1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to local government; including service cooperatives in the definition of 
1.3 	governmental units for purposes of joint powers;amending Minnesota Statutes 
1.4 	2016, section 471.59, subdivision 1.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 471.59, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.7 		Subdivision 1.Agreement. (a) Two or more governmental units, by agreement entered 
1.8 	into through action of their governing bodies, may jointly or cooperatively exercise any 
1.9 	power common to the contracting parties or any similar powers, including those which are 
1.10 	the same except for the territorial limits within which they may be exercised. The agreement 
1.11 	may provide for the exercise of such powers by one or more of the participating governmental 
1.12 	units on behalf of the other participating units.
1.13 	(b) The term "governmental unit" as used in this section includes every city, county, 
1.14 	town, school district, service cooperative under section 123A.21, independent nonprofit 
1.15 	firefighting corporation, other political subdivision of this or another state, another state, 
1.16 	federally recognized Indian tribe, the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical 
1.17 	Society, nonprofit hospitals licensed under sections 144.50 to 144.56, rehabilitation facilities 
1.18 	and extended employment providers that are certified by the commissioner of employment 
1.19 	and economic development, day and supported employment services licensed under chapter 
1.20 	245D, and any agency of the state of Minnesota or the United States, and includes any 
1.21 	instrumentality of a governmental unit. For the purpose of this section, an instrumentality 
1.22 	of a governmental unit means an instrumentality having independent policy-making and 
1.23 	appropriating authority.