HF 683

2nd Unofficial Engrossment - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014)

Posted on 04/29/2014 09:45 a.m.

1.1A bill for an act 1.2relating to water; creating Legislative Water Commission; providing 1.3appointments; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 1.4Statutes, chapter 3. 1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 1.6    Section 1. new text begin [3.886] LEGISLATIVE WATER COMMISSION. new text end 1.7     new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Establishment. new text end new text begin A Legislative Water Commission is established. new text end 1.8     new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Membership. new text end new text begin (a) The Legislative Water Commission consists of 12 new text end 1.9 new text begin members appointed as follows: new text end 1.10 new text begin (1) six members of the senate, including three majority party members appointed by new text end 1.11 new text begin the majority leader and three minority party members appointed by the minority leader; and new text end 1.12 new text begin (2) six members of the house of representatives, including three majority party new text end 1.13 new text begin members appointed by the speaker of the house and three minority party members new text end 1.14 new text begin appointed by the minority leader. new text end 1.15 new text begin (b) Members serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and continue to serve new text end 1.16 new text begin until their successors are appointed or until a member is no longer a member of the new text end 1.17 new text begin legislative body that appointed the member to the commission. Vacancies shall be filled in new text end 1.18 new text begin the same manner as the original positions. Vacancies occurring on the commission do not new text end 1.19 new text begin affect the authority of the remaining members of the Legislative Water Commission to new text end 1.20 new text begin carry out the function of the commission. new text end 1.21 new text begin (c) Members shall elect a chair, vice chair, and other officers as determined by new text end 1.22 new text begin the commission. The chair may convene meetings as necessary to conduct the duties new text end 1.23 new text begin prescribed by this section. new text end 2.1     new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin Commission staffing. new text end new text begin The Legislative Coordinating Commission must new text end 2.2 new text begin employ staff and contract with consultants as necessary to enable the Legislative Water new text end 2.3 new text begin Commission to carry out its duties and functions. new text end 2.4     new text begin Subd. 4. new text end new text begin Powers and duties. new text end new text begin (a) The Legislative Water Commission shall review new text end 2.5 new text begin water policy reports and recommendations of the Environmental Quality Board, the Board new text end 2.6 new text begin of Water and Soil Resources, the Pollution Control Agency, the Department of Natural new text end 2.7 new text begin Resources, and other water-related reports as may be required by law or the legislature. new text end 2.8 new text begin (b) The commission may conduct public hearings and otherwise secure data and new text end 2.9 new text begin comments. new text end 2.10 new text begin (c) The commission shall make recommendations as it deems proper to assist the new text end 2.11 new text begin legislature in formulating legislation. new text end 2.12 new text begin (d) Data or information compiled by the Legislative Water Commission or its new text end 2.13 new text begin subcommittees shall be made available to the Legislative-Citizen Commission on new text end 2.14 new text begin Minnesota Resources, the Clean Water Council, and standing and interim committees of new text end 2.15 new text begin the legislature on request of the chair of the respective commission, council, or committee. new text end 2.16 new text begin (e) The commission shall coordinate with the Clean Water Council. new text end 2.17     new text begin Subd. 5. new text end new text begin Compensation. new text end new text begin Members may receive per diem under section 3.099 for new text end 2.18 new text begin attending commission meetings, and may be reimbursed for expenses incurred doing new text end 2.19 new text begin the work of the commission, but shall not receive any other compensation for serving new text end 2.20 new text begin on the commission. new text end 2.21     new text begin Subd. 6. new text end new text begin Expiration. new text end new text begin This section expires July 1, 2019. new text end 2.22    Sec. 2. new text begin INITIAL APPOINTMENTS AND MEETING. new text end 2.23 new text begin Initial appointments must be made by September 1, 2014. The first meeting of new text end 2.24 new text begin the Legislative Water Commission shall be convened by the chair or a designee of the new text end 2.25 new text begin Legislative Coordinating Commission by October 15, 2014. The Legislative Water new text end 2.26 new text begin Commission shall select a chair from among its members at its first meeting. new text end 2.27    Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATION. new text end 2.28 new text begin $155,000 is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal year 2015 to the Legislative new text end 2.29 new text begin Coordinating Commission for the purposes of this act. $145,000 each fiscal year is added new text end 2.30 new text begin to the base through fiscal year 2019. new text end