1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; establishing a grant program 
  1.3             for Asian-Pacific American mental health professionals 
  1.4             at the graduate school level; appropriating money; 
  1.5             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.6             chapter 136A. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [136A.1365] [GRANTS FOR ASIAN-PACIFIC AMERICAN 
  1.9   STUDENTS IN MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A mental health services 
  1.11  professional grant program is established under the authority of 
  1.12  the higher education services office to provide grants to 
  1.13  students who are Asian-Pacific American who are entering or 
  1.14  enrolled in a graduate level program in mental health services. 
  1.15     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY.] To be eligible to receive a grant, 
  1.16  a student shall be:  
  1.17     (1) a citizen of the United States or permanent resident of 
  1.18  the United States; 
  1.19     (2) a resident of the state of Minnesota; 
  1.20     (3) an Asian-Pacific American; 
  1.21     (4) entering or enrolled in a graduate level program in 
  1.22  Minnesota in mental health services; 
  1.23     (5) required to work for a minimum of two years in local 
  1.24  clinics and agencies serving the Asian-Pacific American 
  1.25  population after obtaining licensure in the mental health 
  1.26  services field; and 
  2.1      (6) eligible under any additional criteria established by 
  2.2   the graduate school in which the student is enrolled.  
  2.3      The grant must be awarded for one academic year but is 
  2.4   renewable for one additional academic year. 
  2.5      Subd. 3.  [RESPONSIBILITY OF GRADUATE SCHOOL.] Each 
  2.6   graduate school that wishes to participate in the grant program 
  2.7   shall apply to the higher education services office for grant 
  2.8   money, according to policies established by the office.  A 
  2.9   school shall establish criteria to use in awarding the grants.  
  2.10  The criteria must include consideration of the likelihood of a 
  2.11  student's success in completing the educational program and must 
  2.12  give priority to students with the greatest financial need.  
  2.13  Each grant must be for a minimum of $2,000 but not exceed 
  2.14  $4,000.  Each school shall agree that the money awarded through 
  2.15  this grant program must not be used to replace any other grant 
  2.16  or scholarship money for which the student would be otherwise 
  2.17  eligible. 
  2.18     Subd. 4.  [RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION 
  2.19  SERVICES OFFICE.] The higher education services office shall 
  2.20  distribute money each year to Minnesota graduate schools that 
  2.21  provide programs in mental health services.  Money not used by a 
  2.22  recipient program must be returned to the higher education 
  2.23  services office for redistribution under this section.  The 
  2.24  office shall establish an application process for interested 
  2.25  schools. 
  2.26     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.27     $100,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  2.28  higher education services office for the 2000-2001 biennium for 
  2.29  the purposes of section 1.