1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to health; creating the spinal cord injury 
  1.3             research board and the spinal cord injury research 
  1.4             trust account; authorizing rulemaking; appropriating 
  1.5             money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 
  1.6             144.662; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
  1.7             Statutes, chapter 144. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [144.6615] [SPINAL CORD INJURY RESEARCH BOARD.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [BOARD ESTABLISHED.] (a) A spinal cord 
  1.11  injury research board is established within the department of 
  1.12  health to administer spinal cord injury research projects and 
  1.13  administer the spinal cord injury research trust account under 
  1.14  section 144.6616.  The purpose of research projects administered 
  1.15  by the board is neurological research towards healing the acute 
  1.16  and chronic condition of spinal cord injury and restoring 
  1.17  movement, feeling, and function.  The members of the spinal cord 
  1.18  injury research board shall include, but are not limited to, 
  1.19  representatives in the fields of neuroscience, neurology, 
  1.20  neurosurgery, neuropharmacology, and spinal cord rehabilitative 
  1.21  medicine and at least two members of the public with spinal cord 
  1.22  injuries.  The board shall be composed of 13 members, seven of 
  1.23  whom shall be appointed by the governor, two of whom shall be 
  1.24  appointed by the senate rules committee, two of whom shall be 
  1.25  appointed by the speaker of the house, one of whom shall be 
  1.26  appointed by the minority leader of the senate, and one of whom 
  2.1   shall be appointed by the minority leader of the house. 
  2.2      (b) Board member terms, compensation, and removal are 
  2.3   governed by section 15.059.  Notwithstanding section 15.059, 
  2.4   subdivision 5, the spinal cord injury research board does not 
  2.5   expire. 
  2.6      (c) A majority of the full authorized membership of the 
  2.7   board shall constitute a quorum. 
  2.8      (d) One member of the board shall be chosen by the governor 
  2.9   to serve as chair. 
  2.10     (e) Meetings of the board shall be held at least twice a 
  2.11  year but may be held more frequently as deemed necessary, 
  2.12  subject to call by the chair or by request of a majority of the 
  2.13  board members.  Board meetings shall address, among other 
  2.14  things, policy matters relating to spinal cord injury research 
  2.15  projects and programs, research progress reports, and other 
  2.16  matters necessary to carry out the intent of this section. 
  2.17     Subd. 2.  [BOARD DUTIES.] The spinal cord injury research 
  2.18  board shall: 
  2.19     (1) formulate policies and procedures necessary to carry 
  2.20  out the provisions of this section; 
  2.21     (2) establish an independent system for the submission, 
  2.22  review, and recommendation for approval of applications for 
  2.23  research projects, which system avoids conflicts of interest and 
  2.24  ensures that the purposes of this section are being pursued; 
  2.25     (3) solicit applications from public and private agencies 
  2.26  and organizations and qualified research institutions for grants 
  2.27  from the spinal cord injury research trust account under section 
  2.28  144.6616 to conduct research projects that focus on healing 
  2.29  spinal cord injuries and restoring movement, feeling, and 
  2.30  function and have such applications reviewed under the system 
  2.31  established according to clause (2).  The commissioner may grant 
  2.32  approval of applications for grants from those applications 
  2.33  recommended under the system established according to clause 
  2.34  (2); 
  2.35     (4) encourage the development of spinal cord research 
  2.36  projects; 
  3.1      (5) ensure that state funds appropriated for spinal cord 
  3.2   injury research are not diverted to any other use; and 
  3.3      (6) provide the governor and the legislature an annual 
  3.4   report by January 31 of each year setting forth the status of 
  3.5   funds appropriated for spinal cord injury research and the 
  3.6   progress of the board in terms of the results of its spinal cord 
  3.7   injury research efforts. 
  3.8      Subd. 3.  [BOARD AUTHORITY.] The spinal cord injury 
  3.9   research board may: 
  3.10     (1) recommend proposed rules to the commissioner regarding 
  3.11  the administration of the board; 
  3.12     (2) employ an executive director and other necessary 
  3.13  personnel; 
  3.14     (3) apply for and accept grants of money from the federal 
  3.15  government; 
  3.16     (4) enter into contracts with individuals, organizations, 
  3.17  and institutions necessary or incidental to the performance of 
  3.18  its duties; and 
  3.19     (5) accept gifts, grants, and bequests of money from 
  3.20  individuals, foundations, corporations, governmental agencies, 
  3.21  and other organizations and institutions. 
  3.22     Subd. 4.  [RULEMAKING AUTHORIZED.] The commissioner of 
  3.23  health may adopt rules as necessary to administer the spinal 
  3.24  cord injury research board.  
  3.25     Sec. 2.  [144.6616] [SPINAL CORD INJURY RESEARCH TRUST 
  3.26  ACCOUNT.] 
  3.27     Subdivision 1.  [ACCOUNT ESTABLISHED.] There is created in 
  3.28  the state treasury an account known as the spinal cord injury 
  3.29  research trust account.  The account shall consist of money 
  3.30  appropriated for its purpose. 
  3.31     Subd. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] Money in the account is 
  3.32  appropriated to the spinal cord injury research board for 
  3.33  administrative costs of the spinal cord injury research board 
  3.34  and for funding spinal cord injury research projects 
  3.35  administered by the board. 
  3.36     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 144.662, is 
  4.1   amended to read: 
  4.2      144.662 [TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND SPINAL CORD INJURY 
  4.3   REGISTRY; PURPOSE.] 
  4.4      The commissioner of health shall establish and maintain a 
  4.5   central registry of persons who sustain traumatic brain injury 
  4.6   or spinal cord injury.  The purpose of the registry is to:  
  4.7      (1) collect information to facilitate the development of 
  4.8   injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation programs and 
  4.9   serve as a resource for research and evaluation of traumatic 
  4.10  brain injuries and spinal cord injuries and available services; 
  4.11  and 
  4.12     (2) ensure the provision to persons with traumatic brain 
  4.13  injury or spinal cord injury of information regarding 
  4.14  appropriate public or private agencies that provide 
  4.15  rehabilitative services so that injured persons may obtain 
  4.16  needed services to alleviate injuries and avoid secondary 
  4.17  problems, such as mental illness and chemical dependency.  
  4.18     Sec. 4.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  4.19     $....... is appropriated from the general fund for the 
  4.20  2002-2003 biennium to the spinal cord injury research trust 
  4.21  account for the purposes specified under Minnesota Statutes, 
  4.22  section 144.6616.  The money is available until expended.  This 
  4.23  appropriation shall become part of the base level funding for 
  4.24  this activity for the 2004-2005 biennium.