1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to the environment; increasing the license 
  1.3             fee for individual sewage treatment system 
  1.4             professionals; establishing a task force; 
  1.5             appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2002, 
  1.6             section 115.56, subdivision 4. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 115.56, 
  1.9   subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 4.  [LICENSE FEE.] The fee for a license required 
  1.11  under subdivision 2 is $100 $200 per year.  The maximum total 
  1.12  for multiple licenses is $500.  Revenue from the fees must be 
  1.13  credited to the environmental fund. 
  1.14     Sec. 2.  [ADVISORY GROUP REPORT.] 
  1.15     (a) The commissioner of the pollution control agency shall 
  1.16  appoint and convene an advisory group consisting of: 
  1.17     (1) two county representatives; 
  1.18     (2) one city representative; 
  1.19     (3) one township representative; 
  1.20     (4) one representative of a lake association; 
  1.21     (5) one homeowner with a septic system; 
  1.22     (6) one licensed pumper; 
  1.23     (7) one licensed inspector; 
  1.24     (8) two environmental group representatives; and 
  1.25     (9) one representative each from the pollution control 
  1.26  agency, the department of health, the department of agriculture, 
  2.1   metropolitan council, and the public facilities authority. 
  2.2      (b) The advisory group shall develop and report back to the 
  2.3   legislature by November 15, 2003, with a plan to: 
  2.4      (1) locate individual sewage treatment systems that are 
  2.5   imminent threats to public health and safety and those with less 
  2.6   than two feet of soil separation by July 1, 2005; 
  2.7      (2) upgrade systems identified in clause (1) by July 1, 
  2.8   2010; and 
  2.9      (3) ensure compliance with individual sewage treatment 
  2.10  system maintenance requirements of Minnesota Rules, part 
  2.11  7080.0175. 
  2.12     (c) The plan must include funding mechanisms for paragraph 
  2.13  (b), clauses (1) to (3), and shall recommend enhanced funding 
  2.14  mechanisms for low interest loans to homeowners for individual 
  2.15  sewage treatment system upgrades or connections to a municipal 
  2.16  sewage treatment system. 
  2.17     (d) The task force expires upon the submission of its 
  2.18  report. 
  2.19     Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.20     $500,000 is appropriated from the environmental fund to the 
  2.21  commissioner of the pollution control agency for new technology 
  2.22  review, local training, program planning, enforcement, and 
  2.23  planning and reporting responsibilities under this act.  
  2.24     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.25     Sections 1 to 3 are effective July 1, 2003.