1st Engrossment - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am
1.1 A bill for an act 1.2 relating to the military; changing the reenlistment 1.3 bonus program; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, 1.4 section 192.501, as amended. 1.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 192.501, as 1.7 amended by Laws 1995, chapter 186, section 48, is amended to 1.8 read: 1.9 192.501 [FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS.] 1.10 Subdivision 1. [REENLISTMENT BONUS.] (a) The adjutant 1.11 generalshallmay establish a program providing areenlistment1.12 bonus for reenlisting in the Minnesota national guard for 1.13 eligible active members of the Minnesota national guard in 1.14 accordance with this section. An eligible active member of the 1.15 Minnesota national guardserving satisfactorily, as defined by1.16the adjutant general, shall, as determined by the adjutant 1.17 general, may be paid$250 per year for reenlisting in the1.18Minnesota national guardthe bonus. 1.19 (b)A member must reenlist in the Minnesota national guard1.20for a minimum of three yearsBonus payments must be made on a 1.21 schedule as determined by the adjutant general. 1.22 (c)A member is eligible for subsequent reenlistment1.23bonuses to the extent that total years of bonus eligibility are1.24limited to 12 yearsIf a member fails to complete a term of 1.25 enlistment for which a bonus was paid, the department may seek 2.1 to recoup a prorated amount determined by the adjutant general. 2.2(d) Bonus payments shall be paid in the month prior to the2.3anniversary of a member's current reenlistment.2.4(e) A member electing to receive tuition assistance under2.5subdivision 2, shall forfeit the reenlistment bonus for the2.6years that the tuition assistance is provided.2.7 Subd. 2. [TUITION REIMBURSEMENTEDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE 2.8 GRANTS.] (a) The adjutant general shall establish a program 2.9 providingtuition reimbursementpost-secondary educational 2.10 assistance grants for eligible active members of the Minnesota 2.11 national guardin accordance with this section. An active2.12member of the Minnesota national guard serving satisfactorily,2.13as defined by the adjutant general, shall be reimbursed for2.14tuition paid to a post-secondary education institution as2.15defined by section 136A.15, subdivision 5, upon proof of2.16satisfactory completion of course work, as determined by the 2.17 adjutant general. A post-secondary education institution is 2.18 defined by section 136A.15, subdivision 6. 2.19 (b)In the case of tuition paid to a public institution2.20located in Minnesota, including any vocational or technical2.21school, tuition is limited to an amount equal to 50 percent of2.22the cost of tuition at that public institution, except as2.23provided in this section. In the case of tuition paid to a2.24Minnesota private institution or vocational or technical school2.25or a public or private institution or vocational or technical2.26school not located in Minnesota, reimbursement is limited to 502.27percent of the cost of tuition for lower division programs in2.28the college of liberal arts at the twin cities campus of the2.29University of Minnesota in the most recent academic year, except2.30as provided in this section.Grant amounts must be determined 2.31 by the adjutant general for full-time students, as defined in 2.32 section 256D.02, subdivision 15, and part-time students, but 2.33 will not exceed 100 percent of the top rate of tuition as set by 2.34 the board of trustees of Minnesota state colleges and 2.35 universities in the most recent academic year. Grants must be 2.36 paid upon proof of satisfactory completion of coursework as 3.1 defined by the adjutant general. 3.2 (c) If a member of the Minnesota national guard is killed 3.3 in the line of state active service or federally funded state 3.4 active service as defined in section 190.05, subdivision 5b, the 3.5 state shallreimburse 100 percent of the cost of tuition for3.6post-secondary courses satisfactorily completed byoffer 3.7 educational assistance grants under the same conditions as 3.8 paragraph (b) to any surviving spouse and any surviving 3.9 dependents who are 23 years old or younger.Reimbursement3.10 Grants for surviving spouses and dependentsisare limited in 3.11 amount and durationas is reimbursement for theto that to which 3.12 a national guard member would be entitled. 3.13 (d)The amount of tuition reimbursement for each eligible3.14individual shall be determined by the adjutant general according3.15to rules formulated within 30 days of June 4, 1989. Tuition3.16reimbursementEducational assistance grants received under this 3.17 section shall not be considered by the Minnesota higher 3.18 education services office or by any other state board, 3.19 commission, or entity in determining a person's eligibility for 3.20 a scholarship or grant-in-aid under sections 136A.095 to 3.21 136A.1311. 3.22 (e) If a national guard member fails to complete a term of 3.23 enlistment during which educational assistance grants were paid, 3.24 the department may seek to recoup a prorated amount as 3.25 determined by the adjutant general. 3.26 Subd. 3. [ENLISTMENT BONUS.] (a) The adjutant general may 3.27 establish a program providing an enlistment bonus for eligible 3.28 prospects, as defined by the adjutant general, who become 3.29 members of the Minnesota national guard. 3.30 (b) Enlistment bonus payment amounts must be established by 3.31 the adjutant general. 3.32 (c) Amount and availability of the enlistment bonus to 3.33 members will be dependent on annual appropriations. 3.34 (d) If a national guard member fails to complete a term of 3.35 enlistment for which a bonus was paid, the department may seek 3.36 to recoup a prorated amount as determined by the adjutant 4.1 general. 4.2 Subd. 4. [RECORDKEEPING; RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION; FISCAL 4.3 MANAGEMENT.] The department of military affairs shall keep an 4.4 accurate record of the recipients of the reenlistment bonusand4.5tuition reimbursement, educational assistance grants, and 4.6 enlistment bonus and report the effectiveness of these programs 4.7 in the department's performance report.The department shall4.8report to the legislature on the effectiveness of the4.9reenlistment bonus and tuition reimbursement programs in4.10retaining and recruiting members for the Minnesota National4.11Guard. The report to the legislature shall be made by January 14.12of each year. The report shall include a review of the effect4.13that the reenlistment bonus and tuition reimbursement programs4.14have on the enlistment and reenlistment of national guard4.15members. The report shall include an accurate record of the4.16effect that both the tuition reimbursement program and the4.17reenlistment bonus program have on the recruitment and retention4.18of members by rank, unit location, race, and sex.4.19 The department of military affairs shallmake ainclude in 4.20 its performance report measures of its specificeffortefforts 4.21 to recruit and retain women and members of minority groups into 4.22 the guard through the use ofthe tuition reimbursement and4.23 educational assistance grants, reenlistmentbonus programs4.24 bonuses, and enlistment bonuses. 4.25 Sec. 2. [REPORT.] 4.26 The adjutant general shall report to the chairs of the 4.27 senate committee on finance and the house of representatives 4.28 committee on ways and means by March 1, 1997, on the results 4.29 achieved by the changes in financial incentives for national 4.30 guard members made by this act. 4.31 Sec. 3. [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 4.32 This act is effective July 1, 1996.