HF 3237

as introduced - 82nd Legislature (2001 - 2002) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education finance; authorizing funding for 
  1.3             school building grants; modifying program criteria; 
  1.4             authorizing the sale of state bonds; appropriating 
  1.5             money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, sections 
  1.6             123B.67; 123B.68, subdivision 1; 123B.69, subdivisions 
  1.7             1, 2, 3.  
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 123B.67, is 
  1.10  amended to read: 
  1.11     123B.67 [SCHOOL BUILDING ACCESSIBILITY AND DEFERRED 
  1.12  MAINTENANCE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT GRANT ACT.] 
  1.13     Sections 123B.67 to 123B.69 may be cited as the "School 
  1.14  Building Accessibility and Deferred Maintenance Capital 
  1.15  Improvement Grant Act." 
  1.16     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 123B.68, 
  1.17  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.18     Subdivision 1.  [APPROVAL BY COMMISSIONER.] The 
  1.19  commissioner of children, families, and learning may approve or 
  1.20  disapprove applications under section 123B.69.  The grant money 
  1.21  must be used only either:  to remove architectural barriers from 
  1.22  a building or site; or, for districts that certify to the 
  1.23  commissioner that their buildings are fully accessible, for 
  1.24  deferred maintenance projects. 
  1.25     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 123B.69, 
  1.26  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  2.1      Subdivision 1.  [QUALIFICATION.] A school district that 
  2.2   meets the criteria required under subdivision 2 may apply for a 
  2.3   grant in an amount up to 50 percent of the approved costs of 
  2.4   removing architectural barriers from a building or site.  A 
  2.5   district that has certified to the commissioner that its 
  2.6   buildings are fully accessible may apply for a grant in an 
  2.7   amount up to 50 percent of the approved costs of its deferred 
  2.8   maintenance projects.  A grant may not exceed $150,000 to a 
  2.9   recipient district per building in any fiscal year. 
  2.10     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 123B.69, 
  2.11  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.12     Subd. 2.  [PROJECT REVIEW.] The commissioner, in 
  2.13  consultation with the Minnesota state council on disability, 
  2.14  shall review applications for grants for accessibility grants.  
  2.15  The commissioner shall review all applications for deferred 
  2.16  maintenance projects.  A school district must apply by July 1 of 
  2.17  each year in order to be considered for a grant. 
  2.18     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 123B.69, 
  2.19  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  2.20     Subd. 3.  [AWARD OF GRANTS.] The commissioner shall examine 
  2.21  and consider all applications for grants, and if a district is 
  2.22  found not qualified, the commissioner shall promptly notify the 
  2.23  district board.  The commissioner shall give first priority to 
  2.24  districts that have entered into the cooperation and combination 
  2.25  process under sections 123A.35 to 123A.43, or that have 
  2.26  consolidated since January 1, 1987.  The commissioner shall 
  2.27  further prioritize grants on the basis of the following:  the 
  2.28  district's tax burden, the long-term feasibility of the project, 
  2.29  the suitability of the project, and the district's need for the 
  2.30  project.  If the total amount of the applications exceeds the 
  2.31  amount that is or can be made available, the commissioner shall 
  2.32  award grants according to the commissioner's judgment and 
  2.33  discretion and based upon a ranking of the projects according to 
  2.34  the factors listed in this paragraph.  The commissioner shall 
  2.35  promptly certify to each district the amount, if any, of the 
  2.36  grant awarded to it. 
  3.1      [EFFECTIVE DATE.] This section is effective the day 
  3.2   following final enactment.  
  3.3      Sec. 6.  [SCHOOL BUILDING GRANTS.] 
  3.4      Subdivision 1.  [APPROPRIATION.] $20,000,000 is 
  3.5   appropriated in fiscal year 2003 from the bond proceeds fund to 
  3.6   the commissioner of children, families, and learning for grants 
  3.7   to local school districts under Minnesota Statutes, sections 
  3.8   123B.67 to 123B.69. 
  3.9      Subd. 2.  [BONDS.] To provide the money appropriated by 
  3.10  this section from the bond proceeds fund, the commissioner of 
  3.11  finance shall sell and issue bonds of the state in an amount up 
  3.12  to $20,000,000 in the manner, on the terms, and with the effect 
  3.13  prescribed by Minnesota Statutes, sections 16A.631 to 16A.675, 
  3.14  and by the Minnesota Constitution, article XI, sections 4 to 7.  
  3.15     [EFFECTIVE DATE.] This section is effective the day 
  3.16  following final enactment.