1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; modifying the process for electing members of the 
1.3 	Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota; providing for recommendations 
1.4 	by congressional district legislative delegation; providing for weighted election 
1.5 	of certain candidates; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, sections 137.0245, 
1.6 	subdivisions 1, 4; 137.0246, subdivision 2, by adding subdivisions.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 137.0245, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.9 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. A Regent Candidate Advisory Council is established to 
1.10 	assist in determining criteria for, and identifying and recruiting qualified candidates for 
1.11 	membership on the Board of Regents and making recommendations for at-large positions 
1.12 	on the board to the joint legislative committee described in section 137.0246, subdivision 
1.13 	2.

1.14 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 137.0245, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
1.15 		Subd. 4.Recommendations. (a) The advisory council shall recommend at least two and 
1.16 	not more than four candidates for each at-large position. By January 15 of each odd-numbered 
1.17 	year, the advisory council shall submit its recommendations to the joint legislative committee 
1.18 	described in section 137.0246, subdivision 2.
1.19 	(b) The advisory council must submit a report to the joint committee on the needs criterion 
1.20 	identified under subdivision 3, paragraph (c), at the same time it submits its recommendations.

2.1 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 137.0246, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
2.2 		Subd. 2.Regent nomination joint committee. (a) The joint legislative committee 
2.3 	consists of the members of the higher education budget and policy divisions in each house 
2.4 	of the legislature. The chairs of the divisions from each body shall be cochairs of the joint 
2.5 	legislative committee. A majority of the members from each house is a quorum of the joint 
2.6 	committee.
2.7 	(b) By February 28 of each odd-numbered year, or at a date agreed to by concurrent 
2.8 	resolution, the joint legislative committee shall meet to consider the advisory council's 
2.9 	recommendations for at-large positions of regent of the University of Minnesota for possible 
2.10 	presentation to a joint convention of the legislature.
2.11 	(c) The joint committee may recommend to the joint convention candidates for at-large 
2.12 	positions recommended by the advisory council and the other candidates nominated by the 
2.13 	joint committee. A candidate other than those recommended by the advisory council may 
2.14 	be nominated for consideration by the joint committee only if the nomination receives the 
2.15 	support of at least three house of representatives members of the committee and two senate 
2.16 	members of the committee.
2.17 	(d) A candidate must receive a majority vote of members from the house of 
2.18 	representatives and from the senate on the joint committee to be recommended to the joint 
2.19 	convention. The joint committee may recommend no more than one candidate for each 
2.20 	vacancy. In recommending nominees, the joint committee must consider the needs of the 
2.21 	board of regents and the balance of the board membership with respect to gender, racial, 
2.22 	and ethnic composition.

2.23 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 137.0246, is amended by adding a subdivision 
2.24 	to read:
2.25 		Subd. 3.Congressional district legislative delegation. (a) A congressional district 
2.26 	legislative delegation consists of the members of the legislature whose districts include 
2.27 	territory within that congressional district. A member of the legislature whose district 
2.28 	includes territory in multiple congressional districts may only participate as a member of 
2.29 	the legislative delegation for one congressional district in any year.
2.30 	(b) By February 28 of each odd-numbered year, or at a date agreed to by concurrent 
2.31 	resolution, the congressional district legislative delegation shall meet to consider 
2.32 	recommendations for regent of the University of Minnesota to represent that congressional 
3.1 	district. Voting must be proportional, based on the amount of territory within the 
3.2 	congressional district that each member of the delegation represents.
3.3 	(c) The recommendations of the congressional district legislative delegation must be 
3.4 	presented to the joint convention of the legislature. The legislative delegation may 
3.5 	recommend no more than one candidate for each vacancy. In recommending nominees, the 
3.6 	delegation must consider the needs of the Board of Regents and the balance of the board 
3.7 	membership with respect to gender, racial, and ethnic composition.

3.8 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 137.0246, is amended by adding a subdivision 
3.9 	to read:
3.10 		Subd. 4.Joint convention to elect regents; weighted voting. Members of the Board 
3.11 	of Regents shall be elected by the legislature at a joint convention, on a date agreed to by 
3.12 	concurrent resolution. For at-large candidates, each legislator's vote is equally weighted. 
3.13 	Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, for candidates nominated by congressional district, 
3.14 	the votes from members of the congressional district legislative delegation under subdivision 
3.15 	3 shall be counted with twice the weighting of legislators who are not in the congressional 
3.16 	district legislative delegation.