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Chapter 69

Section 69.011

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69.011 QUALIFYING FOR STATE AID.

Subdivision 1.Definitions.

Unless the language or context clearly indicates that a different meaning is intended, the following words and terms, for the purposes of this chapter and chapters 423, 423A, 424 and 424A, have the meanings ascribed to them:

(a) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of revenue.

(b) "Municipality" means:

(1) a home rule charter or statutory city;

(2) an organized town;

(3) a park district subject to chapter 398;

(4) the University of Minnesota;

(5) for purposes of the fire state aid program only, an American Indian tribal government entity located within a federally recognized American Indian reservation;

(6) for purposes of the police state aid program only, an American Indian tribal government with a tribal police department which exercises state arrest powers under section 626.90, 626.91, 626.92, or 626.93;

(7) for purposes of the police state aid program only, the Metropolitan Airports Commission; and

(8) for purposes of the police state aid program only, the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Public Safety with respect to peace officers covered under chapter 352B.

(c) "Minnesota Firetown Premium Report" means a form prescribed by the commissioner containing space for reporting by insurers of fire, lightning, sprinkler leakage and extended coverage premiums received upon risks located or to be performed in this state less return premiums and dividends.

(d) "Firetown" means the area serviced by any municipality having a qualified fire department or a qualified incorporated fire department having a subsidiary volunteer firefighters' relief association.

(e) "Estimated market value" means latest available estimated market value of all property in a taxing jurisdiction, whether the property is subject to taxation, or exempt from ad valorem taxation obtained from information which appears on abstracts filed with the commissioner of revenue or equalized by the State Board of Equalization.

(f) "Minnesota Aid to Police Premium Report" means a form prescribed by the commissioner for reporting by each fire and casualty insurer of all premiums received upon direct business received by it in this state, or by its agents for it, in cash or otherwise, during the preceding calendar year, with reference to insurance written for insuring against the perils contained in auto insurance coverages as reported in the Minnesota business schedule of the annual financial statement which each insurer is required to file with the commissioner in accordance with the governing laws or rules less return premiums and dividends.

(g) "Peace officer" means any person:

(1) whose primary source of income derived from wages is from direct employment by a municipality or county as a law enforcement officer on a full-time basis of not less than 30 hours per week;

(2) who has been employed for a minimum of six months prior to December 31 preceding the date of the current year's certification under subdivision 2, paragraph (b);

(3) who is sworn to enforce the general criminal laws of the state and local ordinances;

(4) who is licensed by the Peace Officers Standards and Training Board and is authorized to arrest with a warrant; and

(5) who is a member of the State Patrol retirement plan or the public employees police and fire fund.

(h) "Full-time equivalent number of peace officers providing contract service" means the integral or fractional number of peace officers which would be necessary to provide the contract service if all peace officers providing service were employed on a full-time basis as defined by the employing unit and the municipality receiving the contract service.

(i) "Retirement benefits other than a service pension" means any disbursement authorized under section 424A.05, subdivision 3, clauses (3) and (4).

(j) "Municipal clerk, municipal clerk-treasurer, or county auditor" means:

(1) for the police state aid program:

(i) the person who was elected or appointed to the specified position or, in the absence of the person, another person who is designated by the applicable governing body;

(ii) in a park district, the secretary of the board of park district commissioners;

(iii) in the case of the University of Minnesota, the official designated by the Board of Regents;

(iv) for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, the person designated by the commission;

(v) for the Department of Natural Resources or the Department of Public Safety, the respective commissioner;

(vi) for a tribal police department which exercises state arrest powers under section 626.90, 626.91, 626.92, or 626.93, the person designated by the applicable American Indian tribal government; and

(2) for the fire state aid program and fire relief association financial reports, the person who was elected or appointed to the specified position, or, for governmental entities other than counties, if the governing body of the governmental entity designates the position to perform the function, the chief financial official of the governmental entity or the chief administrative official of the governmental entity.

(k) "Voluntary statewide lump-sum volunteer firefighter retirement plan" means the retirement plan established by chapter 353G.

[See Note.]

Subd. 2.Qualification for fire or police state aid.

(a) Unless retirement coverage is provided by the voluntary statewide lump-sum volunteer firefighter retirement plan, in order to qualify to receive fire state aid, on or before March 15 annually, in conjunction with the financial report required pursuant to section 69.051, the clerk of each municipality having a duly organized fire department as provided in subdivision 4, or the secretary of each independent nonprofit firefighting corporation having a subsidiary incorporated firefighters' relief association, whichever is applicable, and the fire chief, shall jointly certify the existence of the municipal fire department or of the independent nonprofit firefighting corporation, whichever is applicable, which meets the minimum qualification requirements set forth in this subdivision, and the fire personnel and equipment of the municipal fire department or the independent nonprofit firefighting corporation as of the preceding December 31.

(b) Where retirement coverage is provided by the voluntary statewide lump-sum volunteer firefighter retirement plan, in order to qualify to receive fire state aid, on or before March 15, annually, the executive director of the Public Employees Retirement Association shall certify the existence of that coverage for each municipality and the municipal clerk or independent nonprofit firefighting corporation secretary, whichever applies, and the applicable fire chief shall certify the fire personnel and fire department equipment as of the preceding December 31.

(c) Except as provided in subdivision 2b, on or before March 15 annually, in order to qualify to receive police state aid, the clerk of each municipality and the auditor of each county employing one or more peace officers as defined in subdivision 1, paragraph (g), shall certify the number of such peace officers to the commissioner on forms prescribed by the commissioner. Credit for officers employed less than a full year must be apportioned. Each full month of employment of a qualifying officer during the calendar year entitles the employing municipality or county to credit for 1/12 of the payment for employment of a peace officer for the entire year. For purposes of sections 69.011 to 69.051, employment of a peace officer commences when the peace officer is entered on the payroll of the respective municipal police department or county sheriff's department. No peace officer may be included in the certification of the number of peace officers by more than one employing unit for the same month.

(d) A certification made under this subdivision must be filed with the commissioner, must be made on a form prescribed by the commissioner, and must include any other facts that the commissioner requires.

[See Note.]

Subd. 2a.

[Repealed, 2010 c 359 art 11 s 27]

Subd. 2b.Departments of Natural Resources and Public Safety.

(a) On or before each March 15, the commissioner of natural resources shall certify the number of peace officers as defined in subdivision 1, clause (g), employed by the Enforcement Division and the commissioner of public safety shall certify the number of peace officers as defined in subdivision 1, clause (g), employed by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Gambling Enforcement Division, and the State Patrol Division.

(b) The certification must be on a form prescribed by the commissioner. Peace officers certified under this paragraph must be included in the total certifications under subdivision 2.

[See Note.]

Subd. 2c.Ineligibility of certain police officers.

A police officer employed by the University of Minnesota who is required by the Board of Regents to be a member of the University of Minnesota faculty retirement plan is not eligible to be included in any police state-aid certification under this section.

[See Note.]

Subd. 3.Failure to file certificate deemed waiver.

(a) If a certification required by this section is not filed with the commissioner by the due date prescribed by this section, the commissioner shall notify the county, the municipality, or the nonprofit firefighting corporation that a portion or all of its current year aid will be forfeited if the certification is not received within ten days.

(b) The amount of aid forfeited is equal to the amount of state police aid or state fire aid determined for the county, the municipality, or the nonprofit firefighting corporation for the current year, multiplied by five percent for each week or fraction of a week that this certification is late. The penalty must be computed beginning ten days after the postmark date of the commissioner's notification as required under this subdivision. All forfeited aid amounts revert to the general fund in the state treasury. Failure to receive the certificate form may not be used as a defense for a failure to file.

[See Note.]

Subd. 4.Qualification for fire state aid.

(a) A municipality in this state qualifies to receive fire state aid if it meets the general requirements of paragraph (b) and if it meets the specific requirements of paragraph (c).

(b) Minimum qualifications for fire state aid include the following:

(1) having for more than one year an organized fire department and officially established by the governing body of the municipality or an independent nonprofit firefighting corporation created under the nonprofit corporation act of this state and operating exclusively for firefighting purposes and providing retirement and relief benefits to its members; and

(2) having a separate subsidiary incorporated firefighter's relief association providing retirement and relief benefits, or participating in the voluntary statewide lump-sum volunteer firefighter retirement plan or, if a paid fire department, having retirement coverage by the public employees police and fire retirement plan.

(c) Minimum requirements for fire state aid also include the following or their equivalent as determined by the state fire marshal:

(1) having ten paid or volunteer firefighters including a fire chief and assistant fire chief;

(2) having regular scheduled meetings and frequent drills including instructions in firefighting tactics and in the use, care, and operation of all fire apparatus and equipment;

(3) having a motorized fire truck equipped with a motorized pump, 250 gallon or larger water tank, 300 feet of one inch or larger fire hose in two lines with combination spray and straight stream nozzles, five-gallon hand pumps--tank extinguisher or equivalent, dry chemical extinguisher or equivalent, ladders, extension ladders, pike poles, crow bars, axes, lanterns, fire coats, helmets, and boots;

(4) having apparatus suitably housed in a building of good construction with facilities for care of hose and equipment;

(5) having a reliable and adequate method of receiving fire alarms by telephone or with electric siren and suitable means of sounding an alarm;

(6) if response is to be provided outside the corporate limits of the municipality wherein the fire department is located, having another piece of motorized apparatus to make the response; and

(7) meeting other requirements that the commissioner establishes by rule.

[See Note.]

Subd. 5.

[Repealed, 2005 c 136 art 9 s 15]

NOTE: Subdivisions 1, 2, 2b, 2c, 3, and 4 are repealed by Laws 2019, First Special Session chapter 6, article 19, section 7, effective for aids payable in 2020 and thereafter. Laws 2019, First Special Session chapter 6, article 19, section 7, the effective date.

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes