1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to housing; directing the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency to study 
1.3 	the potential benefits of establishing a statewide registry of landlords; requiring 
1.4 	a report.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. STUDY AND REPORT.
 1.7 	The commissioner of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency shall study the issues 
1.8 	described in sections 2 and 3 and report the results of the study to the Housing Policy and 
1.9 	Finance and Public Health Finance Divisions in the house of representatives and the 
1.10 	Economic Development Budget Division in the senate by January 1, 2009.

1.11 	Sec. 2. STATEWIDE LANDLORD REGISTRY.
 1.12 	The commissioner of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency shall study the value 
1.13 	of a statewide registry of landlords including data regarding citations issued by cities for 
1.14 	property owned by each landlord. The study must include a review of possible methods 
1.15 	for disseminating the information to be contained in the registry to cities. The study 
1.16 	must also consider the possible merits of a statewide system of licensure of landlords 
1.17 	of residential real estate.

1.18 	Sec. 3. ESCROW ACCOUNTS.
 1.19 	The commissioner of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency shall study the value 
1.20 	of requiring landlords who have received numerous citations to deposit funds in an 
1.21 	escrow account to cover city or county costs associated with potential future citations. 
2.1 	The commissioner shall consider whether the accounts would be best managed at the 
2.2 	state or municipal level.

2.3 	Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 2.4 	Sections 1 to 3 are effective the day following final enactment.