1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to the military; creating a program that
1.3 	provides interest-free loans to certain members of the
1.4 	Minnesota National Guard or other military reserve
1.5 	units called to federal active service and deployed
1.6 	outside of the United States; amending Minnesota
1.7 	Statutes 2004, section 192.501, by adding a
1.8 	subdivision.
1.9 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.10 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 192.501, is
1.11 	amended by adding a subdivision to read:
1.12 		Subd. 2a.Interest-free loan for foreign deployment. (a)
1.13 	The adjutant general shall establish a program to provide an
1.14 	interest-free loan from the state in the amount of $2,000 for
1.15 	each month of deployment described in paragraph (b), clause (1),
1.16 	to each eligible soldier within the limitations of this
1.17 	subdivision.
1.18 	(b) Eligibility is limited to a member of the Minnesota
1.19 	National Guard or other reserve components of the armed forces
1.20 	of the United States who:
1.21 	(1) engaged in a deployment under federal active service as
1.22 	defined in section 190.05, subdivision 5c, for at least 90
1.23 	consecutive days to a location outside of the United States;
1.24 	(2) is serving satisfactorily as defined by the adjutant
1.25 	general or was honorably discharged following completion of the
1.26 	deployment;
1.27 	(3) submits an application under the procedures established
2.1 	by the adjutant general within eight months of completion of the
2.2 	deployment; and 
2.3 	(4) was a resident of Minnesota when the deployment began.
2.4 	In addition, if the eligible member is killed during the
2.5 	overseas deployment, the member's surviving spouse is eligible
2.6 	for an interest-free loan under this subdivision.
2.7 	The adjutant general may, within the limitations of this
2.8 	paragraph and other applicable laws, determine additional
2.9 	eligibility criteria for the loan, and must specify the criteria
2.10 	in department rules.
2.11 	(c) The maximum amount of a loan under this subdivision is
2.12 	$24,000.
2.13 	(d) Loans made under this subdivision must be repaid within
2.14 	30 years of the date of the origin of the loan.