1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to the legislature; establishing an advisory task force on sexual harassment 
1.3 	at the State Capitol; requiring a report.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT THE 
1.6 	STATE CAPITOL.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Task force established; membership. (a) The Legislative Task Force 
1.8 	on Sexual Harassment is established. The task force consists of eight members, appointed 
1.9 	as follows:
1.10 	(1) two members appointed by the speaker of the house;
1.11 	(2) two members appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives;
1.12 	(3) two members appointed by the majority leader of the senate; and
1.13 	(4) two members appointed by the minority leader of the senate.
1.14 	(b) Appointees must be chosen based on their demonstrated interest and expertise in 
1.15 	sexual harassment issues, human resources, public sector employment law, or 
1.16 	employee-focused employment law. Current members of the legislature, legislative staff, 
1.17 	and lobbyists are not eligible for appointment.
1.18 	(c) Members of the task force may be compensated as provided in Minnesota Statutes, 
1.19 	section 15.059, subdivision 3. The committee shall elect the chair from among its members. 
1.20 	Appointments to the task force must be made no later than 15 days following the effective 
2.1 	date of this section, and the chair must convene the task force's first meeting no later than 
2.2 	30 days following the effective date of this section.
2.3 		Subd. 2.Duties; report required. The task force must study and make recommendations 
2.4 	for best practices on the following issues:
2.5 	(1) procedures for reporting sexual misconduct by elected officials and candidates for 
2.6 	elected office, balancing the need for victim privacy with the need for public transparency;
2.7 	(2) training on sexual harassment and workplace conduct for elected officials, candidates 
2.8 	for elected office, and legislative staff, including recommendations on appropriate and 
2.9 	effective training. The recommended training must, at a minimum, set clear expectations 
2.10 	for professional behavior, request that participants sign a code of conduct agreement that 
2.11 	includes accountability measures, and provide options and information for reporting 
2.12 	inappropriate behavior;
2.13 	(3) a nonpartisan process for receiving complaints of sexual harassment and investigating 
2.14 	those complaints. The process must include, at a minimum, detailed reports by the 
2.15 	investigator to designated legislators and staff and accountability measures to ensure all 
2.16 	legislators and designated staff take prompt and appropriate action in response to a complaint; 
2.17 	and
2.18 	(4) any other issues the task force determines relevant to ensuring that the State Capitol 
2.19 	complex provides a safe and respectful environment for all elected officials, candidates for 
2.20 	elected office, legislative staff and other public employees, lobbyists, and members of the 
2.21 	public, and encourages a climate of zero tolerance for sexual harassment in the workplace.
2.22 		Subd. 3.Report required. The task force must submit a report describing its work and 
2.23 	recommendations to the chairs and ranking minority members of the Legislative Coordinating 
2.24 	Commission, the Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration of the house of 
2.25 	representatives, and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the senate, no later than 
2.26 	60 days after the task force's first meeting.
2.27 		Subd. 4.Staff. The Legislative Coordinating Commission must provide staff assistance 
2.28 	to support the work of the task force.
2.29 		Subd. 5.Expiration. The task force expires upon submission of the report required by 
2.30 	subdivision 3.

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