A bill for an act
relating to public safety; establishing an alternative public safety emergency
response grant program to replace law enforcement responders when appropriate;
requiring a report; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapter 299A.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
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The commissioner of public safety shall make
grants to cities or counties to create alternative public safety emergency response programs
to respond to 911 calls and other situations that traditionally have resulted in a dispatch of
peace officers. An eligible city or county shall detail to the commissioner a plan to create
and staff such an office to replace the primary use of peace officers in specified situations
with professionals most appropriately trained to deal with the emergency. Examples of this
include but are not limited to assigning mental health professionals to calls involving
individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, chemical dependency or health care
professionals to assist persons experiencing problems related to overdoses or substance
abuse, and social workers to situations involving people experiencing homelessness. The
alternative public safety emergency response professionals may call for the dispatch of
peace officers if necessary to protect the safety of those involved.
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The eligible city or county must provide funds to be matched
with the state grant for the alternative public safety emergency response program. Funds
transferred by a city or county from law enforcement services to a qualified alternative
public safety program shall qualify for matching funds from the grant program.
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By January 15 of every odd-numbered year, the commissioner of public
safety shall submit a report to the chairs and ranking minority members of the senate and
house of representatives committees and divisions having jurisdiction over criminal justice
on the grant program. The report must detail the number of grants made and the amount of
the grants, the grant recipients, what alternative police services were funded by the grants,
and an assessment of the results of the grants.
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The commissioner may use up to two percent of the
biennial appropriation to pay costs incurred by the department to administer the grant
program.
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$....... in fiscal year 2022 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of
public safety for the grant program described in section 1. This money is added to the
department's base budget.
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