1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to public safety; authorizing grants and 
  1.3             loans for public safety radio equipment; authorizing 
  1.4             state bonds; appropriating money; proposing coding for 
  1.5             new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 473. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  1.8      $6,550,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  1.9   commissioner of public safety, is available until spent, and is 
  1.10  for the regionwide public safety radio communication system.  Of 
  1.11  this appropriation: 
  1.12     (1) $3,700,000 is for the purchase of a backup controller 
  1.13  for the system; 
  1.14     (2) $800,000 is for the metropolitan radio board's share of 
  1.15  the cost of enhanced microwave capacity for system growth and to 
  1.16  accommodate additional users; 
  1.17     (3) $800,000 is for the increased cost of civil 
  1.18  construction at the 800 MHz sites resulting from the sizing of 
  1.19  sites to accommodate future users and system growth; 
  1.20     (4) $900,000 is to add three repeater sites in areas that 
  1.21  need radio coverage improvement to support current users' radio 
  1.22  needs; and 
  1.23     (5) $350,000 is for the radiating cable in the capitol 
  1.24  complex to support the use of portable radios inside the tunnel 
  1.25  systems and in the lower levels of the history center. 
  2.1      Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.2      $15,000,000 is appropriated to the metropolitan radio board 
  2.3   for the regionwide public safety radio communication system.  Of 
  2.4   this appropriation: 
  2.5      (1) $7,500,000 is from the bond proceeds fund, is available 
  2.6   until spent, and is for grants for the purchase of equipment of 
  2.7   a capital nature necessary to enable the recipient to join the 
  2.8   regionwide public safety radio communication system as provided 
  2.9   in section 4, but only if the recipient provides a matching 
  2.10  contribution to purchase the equipment of not less than 50 
  2.11  percent of the equipment cost; and 
  2.12     (2) $7,500,000 is from the general fund, is available until 
  2.13  spent, and is for grants to purchase either capital or 
  2.14  noncapital equipment necessary to enable the recipient to join 
  2.15  the regionwide public safety radio communication system as 
  2.16  provided in section 4, but only if the recipient provides a 
  2.17  matching contribution for purchase of the equipment of not less 
  2.18  than 50 percent of the equipment cost. 
  2.19     Sec. 3.  [BOND SALE.] 
  2.20     To provide the money appropriated by section 2 from the 
  2.21  bond proceeds fund, the commissioner of finance, on request of 
  2.22  the governor, shall sell and issue bonds of the state in an 
  2.23  amount up to $7,500,000 in the manner, on the terms, and with 
  2.24  the effect prescribed by Minnesota Statutes, sections 16A.631 to 
  2.25  16A.675, and by the Minnesota Constitution, article XI, sections 
  2.26  4 to 7. 
  2.27     Sec. 4.  [473.8945] [GRANTS AND LOANS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY 
  2.28  RADIO EQUIPMENT.] 
  2.29     Subdivision 1.  [AUTHORIZATION.] (a) The board may make 
  2.30  grants or loans to: 
  2.31     (1) local governments, as defined in section 473.891, 
  2.32  subdivision 5; 
  2.33     (2) political subdivisions located adjacent to the 
  2.34  metropolitan area; or 
  2.35     (3) emergency medical services providers that provide 
  2.36  service primarily in the metropolitan area. 
  3.1      (b) The grants or loans must be to purchase either capital 
  3.2   or noncapital equipment necessary to enable the recipient to 
  3.3   join the regionwide public safety radio communication system.  
  3.4   Grants or loans may be made from funds available to the board 
  3.5   under this chapter or from money appropriated by law to the 
  3.6   board for these purposes. 
  3.7      Subd. 2.  [PROCEDURES.] The board shall adopt uniform 
  3.8   procedures for the award and disbursement of grants and loans 
  3.9   under this section.  Eligible local governments, political 
  3.10  subdivisions, and emergency medical services providers may apply 
  3.11  for, contract for, and receive loans and grants as provided in 
  3.12  this section.  Chapter 475 does not apply to loans made under 
  3.13  this section.  Grants and loans made by the board must provide 
  3.14  incentives for expanding direct access to the regionwide system 
  3.15  or developing more cost-effective radio communications using the 
  3.16  regionwide system.  In making grants and loans, the board must 
  3.17  base its decision on the following factors: 
  3.18     (1) the extent to which network equipment purchased by the 
  3.19  recipient results in an increase in the number of local users 
  3.20  being directly connected to the regionwide system or expedites 
  3.21  their participation in the system; 
  3.22     (2) the extent to which network equipment purchased by the 
  3.23  recipient or recipients results in sharing of equipment or 
  3.24  personnel for dispatching; 
  3.25     (3) the extent to which end-user equipment purchased by the 
  3.26  recipient is assigned to priority public safety communications 
  3.27  involving police, fire, and emergency medical services; and 
  3.28     (4) the recipient's demonstrated need and available 
  3.29  financial resources. 
  3.30     Sec. 5.  [APPLICATION.] 
  3.31     Section 4 applies in the counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, 
  3.32  Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington. 
  3.33     Sec. 6.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.34     Sections 1 to 5 are effective the day after final enactment.