1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to workers' compensation; modifying 
  1.3             provisions on the collection of premiums from state 
  1.4             entities; amending Minnesota Statutes 1997 Supplement, 
  1.5             section 43A.04, subdivision 1. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1997 Supplement, section 
  1.8   43A.04, subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [STATEWIDE LEADERSHIP.] (a) The 
  1.10  commissioner is the chief personnel and labor relations manager 
  1.11  of the civil service in the executive branch.  
  1.12     Whenever any power or responsibility is given to the 
  1.13  commissioner by any provision of this chapter, unless otherwise 
  1.14  expressly provided, the power or authority applies to all 
  1.15  employees of agencies in the executive branch and to employees 
  1.16  in classified positions in the office of the legislative 
  1.17  auditor, the Minnesota state retirement system, the public 
  1.18  employees retirement association, and the teacher's retirement 
  1.19  association.  Unless otherwise provided by law, the power or 
  1.20  authority does not apply to unclassified employees in the 
  1.21  legislative and judicial branches.  
  1.22     (b) The commissioner shall operate an information system 
  1.23  from which personnel data, as defined in section 13.43, 
  1.24  concerning employees and applicants for positions in the 
  1.25  classified service can be retrieved.  
  2.1      The commissioner has access to all public and private 
  2.2   personnel data kept by appointing authorities that will aid in 
  2.3   the discharge of the commissioner's duties.  
  2.4      (c) The commissioner may consider and investigate any 
  2.5   matters concerned with the administration of provisions of this 
  2.6   chapter, and may order any remedial actions consistent with 
  2.7   law.  The commissioner, at the request of an agency, shall 
  2.8   provide assistance in employee misconduct investigations.  The 
  2.9   commissioner shall have the right to assess from the requesting 
  2.10  agency, any costs incurred while assisting the agency in the 
  2.11  employee misconduct investigation.  Money received by the 
  2.12  commissioner under this paragraph is appropriated to the 
  2.13  commissioner for purposes of this paragraph. 
  2.14     (d) The commissioner has sole authority to settle state 
  2.15  employee workers' compensation claims. 
  2.16     (e) The commissioner may assess or establish and collect 
  2.17  premiums from all state entities to cover the costs of programs 
  2.18  under sections section 15.46 and 176.603 costs under sections 
  2.19  176.541 to 176.611. 
  2.20     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.21     Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.