1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to waters; modifying definition of public official; improving oversight of 
1.3 	local government water management; modifying authority of watershed district 
1.4 	board of managers; appropriating money;amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, 
1.5 	sections 10A.01, subdivision 35; 103D.325, by adding a subdivision; proposing 
1.6 	coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 103B.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 10A.01, subdivision 35, is amended to 
1.9 	read:
1.10 		Subd. 35.Public official. "Public official" means any:
1.11 	(1) member of the legislature;
1.12 	(2) individual employed by the legislature as secretary of the senate, legislative 
1.13 	auditor, chief clerk of the house, revisor of statutes, or researcher, legislative analyst, or 
1.14 	attorney in the Office of Senate Counsel and Research or House Research;
1.15 	(3) constitutional officer in the executive branch and the officer's chief administrative 
1.16 	deputy;
1.17 	(4) solicitor general or deputy, assistant, or special assistant attorney general;
1.18 	(5) commissioner, deputy commissioner, or assistant commissioner of any state 
1.19 	department or agency as listed in section 15.01 or 15.06, or the state chief information 
1.20 	officer;
1.21 	(6) member, chief administrative officer, or deputy chief administrative officer of a 
1.22 	state board or commission that has either the power to adopt, amend, or repeal rules under 
1.23 	chapter 14, or the power to adjudicate contested cases or appeals under chapter 14;
1.24 	(7) individual employed in the executive branch who is authorized to adopt, amend, 
1.25 	or repeal rules under chapter 14 or adjudicate contested cases under chapter 14;
2.1 	(8) executive director of the State Board of Investment;
2.2 	(9) deputy of any official listed in clauses (7) and (8);
2.3 	(10) judge of the Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals;
2.4 	(11) administrative law judge or compensation judge in the State Office of 
2.5 	Administrative Hearings or referee in the Department of Employment and Economic 
2.6 	Development;
2.7 	(12) member, regional administrator, division director, general counsel, or operations 
2.8 	manager of the Metropolitan Council;
2.9 	(13) member or chief administrator of a metropolitan agency;
2.10 	(14) director of the Division of Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement in the 
2.11 	Department of Public Safety;
2.12 	(15) member or executive director of the Higher Education Facilities Authority;
2.13 	(16) member of the board of directors or president of Minnesota Technology, Inc.; 
2.14 	(17) member of the board of directors or executive director of the Minnesota State 
2.15 	High School League;
2.16 	(18) member of the Minnesota Ballpark Authority established in section 473.755; or 
2.17 	(19) citizen member of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota 
2.18 	Resources.;
2.19 	(20) manager of a watershed district or member of a watershed management 
2.20 	organization; or
2.21 	(21) supervisor of a soil and water conservation district.

2.22 	Sec. 2. [103B.102] LOCAL WATER MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY 
2.23 	AND OVERSIGHT.
2.24 		Subdivision 1.Findings; improving accountability and oversight. The legislature 
2.25 	finds that a process is needed to monitor the performance and activities of local water 
2.26 	management entities. The process should be preemptive so that problems can be identified 
2.27 	early and systematically. Underperforming entities should be provided assistance and 
2.28 	direction for improving performance in a reasonable time frame.
2.29 		Subd. 2.Definitions. For the purposes of this section, "local water management 
2.30 	entities" means watershed districts, soil and water conservation districts, metropolitan 
2.31 	water management organizations, and counties operating separately or jointly in their 
2.32 	role as local water management authorities under chapter 103B, 103C, 103D, or 103G 
2.33 	and chapter 114D.
2.34 		Subd. 3.Evaluation and report. The Board of Water and Soil Resources shall 
2.35 	evaluate performance, financial, and activity information for each local water management 
3.1 	entity. The board shall evaluate the entities' progress in accomplishing their adopted 
3.2 	plans on a regular basis, but not less than once every five years. The board shall maintain 
3.3 	a summary of local water management entity performance on the board's Web site. 
3.4 	Beginning February 1, 2008, and annually thereafter, the board shall provide an analysis 
3.5 	of local water management entity performance to the chairs of the house and senate 
3.6 	committees having jurisdiction over environment and natural resources policy.
3.7 		Subd. 4.Corrective actions. (a) In addition to other authorities, the Board of Water 
3.8 	and Soil Resources may, based on its evaluation in subdivision 3, reduce, withhold, or 
3.9 	redirect grants and other funding if the local water management entity has not corrected 
3.10 	deficiencies as prescribed in a notice from the board within one year from the date of 
3.11 	the notice.
3.12 	(b) The board may defer a decision on a termination petition filed under section 
3.13 	103B.221, 103C.225, or 103D.271 for up to one year to conduct or update the evaluation 
3.14 	under subdivision 3 or to communicate the results of the evaluation to petitioners or to 
3.15 	local and state government agencies.

3.16 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 103D.325, is amended by adding a 
3.17 	subdivision to read:
3.18 		Subd. 4.Credit card use. The managers may authorize the use of a credit card 
3.19 	by any watershed district officer or employee otherwise authorized to make a purchase 
3.20 	on behalf of the watershed district. If a watershed district officer or employee makes a 
3.21 	purchase by credit card that is not approved by the managers, the officer or employee is 
3.22 	personally liable for the amount of the purchase. A purchase by credit card must otherwise 
3.23 	comply with all statutes, rules, or watershed district policy applicable to watershed district 
3.24 	purchases.

3.25 	Sec. 4. APPROPRIATION.
 3.26 	$370,000 in fiscal year 2008 and $381,000 in fiscal year 2009 are appropriated from 
3.27 	the general fund to the Board of Water and Soil Resources for evaluating and reporting on 
3.28 	performance, financial, and activity information of local water management entities.