1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; requiring the commissioner of employment and economic 
1.3 	development to establish and administer an opioid technology grant program; 
1.4 	appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 
1.5 	116J.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [116J.998] OPIOID TECHNOLOGY GRANT PROGRAM.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. The commissioner of employment and economic 
1.9 	development, in consultation with the commissioner of human services, shall establish and 
1.10 	oversee administration of a grant program to support the development of technology-based 
1.11 	approaches to address opioid abuse and addiction.
1.12 		Subd. 2.Advisory committee. (a) The commissioner shall establish an opioid technology 
1.13 	advisory committee. The committee shall:
1.14 	(1) assist the commissioner in selecting a vendor to administer the opioid technology 
1.15 	grant program;
1.16 	(2) assist the vendor in developing criteria for vendor eligibility, grant application 
1.17 	requirements, and criteria and procedures for scoring applications and awarding grants; and
1.18 	(3) provide recommendations to the vendor related to grant awards.
1.19 	(b) The advisory committee shall be comprised of individuals representing:
1.20 	(1) the Minnesota High Tech Association, Medical Alley Association, Minnesota Cup, 
1.21 	and other similar organizations;
1.22 	(2) health care professionals treating opioid abuse and addiction; and
2.1 	(3) organizations working with persons who abuse or are addicted to opioids, or are 
2.2 	at-risk of or have experienced opioid overdoses.
2.3 	(c) The advisory committee is governed by section 15.059, except that members shall 
2.4 	not receive per diems.
2.5 		Subd. 3.Vendor contract. The commissioner, after consultation with the advisory 
2.6 	committee, shall contract with a vendor to administer the grant program. The contract must 
2.7 	require the vendor, after consultation with the advisory committee, to develop criteria for 
2.8 	applicants and grant applications, accept and score grant applications, and submit 
2.9 	recommendations for grant awards to the commissioner.
2.10 		Subd. 4.Applicant and proposal criteria. (a) Applicants must be registered to do 
2.11 	business in Minnesota. Applicants must not be affiliated with, or related to, a member of 
2.12 	the advisory committee, as determined by the commissioner. Applicants not located in 
2.13 	Minnesota must work in partnership with a Minnesota-based entity.
2.14 	(b) Grant applications must propose approaches related to the prevention of opioid abuse 
2.15 	and addiction, the treatment of opioid abuse and addiction, and overdose avoidance and 
2.16 	overdose response. A grant proposal must have a technology component, which may include 
2.17 	the use of sensors, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and health information technology, and 
2.18 	may include software but only if used in conjunction with the technology component. The 
2.19 	following proposals that do not have a significant technology component are not eligible 
2.20 	for a grant: predictive analytics to inform public policy, education and public awareness 
2.21 	programs, professional training programs, and programs for the direct delivery of social or 
2.22 	clinical services.
2.23 	(c) Applicants must be working on the proposed technology-based approach at the time 
2.24 	of application submittal, have proof of concept, and have compelling data to support the 
2.25 	effectiveness of the approach. Applicants must also provide a detailed plan to develop the 
2.26 	technology so that it is ready for broad deployment and implementation in the United States.
2.27 		Subd. 5.Grant awards. (a) The vendor, in consultation with the advisory committee, 
2.28 	shall recommend to the commissioner at least ten applicants to receive grant awards and 
2.29 	also recommend grant amounts. Grant amounts must be at least $10,000 and may not exceed 
2.30 	$500,000 per applicant.
2.31 	(b) The commissioner, after considering the recommendations of the vendor, shall award 
2.32 	grants to applicants. The commissioner is not required to accept the recommendations of 
2.33 	the vendor. However, if the commissioner chooses not to accept a vendor recommendation, 
3.1 	the commissioner shall provide the vendor and advisory committee with a statement justifying 
3.2 	that decision.

3.3 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; OPIOID TECHNOLOGY GRANT PROGRAM.
 3.4 	$5,250,000 is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, to the commissioner 
3.5 	of employment and economic development to establish and administer the grant program 
3.6 	authorized under Minnesota Statutes, section 116J.998. The commissioner may use up to 
3.7 	$250,000 of this amount to contract with a vendor and for other administrative costs.