Law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel provided funding for mental health services and outdoor activities, and money appropriated.
Summary
HF491 appropriates $250,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $250,000 in fiscal year 2027 from the general fund to the commissioner of public safety for a grant to Hometown Hero Outdoors, a Minnesota nonprofit based in Stillwater. The grant is intended to support outdoor recreational activities and mental health services for current and former law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services personnel.
The bill states that the funding is meant to promote positive mental health, increase interaction with mental health professionals, improve longevity and quality of life, and support public education related to these services. It also aims to help the organization continue serving people who are serving or have served in these public safety professions.
Impact
HF491 would not create a broad regulatory change, but it would direct state general fund dollars to a specific nonprofit through the Department of Public Safety. Its practical effect would be to establish a two-year state grant program for mental health and outdoor wellness services targeted to first responders and former first responders, while reinforcing the role of the commissioner of public safety in administering the appropriation.
Sentiment
The available record suggests generally favorable treatment of the bill, as it was introduced with bipartisan authorship and referred to the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee without any recorded opposition, votes, or committee debate in the provided materials. The bill’s purpose is framed in supportive terms around mental health, wellness, and service to public safety personnel.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or voting history. Potential areas of debate, based on the bill text, could include the use of general fund money for a single named nonprofit, the size and duration of the appropriation, and whether state support should be directed to outdoor recreation as part of mental health programming. However, no member concerns or objections are recorded here.
Designates certain offenses against emergency medical services personnel, firefighters, and law enforcement officers as hate crimes; includes the definition of emergency medical services personnel, firefighters, and law enforcement officers.
Designates certain offenses against emergency medical services personnel, firefighters, and law enforcement officers as hate crimes; includes the definition of emergency medical services personnel, firefighters, and law enforcement officers.