HF 643

as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 02/18/2013 01:34pm

A bill for an act
relating to utilities; regulating the qualifications to be a member of the Public
Utilities Commission; amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216A.03,
subdivision 1.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 216A.03, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Members.

The Public Utilities Commission shall consist of five
members. The terms of members shall be six years and until their successors have been
appointed and qualified. Each commissioner shall be appointed by the governor by and
with the advice and consent of the senate. Not more than three commissioners shall belong
to the same political party. At least one commissioner must have been domiciled at the
time of appointment outside the seven-county metropolitan area. new text begin At least one member
must reside in an area within the exclusive service territory of an electric cooperative or
a municipal electric utility. new text end If the membership of the commission after July 31, 1986,
does not consist of at least one member domiciled at the time of appointment outside
the seven-county metropolitan area, the membership shall conform to this requirement
following normal attrition of the present commissioners. The governor when selecting
commissioners shall give consideration to persons learned in the law or persons who have
engaged in the profession of engineering, public accounting, property and utility valuation,
finance, physical or natural sciences, production agriculture, or natural resources as well
as being representative of the general public.

For purposes of this subdivision, "seven-county metropolitan area" means Anoka,
Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington Counties.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective August 1, 2013, provided that if
no commissioner satisfies the qualification for commission membership added by this
section, a commissioner satisfying that qualification must be appointed to fill the first
commissioner vacancy occurring after the effective date.
new text end