SF 1316

1st Engrossment - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/24/2017 09:05am

A bill for an act
relating to military and veterans affairs; appropriating funds to the Departments
of Military and Veterans Affairs; modifying uses for Support Our Troops account;
requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a policy to grant free or
reduced-cost burials in state veterans cemeteries to eligible indigent dependents
of veterans; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, sections 190.19, subdivisions 2,
2a; 197.236, subdivision 9.

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

ARTICLE 1

VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS

Section 1. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS. new text end

new text begin The sums shown in the columns marked "Appropriations" are appropriated to the agencies
and for the purposes specified in this article. The appropriations are from the general fund,
or another named fund, and are available for the fiscal years indicated for each purpose.
The figures "2018" and "2019" used in this article mean that the appropriations listed under
them are available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, or June 30, 2019, respectively.
"The first year" is fiscal year 2018. "The second year" is fiscal year 2019. "The biennium"
is fiscal years 2018 and 2019.
new text end

			new text begin APPROPRIATIONS new text end
			new text begin Available for the Year new text end
			new text begin Ending June 30 new text end
				new text begin 2018 new text end		new text begin 2019 new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin MILITARY AFFAIRS new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Total Appropriation new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 19,616,000 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 19,616,000 new text end

new text begin The amounts that may be spent for each
purpose are specified in the following
subdivisions.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Maintenance of Training Facilities new text end

new text begin 6,661,000 new text end

new text begin 6,661,000 new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin General Support new text end

new text begin 2,607,000 new text end

new text begin 2,607,000 new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end new text begin Enlistment Incentives new text end

new text begin 10,348,000 new text end

new text begin 10,348,000 new text end

new text begin Appropriation Availability. If appropriations
for either year of the biennium are insufficient,
the appropriation from the other year is
available. The appropriations for enlistment
incentives are available until expended.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin VETERANS AFFAIRS new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Total Appropriation new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 74,384,000 new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 74,384,000 new text end

new text begin Appropriations by Fund new text end
	new text begin 2018 new text end	new text begin 2019 new text end
new text begin General new text end	new text begin 74,179,000 new text end	new text begin 74,179,000 new text end
new text begin Special Revenue new text end	new text begin 205,000 new text end	new text begin 195,000 new text end

new text begin The amounts that may be spent for each
purpose are specified in the following
subdivisions.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Veterans Programs and Services new text end

new text begin 17,166,000 new text end

new text begin 17,156,000 new text end

new text begin Appropriations by Fund new text end
	new text begin 2018 new text end	new text begin 2019 new text end
new text begin General new text end	new text begin 16,961,000 new text end	new text begin 16,961,000 new text end
new text begin Special Revenue new text end	new text begin 205,000 new text end	new text begin 195,000 new text end

new text begin Veterans Service Organizations. new text end new text begin $353,000
each year is for grants to the following
congressionally chartered veterans service
organizations, as designated by the
commissioner: Disabled American Veterans,
Military Order of the Purple Heart, the
American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars,
Vietnam Veterans of America, AMVETS, and
Paralyzed Veterans of America. This funding
must be allocated in direct proportion to the
funding currently being provided by the
commissioner to these organizations.
new text end

new text begin Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans.
$750,000 each year is for a grant to the
Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans
to provide assistance throughout Minnesota
to veterans and their families who are
homeless or in danger of homelessness,
including assistance with the following:
new text end

new text begin (1) utilities;
new text end

new text begin (2) employment; and
new text end

new text begin (3) legal issues.
new text end

new text begin The assistance authorized under this paragraph
must be made only to veterans who have
resided in Minnesota for 30 days prior to
application for assistance and according to
other guidelines established by the
commissioner. In order to avoid duplication
of services, the commissioner must ensure that
this assistance is coordinated with all other
available programs for veterans.
new text end

new text begin new text begin Honor Guards. new text end $200,000 each year is for
compensation for honor guards at the funerals
of veterans under Minnesota Statutes, section
197.231.
new text end

new text begin new text begin Minnesota GI Bill. new text end $200,000 each year is for
the costs of administering the Minnesota GI
Bill postsecondary educational benefits,
on-the-job training, and apprenticeship
program under Minnesota Statutes, section
197.791. Of this amount, $100,000 is for
transfer to the Office of Higher Education.
new text end

new text begin new text begin Gold Star Program. new text end $100,000 each year is
for administering the Gold Star Program for
surviving family members of deceased
veterans.
new text end

new text begin new text begin County Veterans Service Office. new text end $1,100,000
each year is for funding the County Veterans
Service Office grant program under Minnesota
Statutes, section 197.608.
new text end

new text begin Veterans' Voices. $25,000 in fiscal year 2018
and $25,000 in fiscal year 2019 are for a grant
to the Association of Minnesota Public
Educational Radio Stations for statewide
programming to promote the Veterans' Voices
program. The Veterans' Voices program shall
educate and engage communities regarding
veterans' contributions, knowledge, skills, and
experiences with an emphasis on Korean War
veterans and Operation Desert Storm veterans.
These appropriations are from the Support Our
Troops account in the special revenue fund.
This is a onetime appropriation and is not
added to the base.
new text end

new text begin Veterans Defense Project. $90,000 in fiscal
year 2018 and $85,000 in fiscal year 2019 are
for grants to the Veterans Defense Project.
The Veterans Defense Project must use the
grant money to support, through education,
outreach, and legal assistance, military
veterans who are involved with the criminal
justice system. These appropriations are from
the Support Our Troops account in the special
revenue fund. This is a onetime appropriation
and is not added to the base.
new text end

new text begin Veterans Journey Home; Appropriation.
$90,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $85,000 in
fiscal year 2019 are for a grant to the Veterans
Journey Home. The Veterans Journey Home
must use the grant money to support the
development of new or rehabbed affordable
housing dedicated for low-to-moderate income
veterans and their families. These
appropriations are from the Support Our
Troops account in the special revenue fund.
This is a onetime appropriation and is not
added to the base.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin Veterans Homes new text end

new text begin 57,218,000 new text end

new text begin 57,218,000 new text end

new text begin Veterans Homes Special Revenue Account.
The general fund appropriations made to the
department may be transferred to a veterans
homes special revenue account in the special
revenue fund in the same manner as other
receipts are deposited according to Minnesota
Statutes, section 198.34, and are appropriated
to the department for the operation of veterans
homes facilities and programs.
new text end

new text begin Maximize Federal Reimbursements. The
department will seek opportunities to
maximize federal reimbursements of
Medicare-eligible expenses and will provide
annual reports to the commissioner of
management and budget on the federal
Medicare reimbursements received.
Contingent upon future federal Medicare
receipts, reductions to the homes' general fund
appropriation may be made.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin MILITARY AFFAIRS; TRANSFER AUTHORITY new text end

new text begin Of the funds transferred to maintenance of
training facilities in Laws 2015, chapter 77,
article 1, section 36, subdivision 4, $2,000,000
in fiscal year 2017 may be transferred to the
enlistment incentives appropriation to address
a projected fiscal year 2017 deficit in the
enlistment incentives program.
new text end

ARTICLE 2

MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS POLICY

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 190.19, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Uses.

(a) Money appropriated from the Minnesota "Support Our Troops" account
to the Department of Military Affairs may be used for:

(1) grants directly to eligible individuals;

(2) grants to one or more eligible foundations for the purpose of making grants to eligible
individuals, as provided in this section;

(3) veterans' services; deleted text begin or
deleted text end

(4) grants to family readiness groups chartered by the adjutant general new text begin ; or
new text end

new text begin (5) up to $500,000 per fiscal year for bonus programs as defined in section 192.501 new text end .

(b) As used in paragraph (a), the term "eligible individual" includes any person who is:

(1) a member new text begin in good standing new text end of the Minnesota National Guard or a reserve unit based
in Minnesota deleted text begin who has been called to active service as defined in section 190.05, subdivision
5 deleted text end ;

(2) a Minnesota resident who is a member of a military reserve unit not based in
Minnesota, if the member is called to active service as defined in section 190.05, subdivision
5;

(3) any other Minnesota resident performing active service for any branch of the military
of the United States;

(4) a person who new text begin honorably new text end served in one of the capacities listed in clause (1), (2), or
(3) who has current financial needs deleted text begin directly related to that service deleted text end ; and

(5) a member of the immediate family of an individual identified in clause (1), (2), (3),
or (4). For purposes of this clause, "immediate family" means the individual's spouse and
minor children and, if they are dependents of the member of the military, the member's
parents, grandparents, siblings, stepchildren, and adult children.

(c) As used in paragraph (a), the term "eligible foundation" includes any organization
that:

(1) is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;

(2) has articles of incorporation under chapter 317A specifying the purpose of the
organization as including the provision of financial assistance to members of the Minnesota
National Guard and other United States armed forces reserves and their families and
survivors; and

(3) agrees in writing to distribute any grant money received from the adjutant general
under this section to eligible individuals as defined in this section and in accordance with
any written policies and rules the adjutant general may impose as conditions of the grant to
the foundation.

(d) The maximum grant awarded to an eligible individual under paragraph (a) in a
calendar year with funds from the Minnesota "Support Our Troops" account, either through
an eligible institution or directly from the adjutant general, may not exceed deleted text begin $2,000 deleted text end new text begin $4,000 new text end .

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 190.19, subdivision 2a, is amended to read:

Subd. 2a.

Uses; veterans.

(a) Money appropriated to the Department of Veterans Affairs
from the Minnesota "Support Our Troops" account may be used for:

(1) grants to veterans service organizations;

(2) outreach to underserved veterans;

(3) providing services and programs for veterans and their families;

(4) transfers to the vehicle services account for Gold Star license plates under section
168.1253;

(5) grants of up to $100,000 to any organization approved by the commissioner of
veterans affairs for the purpose of supporting and improving the lives of veterans and their
families; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(6) grants to an eligible foundation deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ;
new text end

new text begin (7) the agency's uncompensated burial costs for eligible dependents to whom the
commissioner grants a no-fee or reduced-fee burial in the state's veteran cemeteries pursuant
to section 197.236, subdivision 9, paragraph (b); and
new text end

new text begin (8) grants of up to $3,000 to a disabled veteran to construct disability access
improvements in or around the disabled veteran's residence.
new text end

(b) For purposes of this subdivision, "eligible foundation" includes any organization
that:

(1) is a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code; and

(2) is a nonprofit corporation under chapter 317A and the organization's articles of
incorporation specify that a purpose of the organization includes: (i) providing assistance
to veterans and their families; or (ii) enhancing the lives of veterans and their families.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 197.236, subdivision 9, is amended to read:

Subd. 9.

Burial fees.

new text begin (a) new text end The commissioner of veterans affairs shall establish a fee
schedule, which may be adjusted from time to time, for the interment of eligible spouses
and dependent children. The fees shall cover as nearly as practicable the actual costs of
interment, excluding the value of the plot.

new text begin (b) Upon application, new text end the commissioner may waive new text begin or reduce new text end the new text begin burial new text end fee deleted text begin in the case
of deleted text end new text begin for new text end an indigent eligible person. new text begin The commissioner shall develop a policy, eligibility
standards, and application form for requests to waive or reduce the burial fee to indigent
eligible applicants.
new text end

new text begin (c) new text end No plot or interment fees may be charged for the burial of service members who die
on active duty or eligible veterans, as defined in United States Code, title 38, section 101,
paragraph (2).