January 15, 2019, and each January 15 thereafter, the 
3.2 	managing partner shall submit a report to the commissioner specifying the criteria used for 
3.3 	scholarship eligibility, the distribution of awards across levels of study and the amount of 
3.4 	each award, and the amount of any available appropriation used to cover indirect costs of 
3.5 	administering the program.
3.6 	(b) By February 1, 2019, and each February 1 thereafter, the commissioner shall submit 
3.7 	a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees having 
3.8 	jurisdiction over higher education specifying the institution selected to be the managing 
3.9 	partner of the program, the distribution of scholarships awarded across levels of study, the 
3.10 	amounts of any scholarships awarded, and the amount of any available appropriation used 
3.11 	by the managing partner to cover indirect costs of administrating the program.

3.12 	Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION; MINNESOTA SPINAL CORD INJURY AND 
3.13 	TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM.
 3.14 	$2,000,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from 
3.15 	the general fund to the commissioner of the Office of Higher Education for spinal cord 
3.16 	injury and traumatic brain injury research grants authorized under Minnesota Statutes, 
3.17 	section 136A.901.
3.18 	The commissioner may use no more than three percent of this appropriation to administer 
3.19 	the grant program under this section.

3.20 	Sec. 4. APPROPRIATION; MINNESOTA SPINAL CORD AND TRAUMATIC 
3.21 	BRAIN INJURY STUDENT RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP AND EDUCATION 
3.22 	PROGRAM.
 3.23 	$500,000 in fiscal year 2019 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
3.24 	of the Office of Higher Education for spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury student 
3.25 	research scholarships and education under Minnesota Statutes, section 136A.903.
3.26 	The commissioner may use no more than three percent of this appropriation to administer 
3.27 	the grant program under this section.