1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to utilities; modifying membership on the Public Utilities Commission;
1.3 	amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 216A.03, subdivision 1, by adding a 
1.4 	subdivision.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 216A.03, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.7 		Subdivision 1.Members. The Public Utilities Commission shall consist of five nine
1.8 	members, eight of whom shall each represent one of the state's congressional districts, and 
1.9 	one member appointed at large. At the time of appointment, each member, except for the 
1.10 	at-large appointee, must reside in the congressional district the member is to represent. The 
1.11 	terms of members shall be six years and until their successors have been appointed and 
1.12 	qualified. Each commissioner shall be appointed by the governor by and with the advice 
1.13 	and consent of the senate. Not more than three five commissioners shall belong to the same 
1.14 	political party. At least one commissioner must have been domiciled at the time of 
1.15 	appointment outside the seven-county metropolitan area. If the membership of the 
1.16 	commission after July 31, 1986, does not consist of at least one member domiciled at the 
1.17 	time of appointment outside the seven-county metropolitan area, the membership shall 
1.18 	conform to this requirement following normal attrition of the present commissioners. The 
1.19 	governor when selecting commissioners shall give consideration to persons learned in the 
1.20 	law or persons who have engaged in the profession of engineering, public accounting, 
1.21 	property and utility valuation, finance, physical or natural sciences, production agriculture, 
1.22 	or natural resources as well as being representative of the general public.
1.23 	For purposes of this subdivision, "seven-county metropolitan area" means Anoka, Carver, 
1.24 	Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington Counties.

2.1 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

2.2 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 216A.03, is amended by adding a subdivision to 
2.3 	read:
2.4 		Subd. 2a.Transition. (a) Until the governor has appointed commissioners from each 
2.5 	congressional district and one at-large commissioner, this subdivision governs membership 
2.6 	of the commission.
2.7 	(b) Members of the commission as of July 1, 2017, shall continue to serve until the 
2.8 	expiration of their terms.
2.9 	(c) No later than October 1, 2017, the governor shall appoint commissioners from the 
2.10 	first, second, seventh, and eighth congressional districts for terms to begin January 2, 2018.
2.11 	(d) No later than October 1, 2018, the governor shall appoint a commissioner from the 
2.12 	third congressional district for a term to begin January 8, 2019.
2.13 	(e) No later than October 1, 2019, the governor shall appoint a commissioner from  the 
2.14 	fourth congressional district for a term to begin January 7, 2020.
2.15 	(f) No later than October 1, 2020, the governor shall appoint a commissioner from the 
2.16 	fifth congressional district for a term to begin January 5, 2021.
2.17 	(g) No later than October 1, 2021, the governor shall appoint a commissioner from the 
2.18 	sixth congressional district for a term to begin January 4, 2022.
2.19 	(h) No later than October 1, 2022, the governor shall appoint a commissioner to serve 
2.20 	at large for a term to begin January 4, 2023.

2.21 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.