HF 1612

1st Engrossment - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to the military; improving access to psychological counseling services
for returning soldiers and veterans; requiring a report; appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Veterans affairs. new text end

new text begin The sums in this section are appropriated from the
general fund to the commissioner of veterans affairs for the fiscal years designated and
for the purposes specified. The commissioner may, where practicable, use these amounts
to make grants to local providers of psychological counseling services for the stated
purposes. These are onetime appropriations.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Hotline for veterans counseling referral. new text end

new text begin For a staffed telephone
hotline and operator to refer soldiers and veterans to all available local, state, and federal
counseling services at all practicable hours of need. The commissioner must broadly
and repeatedly publish the number and availability of this telephone hotline and must
encourage local media and service providers to publish it as well.
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin ....... new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2008 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin ....... new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2009 new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Local veterans counseling services. new text end

new text begin For the provision of local
psychological counseling services in underserved areas of the state having significant
population concentrations of service members and veterans.
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin ....... new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2008 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin ....... new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2009 new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin NEEDS ASSESSMENT REQUIRED.
new text end

new text begin By November 1, 2007, the commissioner of veterans affairs and the adjutant general
of the National Guard shall jointly report to the chair and ranking minority member of
each committee in the senate and house of representatives with jurisdiction over the policy
or finance of veterans affairs and military affairs regarding the psychological status and
needs of soldiers and veterans returning to Minnesota after having served in support of
contingency operations for Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The report must provide the best relevant insights into and advice concerning how to
most effectively provide the psychological support services determined to be needed
by those soldiers and veterans.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2007.
new text end