1.1A bill for an act1.2relating to local government; authorizing federally recognized Indian tribes to 1.3participate in joint powers agreements;amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, 1.4section 471.59, subdivision 1.1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:1.6    Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 471.59, subdivision 1, is amended to read:1.7    Subdivision 1. Agreement. Two or more governmental units, by agreement entered 1.8into through action of their governing bodies, may jointly or cooperatively exercise any 1.9power common to the contracting parties or any similar powers, including those which 1.10are the same except for the territorial limits within which they may be exercised. The 1.11agreement may provide for the exercise of such powers by one or more of the participating 1.12governmental units on behalf of the other participating units. The term "governmental 1.13unit" as used in this section includes every city, county, town, school district, independent 1.14nonprofit firefighting corporation, other political subdivision of this or another state, 1.15another state, federally recognized Indian tribe, the University of Minnesota, the 1.16Minnesota Historical Society, nonprofit hospitals licensed under sections 
         144.50 to 
         144.56, 1.17rehabilitation facilities and extended employment providers that are certified by the 1.18commissioner of employment and economic development, day training and habilitation 1.19services licensed under sections 
         245B.01 to 
         245B.08, and any agency of the state of 1.20Minnesota or the United States, and includes any instrumentality of a governmental unit. 1.21For the purpose of this section, an instrumentality of a governmental unit means an 1.22instrumentality having independent policy-making and appropriating authority.