1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to state government; permitting use of state 
  1.3             property or equipment for certain electronic 
  1.4             communication; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, 
  1.5             section 43A.38, subdivision 4. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 43A.38, 
  1.8   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 4.  [USE OF STATE PROPERTY.] (a) An employee shall 
  1.10  not use or allow the use of state time, supplies or state-owned 
  1.11  or leased property and equipment for the employee's private 
  1.12  interests or any other use not in the interest of the state, 
  1.13  except as provided by law. 
  1.14     (b) An employee may use state property or equipment to 
  1.15  communicate electronically with other persons, including but not 
  1.16  limited to elected officials, the employer, or an exclusive 
  1.17  bargaining representative under chapter 179A, provided that the 
  1.18  communication does not take place on state time and that this 
  1.19  use results in no incremental cost to the state or results in an 
  1.20  incremental cost that is so small as to make accounting for it 
  1.21  unreasonable or administratively impracticable.