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144.395 Tobacco use prevention and local public health endowment fund.

Subdivision 1. Creation. (a) The tobacco use prevention and local public health endowment fund is created in the state treasury. The State Board of Investment shall invest the fund under section 11A.24. All earnings of the fund must be credited to the fund. The principal of the fund must be maintained inviolate, except that the principal may be used to make expenditures from the fund for the purposes specified in this section when the market value of the fund falls below 105 percent of the cumulative total of the tobacco settlement payments received by the state and credited to the tobacco settlement fund under Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 16A.87, subdivision 2. For purposes of this section, "principal" means an amount equal to the cumulative total of the tobacco settlement payments received by the state and credited to the tobacco settlement fund under Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 16A.87, subdivision 2.

(b) If the commissioner of finance determines that probable receipts to the general fund will be sufficient to meet the need for expenditures from the general fund for a fiscal biennium, the commissioner may use cash reserves of the tobacco use prevention and local public health endowment fund, excluding an amount sufficient to meet the annual appropriations in subdivision 2, to pay expenses of the general fund. If cash reserves are transferred to the general fund to meet cash flow needs, the amount transferred, plus interest at a rate comparable to the rate earned by the state on invested commissioner of finance cash, as determined monthly by the commissioner, must be returned to the endowment fund as soon as sufficient cash balances are available in the general fund, but in any event before the end of the fiscal biennium. An amount necessary to pay the interest is appropriated from the general fund. If cash reserves of the endowment fund are used to pay expenses for the general fund, the recipients of the grants shall be held harmless to the extent possible in the following order: (1) local public health; (2) local tobacco prevention; and (3) statewide tobacco prevention. When determining the fair market value of the fund, for the purposes described in subdivision 2, the value of the cash reserves transferred to the general fund must be included in the determination.

Subd. 2. Expenditures. (a) Up to five percent of the fair market value of the fund on the preceding July 1, must be spent to reduce the human and economic consequences of tobacco use among the youth of this state through state and local tobacco prevention measures and efforts, and for other public health initiatives.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), on January 1, 2000, up to five percent of the fair market value of the fund is appropriated to the commissioner of health to distribute as grants under section 144.396, subdivisions 5 and 6, in accordance with allocations in paragraph (c), clauses (1) and (2). Up to $200,000 of this appropriation is available to the commissioner to conduct the statewide assessments described in section 144.396, subdivision 3.

(c) Beginning July 1, 2000, and on July 1 of each year thereafter, the money in paragraph (a) is appropriated as follows, except as provided in paragraphs (d) and (e):

(1) 67 percent to the commissioner of health to distribute as grants under section 144.396, subdivision 5, to fund statewide tobacco use prevention initiatives aimed at youth;

(2) 16.5 percent to the commissioner of health to distribute as grants under section 144.396, subdivision 6, to fund local public health initiatives aimed at tobacco use prevention in coordination with other local health-related efforts to achieve measurable improvements in health among youth; and

(3) 16.5 percent to the commissioner of health to distribute in accordance with section 144.396, subdivision 7.

(d) A maximum of $150,000 of each annual appropriation to the commissioner of health in paragraphs (b) and (c) may be used by the commissioner for administrative expenses associated with implementing this section.

(e) Beginning July 1, 2001, $1,250,000 of each annual appropriation to the commissioner under paragraph (c), clause (1), may be used to provide base level funding for the commissioner's tobacco prevention and control programs and activities. This appropriation must occur before any other appropriation under this subdivision.

Subd. 3. Sunset. The tobacco use prevention and local public health endowment fund expires June 30, 2015. Upon expiration, the commissioner of finance shall transfer the principal and any remaining interest to the general fund.

HIST: 1999 c 245 art 11 s 4; 2000 c 392 s 6,7; 2000 c 488 art 11 s 4; 1Sp2001 c 9 art 1 s 36; 2002 c 220 art 13 s 6; 2002 c 374 art 8 s 3; 2002 c 379 art 1 s 113; 2003 c 112 art 2 s 50; 1Sp2003 c 18 art 5 s 6; 2004 c 228 art 1 s 30

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes