1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to natural resources; providing matching 
  1.3             funding from the general fund for private 
  1.4             contributions to the nongame wildlife account; 
  1.5             appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, 
  1.6             sections 290.431; and 290.432. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 290.431, is 
  1.9   amended to read: 
  1.10     290.431 [NONGAME WILDLIFE CHECKOFF.] 
  1.11     Every individual who files an income tax return or property 
  1.12  tax refund claim form may designate on their original return 
  1.13  that $1 or more shall be added to the tax or deducted from the 
  1.14  refund that would otherwise be payable by or to that individual 
  1.15  and paid into an account to be established for the management of 
  1.16  nongame wildlife.  The commissioner of revenue shall, on the 
  1.17  income tax return and the property tax refund claim form, notify 
  1.18  filers of their right to designate that a portion of their tax 
  1.19  or refund shall be paid into the nongame wildlife management 
  1.20  account.  The sum of the amounts so designated to be paid shall 
  1.21  be credited to the nongame wildlife management account for use 
  1.22  by the nongame program of the section of wildlife in the 
  1.23  department of natural resources.  The commissioner of finance 
  1.24  must transfer $1 from the general fund to the nongame wildlife 
  1.25  management account for each dollar contributed to the account 
  1.26  under this section.  All interest earned on money accrued, gifts 
  2.1   to the program, contributions to the program, and reimbursements 
  2.2   of expenditures in the nongame wildlife management account shall 
  2.3   be credited to the account by the state treasurer, except that 
  2.4   gifts or contributions received directly by the commissioner of 
  2.5   natural resources and directed by the contributor for use in 
  2.6   specific nongame field projects or geographic areas shall be 
  2.7   handled according to section 84.085, subdivision 1.  The 
  2.8   commissioner of natural resources shall submit a work program 
  2.9   for each fiscal year and semiannual progress reports to the 
  2.10  legislative commission on Minnesota resources in the form 
  2.11  determined by the commission.  None of the money provided in 
  2.12  this section may be expended unless the commission has approved 
  2.13  the work program.  
  2.14     The state pledges and agrees with all contributors to the 
  2.15  nongame wildlife management account to use the funds contributed 
  2.16  solely for the management of nongame wildlife projects and 
  2.17  further agrees that it will not impose additional conditions or 
  2.18  restrictions that will limit or otherwise restrict the ability 
  2.19  of the commissioner of natural resources to use the available 
  2.20  funds for the most efficient and effective management of nongame 
  2.21  wildlife. 
  2.22     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 290.432, is 
  2.23  amended to read: 
  2.24     290.432 [CORPORATE NONGAME WILDLIFE CHECKOFF.] 
  2.25     A corporation that files an income tax return may designate 
  2.26  on its original return that $1 or more shall be added to the tax 
  2.27  or deducted from the refund that would otherwise be payable by 
  2.28  or to that corporation and paid into the nongame wildlife 
  2.29  management account established by section 290.431 for use by the 
  2.30  section of wildlife in the department of natural resources for 
  2.31  its nongame wildlife program.  The commissioner of revenue 
  2.32  shall, on the corporate tax return, notify filers of their right 
  2.33  to designate that a portion of their tax return be paid into the 
  2.34  nongame wildlife management account for the protection of 
  2.35  endangered natural resources.  The commissioner of finance must 
  2.36  transfer $1 from the general fund to the nongame wildlife 
  3.1   management account for each dollar contributed to the account 
  3.2   under this section.  All interest earned on money accrued, gifts 
  3.3   to the program, contributions to the program, and reimbursements 
  3.4   of expenditures in the nongame wildlife management account shall 
  3.5   be credited to the account by the state treasurer, except that 
  3.6   gifts or contributions received directly by the commissioner of 
  3.7   natural resources and directed by the contributor for use in 
  3.8   specific nongame field projects or geographic areas shall be 
  3.9   handled according to section 84.085, subdivision 1.  The 
  3.10  commissioner of natural resources shall submit a work program 
  3.11  for each fiscal year to the legislative commission on Minnesota 
  3.12  resources in the form determined by the commission.  None of the 
  3.13  money provided in this section may be spent unless the 
  3.14  commission has approved the work program. 
  3.15     The state pledges and agrees with all corporate 
  3.16  contributors to the nongame wildlife account to use the funds 
  3.17  contributed solely for the nongame wildlife program and further 
  3.18  agrees that it will not impose additional conditions or 
  3.19  restrictions that will limit or otherwise restrict the ability 
  3.20  of the commissioner of natural resources to use the available 
  3.21  funds for the most efficient and effective management of those 
  3.22  programs.  
  3.23     Sec. 3.  [NONGAME WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT; APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.24     $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2002 and $2,000,000 in fiscal 
  3.25  year 2003 is appropriated from the nongame wildlife management 
  3.26  account in the natural resources fund to the commissioner of 
  3.27  natural resources for the purpose of nongame wildlife 
  3.28  management.  Any unencumbered balance remaining in fiscal year 
  3.29  2002 does not cancel but is available in fiscal year 2003.