| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to veterans; appropriating money to the commissioner of veterans affairs |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 for a veteran mentorship program for Black youth. |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | 1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | 1.5 Section 1. VETERAN MENTORSHIP PROGRAM FOR BLACK YOUTH. |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 The commissioner of veterans affairs must award a grant to an organization to develop, |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | 1.7operate, and administer a veteran mentorship program to prevent youth violence through |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | 1.8employing veterans who will mentor Black youth and assisting Black youth in exploring |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | 1.9career opportunities in the armed forces. |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | 1.10 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION. |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | 1.11 $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | 1.12of veterans affairs for grants to an organization that will develop, operate, and administer |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | 1.13a veteran mentorship program for Black youth. Of the amount appropriated, $1,000,000 is |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | 1.14for expenses for youth engagement activities, $1,500,000 is for salaries for employing |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | 1.15veterans to mentor youth through the program, $2,000,000 is for community outreach and |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | 1.16education for Black youth, and $500,000 is to administer and operate the program. This is |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | 1.17a onetime appropriation. |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | 1Sec. 2. |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | 25-02954 as introduced02/10/25 REVISOR BD/KR |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | SENATE |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | STATE OF MINNESOTA |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | S.F. No. 1616NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | (SENATE AUTHORS: HOFFMAN and Oumou Verbeten) |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | Introduction and first reading02/20/2025 |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | Referred to Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development |
|---|