1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to state government; adding duties relating 
  1.3             to citizen participation to the office of volunteer 
  1.4             services; appropriating money; amending Minnesota 
  1.5             Statutes 1994, sections 16B.88, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 
  1.6             4, and 5; 465.796, subdivision 2; and 465.797, 
  1.7             subdivision 2. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 16B.88, 
  1.10  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [INFORMATION CENTER FOR VOLUNTEER 
  1.12  PROGRAMS.] (a) The office on of citizenship and volunteer 
  1.13  services is under the supervision and administration of an 
  1.14  executive a director appointed by the commissioner and referred 
  1.15  to in this section as "director.".  The office shall:  (1)  
  1.16  operate as a state information, technical assistance, and 
  1.17  promotion center for volunteer programs and needed services that 
  1.18  could be delivered by volunteer programs; and (2) promote and 
  1.19  facilitate citizen participation in local governance and public 
  1.20  problem solving. 
  1.21     (b) In furtherance of the mission in paragraph (a), clause 
  1.22  (2), the office shall: 
  1.23     (1) engage in education and other activities designed to 
  1.24  enhance the capacity of citizens to solve problems affecting 
  1.25  their communities; 
  1.26     (2) promote and support efforts by citizens, 
  2.1   community-based organizations, and local governments to 
  2.2   collaborate in solving community problems; 
  2.3      (3) encourage local governments to provide increased 
  2.4   opportunities for citizen involvement in public decision making 
  2.5   and public problem solving; 
  2.6      (4) solicit citizen ideas for improvements in state and 
  2.7   local government, and assist in presenting these ideas to 
  2.8   appropriate state and local officials; 
  2.9      (5) encourage citizens to propose alternative means of 
  2.10  providing government services, and assist in developing policies 
  2.11  or legislation needed to implement these ideas; 
  2.12     (6) recommend innovative approaches to encourage greater 
  2.13  public access to and involvement in decisions made by state and 
  2.14  local government officials; 
  2.15     (7) encourage units of state and local government to 
  2.16  respond to citizen initiatives and ideas; 
  2.17     (8) promote implementation of promising citizen-government 
  2.18  policy experiments with minimal bureaucratic or regulatory 
  2.19  delay; and 
  2.20     (9) recognize and publicize models of effective public 
  2.21  problem solving by citizens. 
  2.22     A person or public or private agency may request 
  2.23  information on the availability of volunteer programs relating 
  2.24  to specific services and may report to the director whenever a 
  2.25  volunteer program is needed or desired. 
  2.26     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 16B.88, 
  2.27  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.28     Subd. 2.  [COOPERATION WITH OTHER GROUPS.] The director 
  2.29  shall cooperate with national, state, and local volunteer groups 
  2.30  in collecting information on federal, state, and private 
  2.31  resources which may encourage and improve volunteer projects 
  2.32  within the state.  The office shall coordinate its research and 
  2.33  other work on citizen engagement with the board of government 
  2.34  innovation and cooperation and the Minnesota extension service. 
  2.35     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 16B.88, 
  2.36  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  3.1      Subd. 3.  [MONEY.] The director may accept and disburse 
  3.2   public or private funds and gifts made available for the 
  3.3   promotion of volunteer the office's programs. 
  3.4      Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 16B.88, 
  3.5   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  3.6      Subd. 4.  [RESEARCH AND INFORMATION.] The director shall 
  3.7   conduct research to:  (1) identify methods for increasing the 
  3.8   capacity of citizens to influence decisions affecting their 
  3.9   lives, identify methods citizens can use to solve problems in 
  3.10  their communities, and promote innovative techniques for citizen 
  3.11  and community-based organizations to collaborate in 
  3.12  understanding and solving community problems; and (2) identify 
  3.13  needs of volunteer programs and to assess community needs for 
  3.14  volunteer services.  The director may issue informational 
  3.15  materials relating to volunteer programs in Minnesota and 
  3.16  results of the director's research. 
  3.17     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 16B.88, 
  3.18  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  3.19     Subd. 5.  [ADVISORY COMMITTEE.] The commissioner of 
  3.20  administration shall appoint an advisory committee of not more 
  3.21  than 21 members,.  There must be at least one member from each 
  3.22  economic development region, to.  The committee shall advise and 
  3.23  make recommendations to the commissioner and the director of on: 
  3.24  (1) volunteer programs and volunteer services; and (2) 
  3.25  citizenship participation issues.  Membership terms, 
  3.26  compensation, removal, and filling of vacancies of members and 
  3.27  expiration of the advisory committee shall be as provided in 
  3.28  section 15.059; provided, that members shall not be eligible for 
  3.29  a per diem. 
  3.30     Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 465.796, 
  3.31  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  3.32     Subd. 2.  [DUTIES OF BOARD.] The board shall: 
  3.33     (1) accept applications from local government units for 
  3.34  waivers of administrative rules and temporary, limited 
  3.35  exemptions from enforcement of procedural requirements in state 
  3.36  law as provided in section 465.797, and determine whether to 
  4.1   approve, modify, or reject the application; 
  4.2      (2) accept applications for grants to local government 
  4.3   units and related organizations proposing to design models or 
  4.4   plans for innovative service delivery and management as provided 
  4.5   in section 465.798 and determine whether to approve, modify, or 
  4.6   reject the application; 
  4.7      (3) accept applications from local government units for 
  4.8   financial assistance to enable them to plan for cooperative 
  4.9   efforts as provided in section 465.799, and determine whether to 
  4.10  approve, modify, or reject the application; 
  4.11     (4) accept applications from eligible local government 
  4.12  units for service-sharing grants as provided in section 465.801, 
  4.13  and determine whether to approve, modify, or reject the 
  4.14  application; 
  4.15     (5) accept applications from counties, cities, and towns 
  4.16  proposing to combine under sections 465.81 to 465.87, and 
  4.17  determine whether to approve or disapprove the application; and 
  4.18     (6) identify opportunities for reducing the costs of local 
  4.19  government services or improving the effectiveness of services 
  4.20  through encouraging citizens and organizations of citizens in 
  4.21  solving community problems or providing services; 
  4.22     (7) recommend to local government units changes to their 
  4.23  procedures which would enhance the opportunities for citizens to 
  4.24  be engaged in solving community problems; and 
  4.25     (8) make recommendations to the legislature regarding the 
  4.26  elimination of state mandates that inhibit local government 
  4.27  efficiency, innovation, and cooperation. 
  4.28  The board may purchase services from the metropolitan council in 
  4.29  reviewing requests for waivers and grant applications. 
  4.30     Sec. 7.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 465.797, 
  4.31  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  4.32     Subd. 2.  [APPLICATION.] A local government unit requesting 
  4.33  a waiver of a rule or exemption from enforcement of a law under 
  4.34  this section shall present a written application to the board.  
  4.35  The application must include: 
  4.36     (1) identification of the service or program at issue; 
  5.1      (2) identification of the administrative rule or the law 
  5.2   imposing a procedural requirement with respect to which the 
  5.3   waiver or exemption is sought; and 
  5.4      (3) a description of the improved service outcome sought, 
  5.5   including an explanation of the effect of the waiver or 
  5.6   exemption in accomplishing that outcome. 
  5.7      A copy of the application must be provided by the 
  5.8   requesting local government unit to the exclusive representative 
  5.9   certified under section 179A.12 to represent employees who 
  5.10  provide the service or program affected by the requested waiver 
  5.11  or exemption. 
  5.12     An application for a waiver or exemption may be made by or 
  5.13  on behalf of more than one local government unit, but not by a 
  5.14  group so numerous that the waiver or exemption would have 
  5.15  statewide impact. 
  5.16     Sec. 8.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  5.17     $50,000 in fiscal year 1996 and $50,000 in fiscal year 1997 
  5.18  is appropriated to the commissioner of administration for 
  5.19  additional duties assigned to the office of citizenship and 
  5.20  volunteer services by this act.  An additional $25,000 is 
  5.21  appropriated to the commissioner of administration in fiscal 
  5.22  year 1996 for providing computer equipment and Internet access 
  5.23  for the office.