1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to housing; establishing an advisory task 
  1.3             force on lead hazard reduction; appropriating money. 
  1.4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.5      Section 1.  [LEAD HAZARD REDUCTION; ADVISORY TASK FORCE.] 
  1.6      Subdivision 1.  [PURPOSE; DUTIES.] An advisory task force 
  1.7   on lead hazard reduction is established to: 
  1.8      (1) study and propose a program to certify residential 
  1.9   rental property as lead-safe; 
  1.10     (2) study and propose essential maintenance practices and 
  1.11  standard treatments to ensure that a residence remains lead-safe 
  1.12  after certification; 
  1.13     (3) identify the current barriers that cause lead liability 
  1.14  exclusion riders to be added to property owner insurance 
  1.15  liability policies; 
  1.16     (4) identify the legal rights and responsibilities of 
  1.17  landlords to provide lead-safe housing and the legal rights and 
  1.18  responsibilities of both landlords and tenants to maintain 
  1.19  lead-safe property; and 
  1.20     (5) study the legal liability of landlords and tenants when 
  1.21  a child becomes lead poisoned and propose methods to reduce 
  1.22  property owner liability while still protecting the legal rights 
  1.23  of children who become lead poisoned. 
  1.24     The task force shall report its findings and proposals to 
  2.1   the 1998 legislature. 
  2.2      Subd. 2.  [MEMBERSHIP.] Members of the advisory task force 
  2.3   on lead hazard reduction are as follows: 
  2.4      (1) the chairs, or the chairs' designees, of the house of 
  2.5   representatives housing and housing finance division, and the 
  2.6   family and early childhood education finance division; 
  2.7      (2) the chairs, or the chairs' designees, of the senate 
  2.8   jobs, energy, and community development committee, and the 
  2.9   family and early childhood education finance division; 
  2.10     (3) the commissioner of commerce or the commissioner's 
  2.11  designee; 
  2.12     (4) the commissioner of the housing finance agency or the 
  2.13  commissioner's designee; 
  2.14     (5) the commissioner of health or the commissioner's 
  2.15  designee; and 
  2.16     (6) up to 15 members appointed jointly by the commissioner 
  2.17  of commerce and the commissioner of the housing finance agency 
  2.18  to represent the following interests:  landlords, tenants, 
  2.19  attorneys practicing landlord tenant law, parents of children 
  2.20  with lead poisoning, swab teams, insurers, the education 
  2.21  association, family physicians and pediatricians, realtors, the 
  2.22  Children's Defense Fund, the federal Environmental Protection 
  2.23  Agency, building inspectors, the paint and coatings industry, 
  2.24  and local boards of health. 
  2.25     Subd. 3.  [CHAIR.] The commissioners of the housing finance 
  2.26  agency and the department of commerce shall convene the first 
  2.27  meeting of the advisory task force.  At the advisory task 
  2.28  force's first meeting, the members shall select a member to 
  2.29  serve as chair. 
  2.30     Subd. 4.  [TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.] The commissioners of 
  2.31  health, commerce, and the housing finance agency and the 
  2.32  attorney general shall provide assistance to the advisory task 
  2.33  force, including technical assistance relating to lead hazards 
  2.34  and the reduction of lead hazards, insurance, landlord-tenant 
  2.35  law, and other assistance as requested by the task force. 
  2.36     Subd. 5.  [EXPENSES; ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.] Members of 
  3.1   the advisory task force must receive per diem and expenses, in 
  3.2   the amount provided in Minnesota Statutes, section 15.059, 
  3.3   subdivision 3.  Members' compensation and other administrative 
  3.4   expenses of the advisory task force must be paid for by the 
  3.5   Minnesota housing finance agency. 
  3.6      Subd. 6.  [EFFECTIVE DATE; EXPIRATION.] This section is 
  3.7   effective the day after final enactment and expires June 30, 
  3.8   1998. 
  3.9      Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.10     $1,000,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.11  commissioner of children, families, and learning for the lead 
  3.12  hazard reduction program in Minnesota Statutes, section 268.92.  
  3.13  The appropriation is available for the biennium ending June 30, 
  3.14  1999.