HF 3292

1st Engrossment - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to education; managing school trust fund lands; improving the returns
for school trust fund lands; redefining the mission of the Permanent School Fund
Advisory Committee; providing a report; amending Minnesota Statutes 2006,
sections 84.027, by adding a subdivision; 127A.30.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 84.027, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 18. new text end

new text begin Permanent school fund authority and designee. new text end

new text begin The commissioner
of natural resources has authority and responsibility for the administration of permanent
school fund lands under sections 92.121 and 127A.31. The commissioner shall annually
report to the Permanent School Fund Advisory Committee on ways to maximize the
revenue generated from school trust fund lands. The commissioner shall designate a
permanent professional staff position whose duty shall be to accelerate land exchanges,
land sales, and commercial leasing of school trust lands, and to manage the trust lands
to maximize the long-term economic return for the permanent school fund lands. The
permanent professional staff position shall also be responsible for serving as a nonvoting
member of the Permanent School Fund Advisory Committee.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 127A.30, is amended to read:

127A.30 PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

A state Permanent School Fund Advisory Committee is established to advise the
Department of Natural Resources on the management of permanent school fund land,
which is held in trust for the school districts of the state. The advisory committee must
consist of the following persons or their designees: the chairs of the education committees
of the legislature, new text begin the chairs of the K-12 education budget divisions of the legislature,
the chairs of the environment and natural resources committees of the legislature, new text end the
chairs of the senate Committee on Finance and house Committee on Ways and Means, the
commissioner of education, one superintendent from a nonmetropolitan district, deleted text begin and deleted text end one
superintendent from a metropolitan area district new text begin , one person with an expertise in forestry,
one person with an expertise in minerals and mining, one person with an expertise in real
estate development, one person with an expertise in renewable energy, and one person
with an expertise in finance and land management new text end . The school district superintendents
shall be appointed by the commissioner of education. new text begin The committee members with areas
of expertise in forestry, minerals and mining, real estate development, renewable energy,
and finance and land management shall be appointed by the commissioner of natural
resources. Members of the legislature shall be given the opportunity to recommend names
of individuals to the commissioners of education and natural resources to fill vacancies on
the committee. The advisory committee must also include a nonvoting professional staff
person appointed by the commissioner of natural resources, according to section 84.027,
subdivision 18. This nonvoting member shall provide the committee with professional
advice and technical support on issues of permanent school fund land management. The
chair of the committee shall be elected by the members of the Permanent School Fund
Advisory Committee.
new text end

The advisory committee shall review the policies of the Department of Natural
Resources and current statutes on management of school trust fund lands at least
deleted text begin semiannually deleted text end new text begin annually new text end and shall recommend necessary changes in statutes, policy, and
implementation in order to ensure provident utilization of the permanent school fund
lands. new text begin The advisory committee shall on January 15, 2009, and each year thereafter, submit
a report and draft legislation to the legislature for the management of school trust lands to
secure long-term economic return for the permanent school fund, consistent with sections
92.121 and 127A.31. The committee's annual report shall make recommendations to:
new text end

new text begin (1) improve the efficiency of the Department of Natural Resources management of
school trust fund lands;
new text end

new text begin (2) reduce expenditures that are used to manage school trust fund lands and
maximize the revenues deposited in the permanent school trust fund;
new text end

new text begin (3) accelerate land exchanges, land sales, and commercial leasing of school trust
lands; and
new text end

new text begin (4) manage the school trust lands to maximize the long-term economic return for
the permanent school trust fund.
new text end

new text begin The nonvoting member of the advisory committee shall work with the committee to
prepare the annual report.
new text end