SF 3173

3rd Engrossment - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             proposing an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution 
  1.3             by adding a section to article XI; dedicating the 
  1.4             sales tax receipts equal to a sales tax of one-eighth 
  1.5             of one percent on taxable sales for natural resource 
  1.6             purposes; creating a wildlife and fish enhancement 
  1.7             account and a review committee for the account; 
  1.8             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.9             chapter 97A. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  [CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.] 
  1.12     An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is proposed to 
  1.13  the people.  If the amendment is adopted, a section shall be 
  1.14  added to article XI, to read: 
  1.15     Sec. 15.  The sales and use tax receipts equal to the state 
  1.16  sales and use tax of 3/16 of one percent on sales and uses 
  1.17  taxable under the general state sales and use tax law, plus 
  1.18  penalties and interest are dedicated as follows:  45 percent of 
  1.19  the receipts shall be deposited in a wildlife and fish 
  1.20  enhancement account in the game and fish fund and may be spent 
  1.21  only on activities that improve, enhance or protect wildlife and 
  1.22  fish resources, including conservation, restoration, and 
  1.23  enhancement of land, water, and other natural resources of the 
  1.24  state; 25 percent of the receipts shall be deposited in the 
  1.25  natural resources fund and may be spent only for state parks and 
  1.26  trails; 25 percent of the revenue shall be deposited in the 
  1.27  natural resources fund and may be spent only on metropolitan 
  2.1   park and trail grants; three percent of the receipts shall be 
  2.2   deposited in the natural resources fund and may be spent only on 
  2.3   local trail grants; and two percent of the receipts shall be 
  2.4   deposited in the natural resources fund and may be spent only 
  2.5   for the Minnesota zoological garden, the Como park zoo and 
  2.6   conservatory, and the Duluth zoo.  The money dedicated under 
  2.7   this section may not be used as a substitute for traditional 
  2.8   sources of funding for the purposes specified, but the dedicated 
  2.9   money shall supplement traditional sources of funding for those 
  2.10  purposes.  Land acquired with money deposited in the wildlife 
  2.11  and fish fund under this section must be open to public hunting 
  2.12  and fishing during the open season. 
  2.13     Sec. 2.  [SUBMISSION TO VOTERS.] 
  2.14     The proposed amendment shall be submitted to the people at 
  2.15  the 2000 general election.  The question submitted shall be: 
  2.16     "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide 
  2.17  that the sales and use tax receipts equal to the state sales and 
  2.18  use tax of 3/16 of one percent on taxable sales be dedicated for 
  2.19  wildlife and fish resource enhancement, improvement, and 
  2.20  protection, natural resource conservation, state parks and 
  2.21  trails, metropolitan parks and trails, local trail grants, and 
  2.22  state and local zoos? 
  2.23                                     Yes .......
  2.24                                     No ........"
  2.25     Sec. 3.  [97A.056] [WILDLIFE AND FISH ENHANCEMENT ACCOUNT; 
  2.26  REVIEW COMMITTEE.] 
  2.27     Subdivision 1.  [ACCOUNT CREATION.] The wildlife and fish 
  2.28  enhancement account is established as an account in the game and 
  2.29  fish fund. 
  2.30     Subd. 2.  [REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP.] (a) A wildlife and 
  2.31  fish enhancement account review committee of nine members is 
  2.32  created, consisting of: 
  2.33     (1) two members of the senate appointed by the subcommittee 
  2.34  on committees of the committee on rules and administration; 
  2.35     (2) two members of the house appointed by the speaker; 
  2.36     (3) two public members representing sporting interests 
  3.1   appointed by the subcommittee on committees of the committee on 
  3.2   rules and administration; 
  3.3      (4) two public members representing sporting interests 
  3.4   appointed by the speaker; and 
  3.5      (5) the commissioner of natural resources or the 
  3.6   commissioner's designee. 
  3.7      (b) Legislative members appointed under paragraph (a), 
  3.8   clauses (1) and (2), serve as nonvoting members.  One member 
  3.9   from the senate and one member from the house must be from the 
  3.10  minority caucus.  Legislative members are entitled to 
  3.11  reimbursement for per diem expenses plus travel expenses 
  3.12  incurred in the services of the committee.  The compensation and 
  3.13  removal of public members are as provided in section 15.0575. 
  3.14     (c) Members shall appoint a chair who shall preside and 
  3.15  convene meetings as often as necessary to conduct duties 
  3.16  prescribed by this section. 
  3.17     (d) Membership terms shall be two years, except that 
  3.18  members shall serve on the committee until their successors are 
  3.19  appointed. 
  3.20     (e) Vacancies occurring on the committee shall not affect 
  3.21  the authority of the remaining members of the committee to carry 
  3.22  out their duties, and vacancies shall be filled in the same 
  3.23  manner under paragraph (a). 
  3.24     Subd. 3.  [DUTIES OF THE REVIEW COMMITTEE.] (a) The 
  3.25  committee shall meet and review spending plans for 
  3.26  appropriations from the wildlife and fish enhancement account by 
  3.27  January 2 of each year. 
  3.28     (b) The commissioner must submit a spending plan and 
  3.29  semiannual progress report based on the review committee's 
  3.30  recommendations to the appropriate legislative committees. 
  3.31     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.32     Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day following final 
  3.33  enactment, and apply to taxes on sales and uses after December 
  3.34  31, 2000.  Section 3 is effective the day following adoption by 
  3.35  the voters of the constitutional amendment proposed in section 1.