1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; establishing a paramedic scholarship program; 
1.3 	appropriating money; requiring reports.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. PARAMEDIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. The commissioner of the Office of Higher Education 
1.7 	shall establish a program to provide up to 600 scholarships to students entering paramedic 
1.8 	programs by 2026.
1.9 		Subd. 2.Eligible students. (a) To be eligible for a scholarship under this section, a 
1.10 	student must:
1.11 	(1) apply in the form and manner specified by the commissioner;
1.12 	(2) be a resident student, as defined by Minnesota Statutes, section 136A.101, subdivision 
1.13 	8;
1.14 	(3) attend an eligible institution, as defined by Minnesota Statutes, section 136A.101, 
1.15 	subdivision 4;
1.16 	(4) be enrolled in a nationally accredited, degree- or diploma-awarding paramedic 
1.17 	program at that institution; and
1.18 	(5) submit to the commissioner a completed affidavit, prescribed by the commissioner, 
1.19 	affirming the student's intent to work as a paramedic in Minnesota after graduation.
1.20 	(b) An eligible student may receive a scholarship under this section no more than two 
1.21 	times.
2.1 		Subd. 3.Administration; award amount. (a) The commissioner must establish an 
2.2 	application process and other guidelines for implementing the paramedic scholarship 
2.3 	program. The first set of scholarships must be awarded for the 2024-2025 academic year.
2.4 	(b) The amount of a scholarship awarded under this section is $5,000. The scholarship 
2.5 	must be paid in a lump sum directly to the institution where the recipient is enrolled.
2.6 		Subd. 4.Reporting. By February 1, 2025, and again by February 1, 2026, the 
2.7 	commissioner must submit a report on the program to the chairs and ranking minority 
2.8 	members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over higher education finance and 
2.9 	policy. The report must include the following information and any other information the 
2.10 	commissioner considers relevant:
2.11 	(1) information about all postsecondary programs giving rise to eligibility for a 
2.12 	scholarship under this section, including the programs' locations, costs, enrollment capacities, 
2.13 	acceptance rates, and other relevant information;
2.14 	(2) available data on the current and forecasted demand for paramedics in Minnesota; 
2.15 	and
2.16 	(3) the total number of scholarships issued, disaggregated by:
2.17 	(i) year of award;
2.18 	(ii) postsecondary institution attended; and
2.19 	(iii) relevant and available demographic data about award recipients.
2.20 		Subd. 5.Expiration. This section expires June 30, 2026.

2.21 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; PARAMEDIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
 2.22 	(a) $3,200,000 in fiscal year 2024 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
2.23 	commissioner of the Office of Higher Education for the paramedic scholarship program 
2.24 	under section 1. Of this amount:
2.25 	(1) $3,000,000 is for awarding 600 student scholarships;
2.26 	(2) $100,000 is for promotion of the program and student recruitment efforts; and
2.27 	(3) $100,000 is for administering the program.
2.28 	(b) This is a onetime appropriation. This appropriation is available until expended or 
2.29 	until June 30, 2026, whichever occurs first.