1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to state government; establishing a cost-savings initiative suggestion 
1.3 	program for state employees; using the cost savings to fund road improvements; 
1.4 	creating a transportation endowment fund; appropriating money; proposing 
1.5 	coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 43A; 160.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [43A.52] EMPLOYEE COST-SAVINGS INITIATIVES.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Procedure. The commissioner shall ensure that all employees are 
1.9 	provided with an opportunity to propose cost-savings initiatives within state government. 
1.10 	The commissioner shall establish a procedure for internal review and evaluation of each 
1.11 	initiative proposed in writing by an employee or by the employee's immediate supervisor. 
1.12 	Employees may also submit proposed initiatives as a group. If the immediate supervisor 
1.13 	determines that the proposed initiative is meritorious, and that further authorization 
1.14 	is needed to implement the proposal, the supervisor must submit the proposal to the 
1.15 	supervisor's appointing authority for review and consideration. If the supervisor 
1.16 	determines that the proposal is practical and constructive, and that no future authorization 
1.17 	to implement the proposal is necessary, the supervisor shall inform the supervisor's 
1.18 	appointing authority that the proposal has been implemented.
1.19 		Subd. 2.Implementation. If the appointing authority described in subdivision 1 
1.20 	determines that the proposal is practical and constructive and takes steps to implement the 
1.21 	proposal, or if the immediate supervisor has implemented the proposal, the appointing 
1.22 	authority must notify the commissioner of finance. Upon notification that an employee 
1.23 	proposal has been implemented under this section, the commissioner of finance must 
1.24 	determine the cost savings attributable to the proposal, and the funding sources benefited 
1.25 	by the cost savings. If the commissioner identifies a savings to the general fund resulting 
2.1 	from the proposal, the commissioner of finance must reduce the relevant general fund 
2.2 	appropriation by the specified amount of savings. 
2.3 		Subd. 3.Transfer; cost savings proposal recognition account. A sum equivalent 
2.4 	to the amount of the appropriation reduction identified in subdivision 2 is transferred 
2.5 	to a cost-savings proposal recognition account in the special revenue fund. Money in 
2.6 	the cost-savings proposal recognition account is appropriated to the commissioner of 
2.7 	employee relations for the purpose of providing awards to employees for proposals 
2.8 	resulting in cost savings identified under this section. Awards may include, but are not 
2.9 	limited to, items such as discounts on health club memberships and gift certificates. 
2.10 	The awards may not exceed $....... cash value per employee. Money remaining in the 
2.11 	account on June 30 of each year must be transferred to the transportation endowment fund 
2.12 	established in section 160.95 after all employee awards required under this subdivision 
2.13 	have been made.

2.14 	Sec. 2. [160.95] TRANSPORTATION ENDOWMENT FUND.
2.15 		Subdivision 1.Creation. The transportation endowment fund is created as an 
2.16 	account in the state treasury to receive money as allotted, appropriated, legislated, or 
2.17 	otherwise transferred.
2.18 		Subd. 2.Investment. The State Board of Investment shall invest the fund under 
2.19 	section 11A.24. All interest and profits from these investments must be credited to the 
2.20 	transportation endowment fund.
2.21 		Subd. 3.Annual transfer. On July 1 of each year, an amount equal to five 
2.22 	percent of the market value of the fund on the preceding July 1 is appropriated from the 
2.23 	transportation endowment fund to the commissioner of finance for transfer to the funds 
2.24 	specified in this section.
2.25 		Subd. 4.Distribution of available money. The commissioner of finance shall 
2.26 	apportion and distribute the available money from the transportation endowment fund 
2.27 	among the several areawide transportation districts to be used for highway purposes on 
2.28 	projects designated by the areawide transportation partnerships, as follows:
2.29 	(1) an amount equal to 40 percent must be apportioned among the several districts so 
2.30 	that each district receives the percentage of that money that its motor vehicle registration 
2.31 	for the calendar year preceding the one last past, determined by residence of registrants, 
2.32 	bears to the total statewide motor vehicle registration; and
2.33 	(2) an amount equal to 60 percent must be apportioned among the several districts 
2.34 	so that each district receives the percentage of that amount that its money needs bears to 
2.35 	the sum of the money needs of all the individual districts.