Minnesota Session Laws - 2004, Regular Session

                            CHAPTER 219-S.F.No. 1080 
                  An act relating to veterans; amending tuition and 
                  textbook reimbursement grant program; updating and 
                  correcting certain language relating to veterans 
                  homes; amending Minnesota Statutes 2002, sections 
                  198.001, by adding a subdivision; 198.004, subdivision 
                  1; 198.005; 198.007; 198.261; Minnesota Statutes 2003 
                  Supplement, section 192.501, subdivision 2; repealing 
                  Minnesota Statutes 2002, sections 198.001, subdivision 
                  7; 198.002, subdivision 5; 198.003, subdivision 2. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section 
        192.501, subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 2.  [TUITION AND TEXTBOOK REIMBURSEMENT GRANT 
        PROGRAM.] (a) The adjutant general shall establish a program to 
        provide tuition and textbook reimbursement grants to eligible 
        members of the Minnesota National Guard within the limitations 
        of this subdivision. 
           (b) Eligibility is limited to a member of the National 
        Guard who: 
           (1) is serving satisfactorily as defined by the adjutant 
        general; 
           (2) is attending a postsecondary educational institution, 
        as defined by section 136A.15, subdivision 6, including a 
        vocational or technical school operated or regulated by this 
        state or another state or province; and 
           (3) provides proof of satisfactory completion of 
        coursework, as defined by the adjutant general. 
           In addition, if a member of the Minnesota National Guard is 
        killed in the line of state active service or federally funded 
        state active service, as defined in section 190.05, subdivisions 
        5a and 5b, the member's surviving spouse, and any surviving 
        dependent who has not yet reached 24 years of age, is eligible 
        for a tuition and textbook reimbursement grant. 
           The adjutant general may, within the limitations of this 
        paragraph and other applicable laws, determine additional 
        eligibility criteria for the grant, and must specify the 
        criteria in department regulations and publish changes as 
        necessary. 
           (c) The amount of a tuition and textbook reimbursement 
        grant must be specified on a schedule as determined and 
        published in department regulations by the adjutant general, but 
        is limited to a maximum of an amount equal to the greater of: 
           (1) 75 percent of the cost of tuition for lower division 
        programs in the College of Liberal Arts at the Twin Cities 
        campus of the University of Minnesota in the most recent 
        academic year; or 
           (2) 50 percent of the cost of tuition for the program in 
        which the person is enrolled at that Minnesota public 
        institution, or if that public institution is outside the state 
        of Minnesota, for the cost of a comparable program at the 
        University of Minnesota, except that in the case of a survivor 
        as defined in paragraph (b), the amount of the tuition and 
        textbook reimbursement grant for coursework satisfactorily 
        completed by the person is limited to 100 percent of the cost of 
        tuition for postsecondary courses at a Minnesota public 
        educational institution. 
           Paragraph (b) notwithstanding, a person is no longer 
        eligible for a grant under this subdivision once the person has 
        received grants under this subdivision for the equivalent of 208 
        quarter credits or 144 semester credits of coursework. 
           (d) Tuition and textbook reimbursement grants received 
        under this subdivision may not be considered by the Minnesota 
        Higher Education Services Office or by any other state board, 
        commission, or entity in determining a person's eligibility for 
        a scholarship or grant-in-aid under sections 136A.095 to 
        136A.1311. 
           (e) If a member fails to complete a term of enlistment 
        during which a tuition and textbook reimbursement grant was 
        paid, the adjutant general may seek to recoup a prorated amount 
        as determined by the adjutant general. 
           [EFFECTIVE DATE.] This section is effective July 1, 2004. 
           Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 198.001, is 
        amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
           Subd. 9.  [EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.] "Executive director" means 
        the executive director for the board of directors of the 
        Minnesota veterans homes.  
           Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 198.004, 
        subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
           Subdivision 1.  [APPOINTMENT.] The board shall appoint an 
        executive director.  The executive director shall serve in the 
        unclassified service at the pleasure of the board.  The 
        executive director must be a resident of the state of Minnesota, 
        a citizen of the United States, and a veteran as that term is 
        defined in section 197.447.  The executive director shall serve 
        as secretary of the board. 
           Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 198.005, is 
        amended to read: 
           198.005 [ADMINISTRATORS.] 
           The board shall appoint an administrator for each of the 
        veterans homes.  The administrators act as the administrative 
        head for their respective veterans homes.  The administrators 
        shall have a current Minnesota nursing home administrator's 
        license and shall serve in the unclassified service.  The 
        salaries of the administrators are not subject to section 
        43A.17, subdivision 1.  The administrators serve at the pleasure 
        of the board and report directly to the executive director.  
           Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 198.007, is 
        amended to read: 
           198.007 [QUALITY ASSURANCE.] 
           The board Each home shall create have a utilization review 
        committee for each home comprised of the appropriate 
        professionals employed by or under contract to the home.  The 
        committee shall use the case-mix a patient classification system 
        established under section 144.072 approved by the board to 
        assess the appropriateness and quality of care and services 
        provided residents of the homes. 
           The board Each home shall create have an admissions 
        committee for each home comprised of the appropriate 
        professionals employed by or under contract to each home and 
        adopt a preadmission screening program for all applicants for 
        admission to the homes who may require nursing or boarding care, 
        taking into account the eligibility requirements in section 
        198.022, the admissions criteria established by board rules, and 
        the availability of space in the homes.  
           Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 198.261, is 
        amended to read: 
           198.261 [CANTEEN AND, COFFEE SHOP, AND WOOD SHOP.] 
           Any profits derived from the operation of canteens and, 
        coffee shops, and wood shops at the Minnesota veterans homes 
        shall be used by the board only for the direct benefit of the 
        residents of the homes. 
           Sec. 7.  [REPEALER.] 
           Minnesota Statutes 2002, sections 198.001, subdivision 7; 
        198.002, subdivision 5; and 198.003, subdivision 2, are repealed.
           Presented to the governor May 15, 2004 
           Signed by the governor May 19, 2004, 10:20 a.m.