HF 975

as introduced - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to natural resources; providing for the 
  1.3             disposal of certain mineral lease money; providing for 
  1.4             grants to taconite mining companies; appropriating 
  1.5             money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 
  1.6             93.22; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
  1.7             Statutes, chapter 93. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 93.22, is 
  1.10  amended to read: 
  1.11     93.22 [DISPOSITION OF PAYMENTS.] 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [GENERALLY.] (a) All payments under 
  1.13  sections 93.14 to 93.285 shall be made to the department of 
  1.14  natural resources and shall be credited as follows: according to 
  1.15  this section.  
  1.16     (1) if the lands or minerals and mineral rights covered by 
  1.17  a lease are held by the state by virtue of an act of Congress, 
  1.18  payments made under the lease shall be credited to the permanent 
  1.19  fund of the class of land to which the leased premises belong; 
  1.20     (2) (b) If a lease covers the bed of navigable waters, 
  1.21  payments made under the lease shall be credited to the permanent 
  1.22  school fund of the state; and. 
  1.23     (3) if the lands or minerals and mineral rights covered by 
  1.24  a lease are held by the state in trust for the taxing districts, 
  1.25  payments made under the lease shall be distributed annually on 
  1.26  the first day of September as follows: 
  2.1      (i) 20 percent to the general fund; and 
  2.2      (ii) 80 percent to the respective counties in which the 
  2.3   lands lie, to be apportioned among the taxing districts 
  2.4   interested therein as follows:  county, three-ninths; town or 
  2.5   city, two-ninths; and school district, four-ninths. 
  2.6      (b) (c) Except as provided under paragraph (a) this section 
  2.7   and except where the disposition of payments may be otherwise 
  2.8   directed by law, all payments shall be paid into the general 
  2.9   fund of the state. 
  2.10     Subd. 2.  [PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND LAND.] (a) If the lands or 
  2.11  minerals and mineral rights covered by a lease are held by the 
  2.12  state by virtue of a school, swamp, or internal improvement land 
  2.13  grant of Congress, payments made under the lease shall be 
  2.14  distributed annually on September 1 as follows: 
  2.15     (1) 30 percent to the mineral lease account created under 
  2.16  section 93.223; and 
  2.17     (2) 70 percent to the permanent school fund.  
  2.18     (b) This subdivision expires July 1, 2006.  
  2.19     Subd. 3.  [PERMANENT UNIVERSITY FUND LAND.] (a) If the 
  2.20  lands or minerals and mineral rights covered by a lease are held 
  2.21  by the state by virtue of a university land grant of Congress, 
  2.22  payments made under the lease shall be distributed annually on 
  2.23  September 1 as follows: 
  2.24     (1) 30 percent to the university mineral lease account 
  2.25  created under section 93.224; and 
  2.26     (2) 70 percent to the permanent university fund.  
  2.27     (b) This subdivision expires July 1, 2006.  
  2.28     Subd. 4.  [LANDS HELD IN TRUST FOR TAXING DISTRICTS.] (a) 
  2.29  If the lands or minerals and mineral rights covered by a lease 
  2.30  are held by the state in trust for the taxing districts, 
  2.31  payments made under the lease shall be distributed annually on 
  2.32  September 1 as follows: 
  2.33     (1) 30 percent to the mineral lease account created under 
  2.34  section 93.223; and 
  2.35     (2) 70 percent to the respective counties in which the 
  2.36  lands lie, to be apportioned among the taxing districts 
  3.1   interested therein as follows:  county, three-ninths; town or 
  3.2   city, two-ninths; and school district, four-ninths.  
  3.3      (b) This subdivision expires July 1, 2006.  
  3.4      Sec. 2.  [93.223] [MINERAL LEASE ACCOUNT.] 
  3.5      Subdivision 1.  [ACCOUNT CREATED.] The mineral lease 
  3.6   account is created as an account in the state treasury for 
  3.7   disposal of mineral lease money deposited according to section 
  3.8   93.22, subdivisions 2 and 4.  Interest accruing from investment 
  3.9   of the account remains in the account.  Money in the mineral 
  3.10  lease account is appropriated to the commissioner of natural 
  3.11  resources for grants according to subdivision 2.  
  3.12     Subd. 2.  [GRANTS.] The commissioner of natural resources 
  3.13  shall establish a program to award grants to taconite mining 
  3.14  companies for: 
  3.15     (1) product improvements; 
  3.16     (2) value-added production; or 
  3.17     (3) cost-savings improvements.  
  3.18     Subd.  3.  [EXPIRATION; REPORT.] This section expires July 
  3.19  1, 2006.  Money remaining in the account on that date shall be 
  3.20  transferred to the general fund.  By January 1, 2007, the 
  3.21  commissioner of natural resources shall report to the 
  3.22  legislature on grants awarded and the effects of the grants. 
  3.23     Sec. 3.  [93.224] [UNIVERSITY MINERAL LEASE ACCOUNT.] 
  3.24     Subdivision 1.  [ACCOUNT CREATED.] The university mineral 
  3.25  lease account is created as an account in the state treasury for 
  3.26  disposal of mineral lease money deposited according to section 
  3.27  93.22, subdivision 3.  Interest accruing from investment of the 
  3.28  account remains in the account.  Money in the university mineral 
  3.29  lease account is appropriated to the director of the Coleraine 
  3.30  laboratory of the Natural Resources Research Institute-Duluth 
  3.31  for grants according to subdivision 2.  
  3.32     Subd.  2.  [GRANTS.] The director of the Coleraine 
  3.33  laboratory shall establish a program to award grants to taconite 
  3.34  mining companies for: 
  3.35     (1) product improvements; 
  3.36     (2) value-added production; or 
  4.1      (3) cost-savings improvements.  
  4.2      Subd. 3.  [EXPIRATION DATE.] This section expires July 1, 
  4.3   2006.  Money remaining in the account on that date shall be 
  4.4   transferred to the general fund.  By January 1, 2007, the 
  4.5   director of the Coleraine laboratory shall report to the 
  4.6   legislature on grants awarded and the effects of the grants.