SF 4147

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 03/22/2022 08:34am

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; establishing a grant program for postsecondary students
preparing to become licensed peace officers in Minnesota; requiring a report;
appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter
136A.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [136A.1285] ASPIRING PEACE OFFICER GRANTS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Program established. new text end

new text begin The office shall establish a grant program for
eligible students preparing to become licensed peace officers in Minnesota. Grants under
this section are available from the 2023-2024 academic year through the 2026-2027 academic
year.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Eligible students. new text end

new text begin (a) A student is eligible for a grant under this section if the
student:
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new text begin (1) is a resident student;
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new text begin (2) is a citizen of the United States;
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new text begin (3) attends an eligible institution;
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new text begin (4) is in good academic standing and making satisfactory academic progress;
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new text begin (5) passes a criminal history screening to determine the student has not been convicted
of a crime that is a bar to licensure as a peace officer; and
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new text begin (6) meets either of the two following criteria:
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new text begin (i) for a student who has not already earned a bachelor's degree or associate's degree
from a regionally accredited postsecondary institution, be enrolled full time in a
degree-granting professional peace officer education program certified by the Board of
Peace Officer Standards and Training; or
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new text begin (ii) for a student who has already earned a bachelor's degree or associate's degree from
a regionally accredited postsecondary institution, be enrolled full time in a certificate-granting
professional peace officer education program for degree holders certified by the Board of
Peace Officer Standards and Training.
new text end

new text begin (b) To receive a grant under this section, a student must:
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new text begin (1) apply in the form and manner specified by the commissioner; and
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new text begin (2) sign a contract agreeing to fulfill the employment obligation under subdivision 4.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Grant amounts. new text end

new text begin (a) The amount of a grant awarded under this section must
be equal to the recipient's recognized cost of attendance after deducting:
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new text begin (1) the amount of the federal Pell grant award for which the recipient is eligible;
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new text begin (2) the amount of the state grant award for which the recipient is eligible;
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new text begin (3) the amount of any other state or federal financial aid received; and
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new text begin (4) the sum of all institutional grants, scholarships, tuition waivers, and tuition remission
amounts.
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new text begin (b) For purposes of this section, "recognized cost of attendance for a public institution"
has the meaning given in Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, chapter 28, subchapter IV,
part F, section 1087ll. The recognized cost of attendance for a private institution equals the
lesser of:
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new text begin (1) the cost of attendance for the institution as calculated under Code of Federal
Regulations, title 20, chapter 28, subchapter IV, part F, section 1087ll; or
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new text begin (2) for two-year programs, an amount equal to the highest recognized cost of attendance
charged at a public two-year institution, or for four-year programs, an amount equal to the
highest recognized cost of attendance at a public university.
new text end

new text begin (c) The grant shall be paid directly to the institution where the recipient is enrolled.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Employment obligation. new text end

new text begin (a) Beginning within six months of the completion
of the academic program for which the grant was awarded, a grant recipient must:
new text end

new text begin (1) pass the Minnesota peace officer licensure exam; and
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new text begin (2) be employed full time as a peace officer in a Minnesota law enforcement agency.
The total employment obligation required is four years.
new text end

new text begin (b) A recipient who has completed the program for which the grant was awarded, but
who has not fulfilled the total employment obligation, must annually verify, in a form and
manner specified by the commissioner, that the recipient is employed in a position that
fulfills the employment obligation.
new text end

new text begin (c) If a recipient fails to meet the employment obligation, the commissioner must convert
the recipient's total grant award to a student loan and collect from the participant the total
amount paid plus interest at a rate established according to section 270C.40.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner may waive or defer the employment obligation for a grant recipient
for circumstances involving extreme hardship.
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new text begin (e) Any requirement to fulfill the employment obligation cancels upon the death or
permanent and total disability of the grant recipient.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Insufficient appropriation. new text end

new text begin If the amount appropriated for this program is
determined by the office to be insufficient to make full awards to all eligible applicants, the
commissioner shall prioritize the awards to eligible applicants based on the applicants'
individual financial needs as determined by the federal needs analysis.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Report required. new text end

new text begin By February 15 each year, the commissioner of the Office
of Higher Education must submit a report on the details of the program under this section
to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over higher education finance and policy,
and to the Legislative Reference Library as provided by section 3.195. The report must
include the following information:
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new text begin (1) programs eligible for grant awards under subdivision 2, paragraph (a), clause (6),
items (i) and (ii);
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new text begin (2) the number of students receiving an award in the previous year;
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new text begin (3) the average and total award amounts in the previous year, disaggregated by program
attended;
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new text begin (4) summary demographic data on award recipients in the previous year;
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new text begin (5) data on recipients currently subject to the employment obligation under subdivision
4, including the number of recipients subject to the obligation, the number who are
successfully completing the obligation, the number who have had their grants converted to
loans, and the number who have had their obligation waived or deferred; and
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new text begin (6) if the appropriation for the program was determined to be insufficient, an explanation
of measures taken under subdivision 5.
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new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin This section expires the latter of December 31, 2037, or upon
notice from the Office of Higher Education that all employment obligation contracts have
been fulfilled, converted to loans and repaid, or otherwise discharged.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION; ASPIRING PEACE OFFICER GRANTS.
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new text begin (a) $....... in fiscal year 2023 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
of the Office of Higher Education for aspiring peace officer grants under Minnesota Statutes,
section 136A.1285.
new text end

new text begin (b) The office may use no more than three percent of the amount appropriated under
this section to administer the grant program.
new text end