SF 1693

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/13/2015 09:00am

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; providing a grant for a police and community race
dialogue and action project; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin MINNESOTA POLICE AND COMMUNITY RACE DIALOGUE
AND ACTION LEARNING PROJECT.
new text end

new text begin (a) $150,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $150,000 in fiscal year 2017 are appropriated
from the general fund to the Department of Public Safety for a grant to Sovereign Systems,
Inc. to facilitate the first statewide Minnesota police and community race dialogue and
action learning project to foster cross-racial relations, understanding, and cooperation
between public law enforcement agencies and the communities served by those agencies
and to establish a multiracial local government and community resiliency network. The
Minnesota police and community race dialogue and action learning project shall be
conducted in five communities across Minnesota including three in greater Minnesota, one
in a suburb, and one in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. Participating cities
shall match the project funding with a 30 percent noncash match. The noncash match may
include, but is not limited to, facility or meeting space, labor, meeting and reporting
material, food and refreshments, and local newspaper and Web site marketing.
new text end

new text begin (b) The department shall disburse the grant money to Sovereign Systems, Inc. in two
payments each fiscal year. The department may use 3.3 percent of the grant money for
administrative services. The grant must be used to:
new text end

new text begin (1) host 15 community dialogues with a minimum of three dialogues per community;
new text end

new text begin (2) establish a multiracial local government and community resiliency network;
new text end

new text begin (3) provide development and training to the multiracial local government and
community resiliency network; and
new text end

new text begin (4) provide in a written report the project process and best practices from the
participating communities and recommendations.
new text end

new text begin (c) Sovereign Systems, Inc. shall submit a written progress report on the project to
the house of representatives and senate committees with jurisdiction over public safety
and crime prevention policy and finance by August 1, 2017, and a final written report by
August 1, 2018. The reports must include at a minimum how the project is meeting the
requirements listed in paragraph (b) and the results.
new text end