1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to nonprofit corporations; specifying voting 
  1.3             rights and meeting notice requirements for nonprofit 
  1.4             corporations that are neighborhood organizations; 
  1.5             amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, sections 317A.435, 
  1.6             by adding a subdivision; and 317A.441. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 317A.435, is 
  1.9   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 4.  [NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS.] Notwithstanding the 
  1.11  provisions of subdivisions 1 and 2, notice of meetings of a 
  1.12  neighborhood organization must be given as specified by this 
  1.13  subdivision.  Thirty days before a meeting of the members of the 
  1.14  neighborhood organization is to be held, notice of the date, 
  1.15  time, and place of the meeting and any other information 
  1.16  required by this chapter must be: 
  1.17     (1) posted at all libraries, schools, park board, and other 
  1.18  public buildings located within the geographic boundaries of the 
  1.19  neighborhood organization, and 
  1.20     (2) published in the community newspaper having the largest 
  1.21  circulation within the geographic boundaries of the neighborhood 
  1.22  organization or in a neighborhood organization newsletter that 
  1.23  is distributed to all occupied buildings in the neighborhood.  
  1.24     For purposes of this subdivision, "neighborhood 
  1.25  organization" means a nonprofit corporation registered with the 
  1.26  state that represents a defined geographic area and has been 
  2.1   accepted by a political subdivision as the basic planning unit 
  2.2   for the jurisdiction. 
  2.3      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 317A.441, is 
  2.4   amended to read: 
  2.5      317A.441 [RIGHT TO VOTE.] 
  2.6      (a) Unless the articles or bylaws provide otherwise, each 
  2.7   member with voting rights is entitled to one vote on each matter 
  2.8   voted on by the members.  If a membership stands of record in 
  2.9   the names of two or more persons, their acts with respect to 
  2.10  voting have the following effect: 
  2.11     (1) if only one votes, the act binds all; and 
  2.12     (2) if more than one votes, the vote must be divided on a 
  2.13  pro rata basis. 
  2.14     (b) In the case of a neighborhood organization, members 
  2.15  with voting rights are individuals who, at a meeting of the 
  2.16  neighborhood organization, can produce: 
  2.17     (i) a Minnesota driver license, Minnesota identification 
  2.18  card, or some form of residency verification issued by a public 
  2.19  agency that indicates the individual resides within the 
  2.20  geographic boundaries of the neighborhood organization; or 
  2.21     (ii) proof of ownership or lease of a business or property 
  2.22  or proof of being employed by a nonprofit organization or 
  2.23  government entity located within the geographic boundaries of 
  2.24  the neighborhood, if such members are authorized by the bylaws 
  2.25  of the neighborhood organization. 
  2.26     For purposes of this section, "neighborhood organization" 
  2.27  means a nonprofit corporation registered with the state that 
  2.28  represents a defined geographic area and has been accepted by a 
  2.29  political subdivision as the basic planning unit for the 
  2.30  jurisdiction.