Minnesota SF 4329: Veterans service organization grant program establishment and appropriation

Bill Text

1.1 A bill for an act​
1.2 relating to veterans affairs; establishing veterans service organization grant program;​
1.3 appropriating money for veterans service organization grant program; amending​
1.4 Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 12, article 1, section 37, subdivision 2;​
1.5 proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 197.​
1.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:​
1.7 Section 1. [197.61] VETERANS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS GRANT PROGRAM.​
1.8 Subdivision 1.Grant program.A veterans service organization grant program is​
1.9 established to provide grants to congressionally chartered veterans service organizations​
1.10 (VSO) to enhance the effectiveness of veterans services. The program shall be administered​
1.11 by the commissioner of veterans affairs.​
1.12 Subd. 2.Definitions.(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the​
1.13 meanings given them.​
1.14 (b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs or​
1.15 designee.​
1.16 (c) "Department" means the Department of Veterans Affairs.​
1.17 (d) "Congressionally chartered veterans service organizations" are organizations that​
1.18 have been granted charters by Congress through the enactment of public laws. Each​
1.19 congressionally chartered VSO is listed in United States Code, title 36, subtitle II: Patriotic​
1.20 and National Organizations.​
1.21 (e) "VA" means the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.​
1​Section 1.​
22-04903 as introduced​03/11/22 REVISOR BD/NS​
SENATE​
STATE OF MINNESOTA​
S.F. No. 4329​NINETY-SECOND SESSION​
(SENATE AUTHORS: LANG)​
OFFICIAL STATUS​D-PG​DATE​
Introduction and first reading​5656​03/28/2022​
Referred to Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy​

2.1 (f) "Accredited representation" means providing representation under the authority​
2.2 granted by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to representatives, agents,​
2.3 and attorneys to assist claimants in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of claims​
2.4 for VA benefits.​
2.5 (g) "Full member" means a veteran who meets the requirements for membership in a​
2.6 congressionally chartered veterans service organization and is entitled to all of the rights​
2.7 and privileges thereof. Full member does not include an associate or auxiliary member.​
2.8 Subd. 3.Eligibility.To be eligible for a grant under subdivision 6, a veterans service​
2.9 organization must provide:​
2.10 (1) accredited representation for the preparation and presentation of veteran claims to​
2.11 the United States government for compensation and other benefits to which a veteran is​
2.12 entitled as a result of the veteran's military service;​
2.13 (2) a state or department level veterans service officer to provide programs and services​
2.14 to veterans; or​
2.15 (3) statewide transportation services to veterans.​
2.16 Subd. 4.Grant process.(a) A grant may be used only for the purpose of enhancing the​
2.17 operations of congressionally chartered veterans service organizations.​
2.18 (b) The commissioner shall provide a list of qualifying uses for grant expenditures as​
2.19 required in subdivision 5 and shall approve a grant for a qualifying use if there is sufficient​
2.20 grant money remaining in the grant program to cover the full amount of the grant.​
2.21 Subd. 5.Qualifying uses.The commissioner shall develop a list of qualifying uses for​
2.22 grants awarded under this section.​
2.23 Subd. 6.Grant amount.(a) Each congressionally chartered veterans service organization​
2.24 is eligible to receive an annual grant determined by the commissioner as follows:​
2.25 (1) a dollar amount per full member for each organization member to be established by​
2.26 the commissioner. The dollar amount may be adjusted every biennium, subject to available​
2.27 funding; and​
2.28 (2) a dollar amount for each organization, established by the commissioner, based on​
2.29 the organization's share of the VA claims workload for veterans and their dependents who​
2.30 reside in Minnesota. The VA claims workload must be reported as a percentage of the state's​
2.31 total VA workload.​
2​Section 1.​
22-04903 as introduced​03/11/22 REVISOR BD/NS​

3.1 (b) The VA claims workload for each congressionally chartered veterans service​
3.2 organization must be determined by a report supplied by the VA, as adopted by the​
3.3 commissioner.​
3.4 Subd. 7.Recapture.If a congressionally chartered veterans service organization fails​
3.5 to use the grant for a qualified use approved by the commissioner or does not spend the​
3.6 allocated grant money, the commissioner shall seek recovery of the grant from the​
3.7 organization and the organization must repay the grant amount or any unused grant money.​
3.8 Sec. 2. Laws 2021, First Special Session chapter 12, article 1, section 37, subdivision 2,​
3.9 is amended to read:​
22,153,000​
22,300,000​
3.10 27,073,000​
27,220,000​3.11 Subd. 2.Veterans Progr