1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; creating a grant program for spinal cord injury and traumatic 
1.3 	brain injury research; establishing the spinal cord and traumatic brain injury 
1.4 	advisory council; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in 
1.5 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 144.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. TITLE.
 1.8 	This act may be cited as the "Jablonski/Rodreick spinal cord and traumatic brain 
1.9 	injury grant program."

1.10 	Sec. 2. [144.666] SPINAL CORD INJURY AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY 
1.11 	RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM.
1.12 		Subdivision 1.Grant program. The commissioner of health shall establish a grant 
1.13 	program to award grants to institutions in Minnesota for research into spinal cord injuries 
1.14 	and traumatic brain injuries. Grants shall be awarded to conduct research into new and 
1.15 	innovative treatments and rehabilitative efforts for spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. 
1.16 	The commissioner, in consultation with the advisory council established under section 
1.17 	144.667, shall award half of the grant funds for research involving spinal cord injuries, 
1.18 	and half to research involving traumatic brain injuries.
1.19 		Subd. 2.Report. By January 15, 2015, and each January 15 thereafter, the 
1.20 	commissioner shall report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the senate and 
1.21 	house of representatives committees having jurisdiction over health care policy and 
1.22 	funding, specifying the institutions receiving grants under this section and the purposes for 
1.23 	which the grant funds were used.

2.1 	Sec. 3. [144.667] SPINAL CORD AND TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY 
2.2 	ADVISORY COUNCIL.
2.3 		Subdivision 1.Membership. The commissioner shall appoint an 11-member 
2.4 	advisory council consisting of:
2.5 	(1) one member representing the University of Minnesota Medical School;
2.6 	(2) one member representing the Mayo Medical School;
2.7 	(3) one member representing the Courage Center;
2.8 	(4) one member who is a neurosurgeon;
2.9 	(5) one member who has a spinal cord injury;
2.10 	(6)  one member who is a family member of a person with a spinal cord injury;
2.11 	(7) one member who has a traumatic brain injury;
2.12 	(8) one member who is a family member of a person with a traumatic brain injury;
2.13 	(9) one member who is a physician specializing in the treatment of spinal cord injury;
2.14 	(10) one member who is a physician specializing in the treatment of traumatic 
2.15 	brain injury; and
2.16 	(11) one member who is a rehabilitative specialist.
2.17 		Subd. 2.Organization. The advisory council shall be organized and administered 
2.18 	under section 15.059, except that section 15.059, subdivision 2, shall not apply. Except as 
2.19 	provided in subdivision 4, the commissioner shall appoint council members to two-year 
2.20 	terms and appoint one member as chair. Notwithstanding section 15.059, subdivision 
2.21 	5, the advisory council does not expire.
2.22 		Subd. 3.First appointments and first meeting. The commissioner shall appoint 
2.23 	the first members of the council by September 1, 2013. The chair shall convene the first 
2.24 	meeting by November 1, 2013.
2.25 		Subd. 4.Terms of initial council members. The commissioner shall designate four 
2.26 	of the initial council members to serve a one-year term. The other five initial members 
2.27 	shall serve a two-year term.
2.28 		Subd. 5.Conflict of interest. Council members must disclose in a written statement 
2.29 	any financial interest in any organization that the council recommends to receive a grant. 
2.30 	The written statement must accompany the grant recommendations and must explain the 
2.31 	nature of the conflict. The council is not subject to policies developed by the commissioner 
2.32 	of administration under section 16B.98.
2.33 		Subd. 6.Duties. The advisory council shall:
2.34 	(1) develop criteria for evaluating and awarding the research grants under section 
2.35 	144.666;
3.1 	(2) review research proposals and make recommendations by January 15 of each 
3.2 	year to the commissioner for purposes of awarding grants under section 144.666; and
3.3 	(3) perform other duties as authorized by the commissioner.

3.4 	Sec. 4. APPROPRIATION.
 3.5 	$....... for fiscal year 2014 and $....... for fiscal year 2015 are appropriated from 
3.6 	the general fund to the commissioner of health for the grants authorized in Minnesota 
3.7 	Statutes, section 144.666. $....... of the appropriation shall be used by the commissioner 
3.8 	to administer the grant program.