1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to local government aid; establishing the local public safety aid program; 
1.3 	appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 
1.4 	477A.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [477A.40] LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY AID.
1.7 		Subdivision 1.Purpose. The purpose of this section is to help local units of government 
1.8 	ensure that first responders are receiving mental health care.
1.9 		Subd. 2.Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the 
1.10 	meanings given:
1.11 	(1) "firefighter" means a firefighter employed full-time by a fire department and licensed 
1.12 	by the Board of Firefighter Training and Education;
1.13 	(2) "local unit of government" means a statutory or home rule charter city that employs 
1.14 	its own law enforcement agency, or a county;
1.15 	(3) "peace officer" means a peace officer employed by a local unit of government's law 
1.16 	enforcement agency and licensed by the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and 
1.17 	Training; and
1.18 	(4) "public safety count" means the total number of peace officers and firefighters 
1.19 	employed by a local unit of government.
1.20 		Subd. 3.Distribution. Each local unit of government shall receive an annual distribution 
1.21 	equal to the product of:
2.1 	(1) the local unit of government's public safety count divided by the public safety count 
2.2 	of all local units of government; multiplied by
2.3 	(2) the total amount appropriated to local public safety aid under this section.
2.4 		Subd. 4.Qualifying programs. For the purposes of this section, qualifying programs 
2.5 	must provide at least one hour of mental health services every six months for any peace 
2.6 	officers and firefighters employed by a local unit of government.
2.7 		Subd. 5.Use of proceeds. (a) Any funds distributed under this section must be spent on 
2.8 	qualifying programs that serve peace officers and firefighters employed by the local unit 
2.9 	of government.
2.10 	(b) Any unspent funds must be returned to the commissioner of revenue by December 
2.11 	31 in the second year following the year the aid was received.
2.12 		Subd. 6.Administration. (a) The commissioner of revenue must compute the amount 
2.13 	of aid payable to each city and county under this section. By August 1 of each year, the 
2.14 	commissioner must certify the amount to be paid to each county and city in the following 
2.15 	calendar year. The commissioner must pay the aid under this section annually at the times 
2.16 	provided in section 477A.015.
2.17 	(b) Local units of government may choose not to spend all or a portion of the distribution 
2.18 	under this section. Any unspent funds returned to the commissioner of revenue must be 
2.19 	added to the overall distribution of aids certified under this section in the following year.
2.20 		Subd. 7.Appropriation. $9,000,000 is annually appropriated from the general fund to 
2.21 	the commissioner of revenue to make payments required under this section.

2.22 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective beginning with aids payable in calendar 
2.23 	year 2024.