Effective 7/1/2023
53B-8-117. First Responder Mental Health Services Grant Program.
| (1) |
This section creates the First Responder Mental Health Services Grant Program. |
Terms Used In Utah Code 53B-8-117
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
- Board: means the Utah Board of Higher Education described in Section 53B-1-402. See Utah Code 53B-1-101.5
- Process: means a writ or summons issued in the course of a judicial proceeding. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
| (2) |
Subject to legislative appropriations and Subsection (6), the board shall award a grant to an applicant who:
| (a) |
is a full-time employee or a retiree, as that term is defined in Section 49-11-102, who is an active member of or has qualified for an allowance under the requirements of:
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| (b) |
is seeking a post-secondary degree or certification to become a mental health therapist, as that term is defined in Section 58-60-102, within the state system of higher education, described in Section 53B-1-102. |
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| (3) |
| (a) |
Subject to Subsection (3)(b), the board may award a qualified applicant up to the cost of tuition and fees. |
| (b) |
A grant award under Subsection (3)(a) is limited to:
| (i) |
a maximum of $6,000 each academic year; and |
| (ii) |
a maximum of four academic years. |
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| (4) |
The board shall design the program to ensure that institutions combine loans, grants, employment, and family and individual contributions toward financing the cost of attendance. |
| (5) |
| (a) |
The board shall make rules in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, to:
| (i) |
set deadlines for receiving grant applications and supporting documentation; and |
| (ii) |
establish the application process and an appeal process for the First Responder Mental Health Services Grant Program. |
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| (b) |
The board shall include a disclosure on all applications and related materials that the amount of the awarded grants may be subject to funding or be reduced, in accordance with Subsection (6). |
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| (6) |
| (a) |
Subject to future budget constraints, the Legislature shall make an annual appropriation from the Income Tax Fund to the board for the costs associated with the First Responder Mental Health Services Grant Program authorized under this section. |
| (b) |
Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, if the appropriation under this section is insufficient to cover the costs associated with the First Responder Mental Health Services Grant Program, the board may:
| (i) |
reduce the amount of a grant; or |
| (ii) |
distribute grants on a pro rata basis to all eligible applicants who submitted a complete application before the application deadline. |
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Enacted by Chapter 74, 2023 General Session
