SF 2834

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/02/2018 09:21am

A bill for an act
relating to health; establishing a pilot program to address trauma resulting from
gun violence; requiring a report; appropriating money.

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

Section 1. new text begin TRAUMA-INFORMED GUN VIOLENCE REDUCTION; PILOT
PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Pilot program. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of health shall establish a pilot
program to aid in the reduction of trauma resulting from gun violence and address the root
causes of gun violence by making the following resources available to professionals and
organizations in health care, public health, mental health, social service, law enforcement,
and victim advocacy and other professionals who are most likely to encounter individuals
who have been victims, witnesses, or perpetrators of gun violence occurring in a community,
or in a domestic or other setting:
new text end

new text begin (1) training on recognizing trauma as both a result and a cause of gun violence;
new text end

new text begin (2) developing skills to address the effects of trauma on individuals and family members;
new text end

new text begin (3) investments in community-based organizations to enable high-quality, targeted
services to individuals in need. This may include resources for additional training, hiring
of specialized staff needed to address trauma-related issues, management information
systems to facilitate data collection, and expansion of existing programming;
new text end

new text begin (4) replication and expansion of effective community-based gun violence prevention
initiatives, such as Project Life, the Minneapolis Group Violence Intervention initiative, to
connect at-risk individuals to mental health services, job readiness programs, and employment
opportunities; and
new text end

new text begin (5) education campaigns and outreach materials to educate communities, organizations,
and the public about the relationship between trauma and gun violence.
new text end

new text begin (b) The pilot program shall address the traumatic effects of gun violence exposure using
a holistic treatment modality.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Program guidelines and protocols. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner, with advice from
an advisory panel knowledgeable about gun violence and its traumatic impact, shall develop
protocols and program guidelines that address resources and training to be used by
professionals who encounter individuals who have perpetrated or been impacted by gun
violence. Educational, training, and outreach material must be culturally appropriate for the
community and provided in multiple languages for those with limited English language
proficiency. The materials developed must address necessary responses by local, state, and
other governmental entities tasked with addressing gun violence. The protocols must include
a method of informing affected communities and local governments representing those
communities on effective strategies to target community, domestic, and other forms of gun
violence.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner may enter into contractual agreements with community-based
organizations or experts in the field to perform any of the activities under this section.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin By November 15, 2019, the commissioner shall submit a report on the
progress of the pilot program to the chairs and ranking minority members of the committees
with jurisdiction over health and public safety.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; TRAUMA-INFORMED GUN VIOLENCE REDUCTION.
new text end

new text begin $100,000 in fiscal year 2019 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of health for the purposes of the trauma-informed gun violence reduction pilot program.
new text end