HF 96

1st Engrossment - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to law enforcement; modifying the policy for 
  1.3             reimbursing public employers for certain officer and 
  1.4             firefighter health insurance benefits; requiring the 
  1.5             commissioner of public safety to reimburse certain 
  1.6             claims from other available funds; amending Minnesota 
  1.7             Statutes 2002, sections 299A.42; 299A.465, subdivision 
  1.8             4. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 299A.42, is 
  1.11  amended to read: 
  1.12     299A.42 [PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICER'S BENEFIT ACCOUNT.] 
  1.13     The public safety officer's benefit account is created in 
  1.14  the state treasury.  Money in the account consists of money 
  1.15  transferred and appropriated to that account.  Money in the 
  1.16  account that is not expended in the fiscal year in which it is 
  1.17  transferred or appropriated does not revert to the general fund 
  1.18  until claims for reimbursement under section 299A.465 that are 
  1.19  submitted in that fiscal year are either paid or denied. 
  1.20     [EFFECTIVE DATE.] This section is effective the day 
  1.21  following final enactment. 
  1.22     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 299A.465, 
  1.23  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.24     Subd. 4.  [PUBLIC EMPLOYER REIMBURSEMENT.] A public 
  1.25  employer subject to this section may annually apply to the 
  1.26  commissioner of public safety for reimbursement to help defray a 
  1.27  portion of its costs of complying with this section.  
  2.1   Applications must be submitted by August 1 for claims relating 
  2.2   to the preceding fiscal year.  The commissioner shall provide 
  2.3   reimbursement to the public employer out of the public safety 
  2.4   officer's benefit account.  Reimbursement may be less than the 
  2.5   total claim and may be prorated based on the number of eligible 
  2.6   peace officers, firefighters, and qualifying dependents.  An 
  2.7   individual share must not exceed the actual cost to a public 
  2.8   employer to provide coverage for an individual under this 
  2.9   section. 
  2.10     [EFFECTIVE DATE.] This section is effective the day 
  2.11  following final enactment. 
  2.12     Sec. 3.  [PUBLIC EMPLOYER REIMBURSEMENT FOR OFFICER AND 
  2.13  FIREFIGHTER HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES, 
  2.14  SECTION 299A.465; FISCAL YEAR 2002.] 
  2.15     Notwithstanding any law appropriating the funds for other 
  2.16  purposes, the commissioner of public safety must pay $294,604 to 
  2.17  public employers that were denied reimbursement under Minnesota 
  2.18  Statutes, section 299A.465, subdivision 4, in fiscal year 2002 
  2.19  for claims submitted no later than December 31, 2002.  Of that 
  2.20  amount, up to $200,000 may be reallocated from funds 
  2.21  appropriated for the soft body armor reimbursement program under 
  2.22  Minnesota Statutes, section 299A.38, in fiscal year 2003 and the 
  2.23  remaining amount must come from general fund money appropriated 
  2.24  to the commissioner for any other purpose.  
  2.25     [EFFECTIVE DATE.] This section is effective the day 
  2.26  following final enactment.