Bill SF4342, HF4215

1.1          A bill for an act
1.2          relating to public safety; appropriating money to fund a grant to train and make
1.3          therapy dogs available to law enforcement officers who are suffering from
1.4          job-related trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder; requiring a report.
1.5          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6          Section 1. LAW ENFORCEMENT THERAPY DOG GRANT PROGRAM;
1.7          APPROPRIATION.
 1.8        (a) $....... in fiscal year 2025 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner
1.9          of public safety to issue grants to nonprofit organizations that train and place therapy dogs
1.10       in state and local law enforcement agencies located in Minnesota to aid in treating peace
1.11       officers suffering from job-related trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder and to assist
1.12       in responding to calls involving persons in crisis. The commissioner shall determine which
1.13       law enforcement agencies receive therapy dogs trained with grant funds. Interested law
1.14       enforcement agencies must submit an application to the commissioner, on a form prepared
1.15       by the commissioner, requesting placement of a therapy dog. The commissioner must give
1.16       preference to applicants that demonstrate that the agency's peace officers suffer a high rate
1.17       of job-related trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder or are exposed regularly to high-stress
1.18       incidents that are known to cause job-related trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. This
1.19       is a onetime appropriation.
1.20       (b) Each grant recipient must report to the commissioner of public safety and the chairs
1.21       and ranking minority members of the house of representatives and senate committees
1.22       overseeing public safety policy and finance on how the grant was expended. The report
1.23       must include an overview of the grant recipient's budget, a detailed explanation of how
2.1          grant funds were expended, the number of dogs trained with grant funds, the names of the
2.2          agencies that received therapy dogs, the number of peace officers served by dogs trained
2.3          with grant funds, and a list and explanation of the benefits received by peace officers who
2.4          were served by dogs trained with grant funds. An initial report is due by January 15, 2025,
2.5          and a final report is due by January 15, 2026.