1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to the environment; providing for grants for 
  1.3             special purpose districts with environmental 
  1.4             responsibilities; authorizing pilot projects for the 
  1.5             restructuring of the organization and operation of 
  1.6             special purpose districts; authorizing grants from the 
  1.7             board of government innovation and cooperation for the 
  1.8             development and implementation of pilot projects. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  [SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICT PILOT PROJECTS.] 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITIONS.] The definitions in this 
  1.12  subdivision apply in this section. 
  1.13     (a) "Board" means the board of government innovation and 
  1.14  cooperation established in Minnesota Statutes, section 465.796. 
  1.15     (b) "Special purpose district" means a watershed district 
  1.16  established under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 103D, soil and 
  1.17  water conservation districts established under Minnesota 
  1.18  Statutes, chapter 103C, lake improvement districts established 
  1.19  under Minnesota Statutes, sections 103B.501 to 103B.581, 
  1.20  watershed management organizations established under Minnesota 
  1.21  Statutes, section 103B.205, and other joint powers boards which 
  1.22  include these special purpose districts as members. 
  1.23     (c) "Governing body" means, in the case of a county, the 
  1.24  county board, and in the case of a special purpose district, the 
  1.25  board established by statute or joint powers agreement to adopt 
  1.26  policies and procedures on behalf of the special purpose 
  1.27  district. 
  2.1      Subd. 2.  [ALTERNATIVE NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MODELS.] 
  2.2   The board, in cooperation with the board of water and soil 
  2.3   resources established under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  2.4   103B.101, must solicit proposals from two or more special 
  2.5   purpose districts, or one or more special purpose districts 
  2.6   working with one or more counties, for the development and 
  2.7   implementation of pilot projects that demonstrate alternative 
  2.8   models for managing natural resources at the local level.  The 
  2.9   proposals must be for consolidating natural resource management 
  2.10  responsibilities and authority of the participating special 
  2.11  purpose districts and participating counties into a more 
  2.12  efficient and effective structure.  The board, in consultation 
  2.13  with the board of water and soil resources, must award a grant 
  2.14  to one or more proposals.  The grant must be paid from the 
  2.15  existing general fund appropriation to the board for promoting 
  2.16  cooperation and combination agreements between general purpose 
  2.17  units of government.  To be eligible for receipt of aid under 
  2.18  this subdivision, the governing bodies of the participating 
  2.19  special purpose districts and counties must have approved a 
  2.20  resolution expressing their intent to develop and implement a 
  2.21  proposal for an alternative model for managing natural resources 
  2.22  at the local level.  The proposal must be on a form prescribed 
  2.23  by the board and must provide a proposed budget detailing how 
  2.24  the requested aid is to be used.  The grant may be up to 
  2.25  $100,000 for each proposal approved.  The board must consider 
  2.26  the number of participating organizations, the geographic area 
  2.27  involved, and the complexity of the proposed model in 
  2.28  determining the amount of the grant. 
  2.29     Subd. 3.  [IMPLEMENTATION.] Notwithstanding any other law 
  2.30  to the contrary, the board, in consultation with the board of 
  2.31  water and soil resources, may approve the implementation of a 
  2.32  model developed under subdivision 2, if the model has been 
  2.33  approved by a majority vote of each of the governing bodies of 
  2.34  participating special purpose districts and counties.  If the 
  2.35  pilot project requires law or rule changes for permanent 
  2.36  implementation, implementation under this subdivision must not 
  3.1   continue beyond a four-year period from the date the model is 
  3.2   first approved by the board without further authorization in law.
  3.3      Subd. 4.  [REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE.] The board and the 
  3.4   board of water and soil resources must cooperate to implement 
  3.5   this section.  The board must report to the legislature annually 
  3.6   on the development and implementation of alternative models 
  3.7   resulting from this section.  Based on the results of pilot 
  3.8   projects implemented under this section, the board must submit a 
  3.9   recommendation to the legislature as to the viability of 
  3.10  implementing alternative models that demonstrate efficient and 
  3.11  effective government structures at the local level.  This 
  3.12  recommendation must be made no later than November 15, 2003. 
  3.13     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.14     Section 1 is effective the day after its final enactment.