1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to public safety; creating critical incident 
  1.3             stress management, fire assistance support team grant 
  1.4             program; appropriating money; proposing coding for new 
  1.5             law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 299A. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [299A.75] [DEFINITIONS.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [SCOPE.] The terms used in sections 299A.75 
  1.9   to 299A.81 have the meanings given them in this section. 
  1.10     Subd. 2.  [COMMISSIONER.] "Commissioner" means the 
  1.11  commissioner of public safety. 
  1.12     Subd. 3.  [TEAM.] "Team" means a critical incident stress 
  1.13  management (CISM) team organized under an emergency medical 
  1.14  service (EMS) regional program grant or by a nonprofit venture 
  1.15  CISM team. 
  1.16     Subd. 4.  [FAST.] "FAST" means a fire assistance support 
  1.17  team recognized by the joint council. 
  1.18     Subd. 5.  [JOINT COUNCIL.] "Joint council" means the 
  1.19  Minnesota Fire Services Joint Council organized by the Minnesota 
  1.20  State Fire Chief's Association, the Minnesota Professional Fire 
  1.21  Fighters, and the Minnesota State Fire Department Association 
  1.22  and maintained by these organizations. 
  1.23     Sec. 2.  [299A.76] [CISM, FAST GRANT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.] 
  1.24     A critical incident stress management, fire assistance 
  1.25  support team grant program is established to be administered by 
  2.1   the commissioner, consisting of grants to CISM teams to enable 
  2.2   them to enhance the effectiveness of their responses to public 
  2.3   safety employee and employer requests, or to FAST for responses 
  2.4   to catastrophic incidents. 
  2.5      Sec. 3.  [299A.77] [GRANT ELIGIBILITY; CISM TEAM.] 
  2.6      To be eligible for a grant under this program, a CISM team 
  2.7   must: 
  2.8      (1) be available to respond to a request by emergency 
  2.9   personnel 24 hours per day; 
  2.10     (2) be recognized by one or more of the eight emergency 
  2.11  medical services regional programs or at least two fire or 
  2.12  police departments within the state; 
  2.13     (3) submit a written plan for the proposed expenditures to 
  2.14  enhance the effectiveness of CISM responses or to reimburse 
  2.15  actual team expenses incurred during a response; and 
  2.16     (4) apply for the grant according to procedures to be 
  2.17  established for this program by the commissioner and receive 
  2.18  approval from the commissioner.  
  2.19     Sec. 4.  [299A.78] [GRANT ELIGIBILITY; FAST.] 
  2.20     To be eligible for a grant under this program, a FAST must: 
  2.21     (1) be available to respond to a request from a fire 
  2.22  department recognized by the state fire marshal; 
  2.23     (2) have responded to a request for assistance in a 
  2.24  situation beyond the normal expected operation of the department 
  2.25  and beyond the capacity of that department's mutual aid 
  2.26  agreements; 
  2.27     (3) submit written documentation outlining costs incurred, 
  2.28  activities to assist the department, and the plan developed for 
  2.29  the department to facilitate a transition back to normal; and 
  2.30     (4) apply for the grant according to procedures to be 
  2.31  established for this program by the commissioner and receive 
  2.32  approval from the commissioner. 
  2.33     Sec. 5.  [299A.79] [GRANT APPLICATION.] 
  2.34     Subdivision 1.  [PROCEDURES; RULES.] A grant application 
  2.35  must be submitted to the commissioner according to the 
  2.36  procedures established by rule.  The grant application must 
  3.1   include a specific description of the plan for enhancing the 
  3.2   effectiveness of responses or receipts for actual expenses 
  3.3   incurred. 
  3.4      Subd. 2.  [APPROVAL.] The commissioner shall approve a 
  3.5   grant application only if it meets the criteria for eligibility 
  3.6   as established and announced by the commissioner and if there 
  3.7   are sufficient funds remaining in the grant program to cover the 
  3.8   amount of the grant.  The commissioner may request modifications 
  3.9   to the plan.  If the commissioner rejects a grant application, 
  3.10  written reasons for the rejection must be provided to the 
  3.11  applicant.  The applicant may modify the application and 
  3.12  resubmit it. 
  3.13     Sec. 6.  [299A.80] [PLAN; QUALIFYING USES.] 
  3.14     The commissioner shall determine whether the plan will 
  3.15  enable a team to enhance its effectiveness during a response or 
  3.16  the expenses are related to an effective CISM activity or FAST 
  3.17  response. 
  3.18     Sec. 7.  [299A.81] [GRANT AMOUNT.] 
  3.19     The amount of each grant must be determined by the 
  3.20  commissioner and may not exceed the lesser of: 
  3.21     (1) the amount specified in the grant application to be 
  3.22  spent on the plan or to cover the receipted expenses; 
  3.23     (2) 25 percent of the balance of the grant fund; or 
  3.24     (3) 50 percent of the applicant's annual budget.  This 
  3.25  clause does not apply to FAST while the normal program costs are 
  3.26  being borne by the joint council.  If separate budgeting is 
  3.27  established, then this clause is applicable. 
  3.28     Sec. 8.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.29     $200,000 is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 
  3.30  2001, to the commissioner of public safety from the general fund 
  3.31  for the critical incident stress management, fire assistance 
  3.32  support team grant program.