Section 53B-8-117 - [Effective Until 5/1/2024] First Responder Mental Health Services Grant Program(1) This section creates the First Responder Mental Health Services Grant Program.(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: (i) Title 49, Chapter 14, Public Safety Contributory Retirement Act;(ii) Title 49, Chapter 15, Public Safety Noncontributory Retirement Act;(iii) Title 49, Chapter 16, Firefighters' Retirement Act; or(iv) Title 49, Chapter 23, New Public Safety and Firefighter Tier II Contributory Retirement Act; and(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.(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.(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.(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).(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.Added by Chapter 74, 2023 General Session ,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2023.This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.