1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to government operations; requiring a study of the feasibility of 
1.3 	consolidating counties and rationalizing other internal boundaries; appropriating 
1.4 	money.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. STUDY ON CONSOLIDATING COUNTIES AND RATIONALIZING 
1.7 	OTHER INTERNAL BOUNDARIES.
 1.8 	The state auditor shall study the feasibility of consolidating counties in the state. As 
1.9 	part of the study, the state auditor shall consider conforming county boundaries to other 
1.10 	existing physical or organizational boundaries including, among others, state judicial, 
1.11 	watershed, and landscape districts, and shall consider the economic implications that 
1.12 	may result from the consolidation.
1.13 	The study shall also include a consideration of the rationalization of other internal 
1.14 	boundaries of the state such as highway maintenance and regional economic districts.
1.15 	In addition to any other information and resources the state auditor uses to study 
1.16 	the feasibility of consolidating counties and rationalizing other internal boundaries of the 
1.17 	state, the state auditor shall consider (1) the report and recommendations of the legislative 
1.18 	auditor on consolidation of local governments published in 2012, (2) the ideas generated 
1.19 	from the 2011 local government innovation forums summarized in the Association of 
1.20 	Minnesota Counties' "Focus on Outcomes: Redesigning Minnesota's Local Government 
1.21 	Services" along with any background research that went into the forums and report, and 
1.22 	(3) the pilot projects that are proposed under the Minnesota Accountable Government 
1.23 	Innovation and Collaboration Act, S.F. No. 1340, if enacted in the 2012 legislative session.
2.1 	The state auditor shall report on the study to the appropriate committees of the 
2.2 	legislature by January 1, 2013.

2.3 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 2.4 	$....... is appropriated for fiscal year 2013 from the general fund to the state auditor 
2.5 	for the purposes of section 1.