1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to state government; modifying eligibility for public television station 
1.3 	block grants and noncommercial radio station grants; appropriating money;
1.4 	amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 129D.13, subdivision 1; 129D.14, 
1.5 	subdivision 3.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 129D.13, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Distribution. The commissioner shall distribute the money provided by 
1.9 	sections 129D.11 to 129D.13. Annually the commissioner shall make block grants which 
1.10 	shall be distributed in equal amounts to public stations for operational costs. The 
1.11 	commissioner shall allocate money appropriated for the purposes of sections 129D.11 to 
1.12 	129D.13 in such a manner that each eligible public station receives a block grant. In addition, 
1.13 	the commissioner shall make matching grants to public stations. Matching grants shall be 
1.14 	used for operational costs and shall be allocated using the procedure developed for 
1.15 	distribution of state money under this section for grants made in fiscal year 1979. No station's 
1.16 	matching grant in any fiscal year shall exceed the amount of Minnesota-based contributions 
1.17 	received by that station in the previous fiscal year. Grants made pursuant to this subdivision 
1.18 	may only be given to those federally licensed stations that are were certified as eligible for 
1.19 	community service grants through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 2024. Grant 
1.20 	funds not expended by a station during the first year of the biennium do not cancel and may 
1.21 	be carried over into the second fiscal year.

1.22 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 129D.14, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
1.23 		Subd. 3.Eligibility. (a) To qualify for a grant under this section, the licensee must:
2.1 	(1) hold a valid noncommercial radio station license from the FCC that is a Class "A" 
2.2 	or "C" FM, as defined in Code of Federal Regulations, title 47, subpart B, sections 73.210 
2.3 	and 73.211 or Class "C" or "D" AM, as defined in Code of Federal Regulations, title 47, 
2.4 	subpart A, section 73.21. Stations with a Class "L1" and "LP100" are not eligible for this 
2.5 	funding. The station must be licensed to a community in the state of Minnesota and must 
2.6 	be operated as a noncommercial educational station;
2.7 	(2) have facilities adequate to provide local program production and origination;
2.8 	(3) employ a minimum of two full-time 1-1/2 professional radio staff persons or the 
2.9 	equivalent in part-time staff and agree to employ a minimum of two full-time 1-1/2
2.10 	professional radio staff persons or the equivalent in part-time staff throughout the fiscal 
2.11 	year of the grant;
2.12 	(4) maintain a minimum daily broadcasting schedule of (i) the maximum allowed by its 
2.13 	Federal Communications Commission license, or (ii) 12 hours a day during the first year 
2.14 	of eligibility for state assistance, 15 hours a day during the second year of eligibility and 
2.15 	18 hours a day during the third and following years of eligibility;
2.16 	(5) broadcast 365 days a year or the maximum number of days allowed by its Federal 
2.17 	Communications Commission license with an exception for power outages and natural 
2.18 	disasters;
2.19 	(6) have a daily broadcast schedule devoted primarily to programming that serves 
2.20 	ascertained community needs of an educational, informational or cultural nature within its 
2.21 	primary signal area; however, a program schedule of a main channel carrier designed to 
2.22 	further the principles of one or more particular religious philosophies or including 25 percent 
2.23 	or more religious programming on a broadcast day does not meet this criterion, nor does a 
2.24 	program schedule of a main channel carrier designed primarily for in-school or professional 
2.25 	in-service audiences;
2.26 	(7) originate significant, locally produced programming designed to serve its community 
2.27 	of license;
2.28 	(8) have a total annual operating income and budget of at least $50,000;
2.29 	(9) have either a board of directors representing the community or a community advisory 
2.30 	board that conducts advisory board meetings that are open to the public;
2.31 	(10) have a board of directors that: (i) holds the portion of any meeting relating to the 
2.32 	management or operation of the radio station open to the public, and (ii) permits any person 
3.1 	to attend any meeting of the board without requiring a person, as a condition to attendance 
3.2 	at the meeting, to register the person's name or to provide any other information; and
3.3 	(11) have met the criteria in clauses (1) to (10) for six months before it is eligible for 
3.4 	state assistance under this section.
3.5 	(b) The commissioner shall accept the judgment of Corporation for Public Broadcasting 
3.6 	accepted audit when it is available on a station's eligibility for assistance under the criteria 
3.7 	of this subdivision. If the station is not qualified for assistance or is qualified for but not 
3.8 	receiving funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, an independent audit is 
3.9 	required to verify eligibility under paragraph (a), clause (8). If neither is available, the 
3.10 	commissioner may accept a written declaration of eligibility signed by an independent 
3.11 	auditor, a certified public accountant, or the chief executive officer of the station's parent 
3.12 	organization.

3.13 	Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION.
 3.14 	$165,000 in fiscal year 2027 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
3.15 	of administration for grants to the Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio 
3.16 	Stations to provide resources, software, training, and assistance to help its member stations 
3.17 	consolidate resources and expenses. This is a onetime appropriation.