2001 Minnesota Statutes

     197.608 Veterans service office grant program. 

    Subdivision 1.    Grant program.  A veterans service 
 office grant program is established to be administered by the 
 commissioner of veterans affairs consisting of grants to 
 counties to enable them to enhance the effectiveness of their 
 veterans service offices. 

    Subd. 2.    Rule development.  The commissioner of 
 veterans affairs shall consult with the Minnesota association of 
 county veterans service officers in formulating rules to 
 implement the grant program. 

    Subd. 3.    Eligibility.  To be eligible for a grant 
 under this program, a county must: 

    (1) employ a county veterans service officer as authorized 
 by sections 197.60 and 197.606, who is certified to serve in 
 this position by the commissioner of veterans affairs; 

    (2) submit a written plan for the proposed expenditures to 
 enhance the functioning of the county veterans service office in 
 accordance with the program rules; and 

    (3) apply for the grant according to procedures to be 
 established for this program by the commissioner and receive 
 written approval from the commissioner for the grant in advance 
 of making the proposed expenditures. 

    Subd. 4.    Grant application.  (a) A grant application 
 must be submitted to the department of veterans affairs 
 according to procedures to be established by the commissioner.  
 The grant application must include a specific description of the 
 plan for enhancing the operation of the county veterans service 
 office. 

    (b) The commissioner shall approve a grant application only 
 if it meets the criteria for eligibility as established and 
 announced by the commissioner and there are sufficient funds 
 remaining in the grant program to cover the amount of the 
 grant.  The commissioner may request modification of a plan.  If 
 the commissioner rejects a grant application, written reasons 
 for the rejection must be provided to the applicant county and 
 the county may modify the application and resubmit it. 

    Subd. 5.    Qualifying uses.  The commissioner of 
 veterans affairs shall determine whether the plan specified in 
 the grant application will enable the applicant county to 
 enhance the effectiveness of its county veterans office. 

    Notwithstanding subdivision 3, clause (1), a county may 
 apply for and use a grant for the training and education 
 required by the commissioner for a newly employed county 
 veterans service officer's certificate, or for the continuing 
 education of other staff. 

    Subd. 6.    Grant amount.  The amount of each grant must 
 be determined by the commissioner of veterans affairs, and may 
 not exceed the lesser of: 

    (1) the amount specified in the grant application to be 
 expended on the plan for enhancing the effectiveness of the 
 county veterans service office; or 

    (2) the county's share of the total funds available under 
 the program, determined in the following manner: 

    (i) if the county's veteran population is less than 1,000, 
 the county's grant share shall be $2,000; 

    (ii) if the county's veteran population is 1,000 or more 
 but less than 3,000, the county's grant share shall be $4,000; 

    (iii) if the county's veteran population is 3,000 or more 
 but less then 10,000, the county's grant share shall be $6,000; 
 or 

    (iv) if the county's veteran population is 10,000 or more, 
 the county's grant share shall be $8,000. 

    In any year, only one-half of the counties in each of the 
 four veteran population categories (i) to (iv) may be awarded 
 grants.  Grants shall be awarded on a first-come first-served 
 basis to counties submitting applications which meet the 
 commissioner's criteria as established in the rules.  Any county 
 not receiving a grant in any given year shall receive priority 
 consideration for a grant the following year.  

    In any year, after a period of time to be determined by the 
 commissioner, any amounts remaining from undistributed county 
 grant shares may be reallocated to the other counties which have 
 submitted qualifying application. 

    The veteran population of each county shall be determined 
 by the figure supplied by the United States Department of 
 Veterans Affairs, as adopted by the commissioner. 

    HIST: 1993 c 192 s 79; 1993 c 366 s 5