SF 2811

1st Engrossment - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to education; managing school trust fund lands; improving the returns
for school trust fund lands; redefining the mission of the Permanent School Fund
Advisory Committee; providing a report; amending Minnesota Statutes 2006,
sections 84.027, by adding a subdivision; 127A.30.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 84.027, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 18. new text end

new text begin Permanent school fund authority and designee. new text end

new text begin The commissioner
of natural resources has authority and responsibility for the administration of permanent
school fund lands under sections 92.121 and 127A.31. The commissioner shall annually
report to the Permanent School Fund Advisory Committee on ways to maximize the
revenue generated from school trust fund lands. The commissioner shall designate a
permanent professional staff position whose duty shall be to accelerate land exchanges,
land sales, and commercial leasing of school trust lands, and to manage the trust lands
to maximize the long-term economic return for the permanent school fund lands. The
permanent professional staff position shall also serve as a nonvoting member of the
Permanent School Fund Advisory Committee and shall assist the committee with the
preparation of the report required under section 127A.30.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 127A.30, is amended to read:

127A.30 PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Membership. new text end

A state Permanent School Fund Advisory Committee
is established to advise the Department of Natural Resources on the management of
permanent school fund land, which is held in trust for the school districts of the state. The
advisory committee must consist of the following persons or their designees: the chairs
of the education committees of the legislature, new text begin the chairs of the legislative committees
with jurisdiction over the K-12 education budget, the chairs of the legislative committees
with jurisdiction over the environment and natural resources, new text end the deleted text begin chairs deleted text end new text begin chair new text end of the senate
Committee on Finance and new text begin the chair of the new text end house Committee on Ways and Means, the
commissioner of education, one superintendent from a nonmetropolitan district, deleted text begin and deleted text end one
superintendent from a metropolitan area district new text begin , one person with an expertise in forestry,
one person with an expertise in minerals and mining, one person with an expertise in real
estate development, one person with an expertise in renewable energy, and one person
with an expertise in finance and land management new text end . The school district superintendents
shall be appointed by the commissioner of education. new text begin The committee members with
areas of expertise in forestry, minerals and mining, real estate development, renewable
energy, and finance and land management shall be appointed by the commissioner of
natural resources. Members of the legislature shall be given the opportunity to recommend
candidates for vacancies on the committee to the commissioners of education and natural
resources. The advisory committee must also include a nonvoting professional staff person
appointed by the commissioner of natural resources, under section 84.027, subdivision
18. This nonvoting member shall provide the committee with professional advice and
technical support on issues of permanent school fund land management. The members of
the Permanent School Fund Advisory Committee shall elect their chairperson.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Duties. new text end

The advisory committee shall review the policies of the
Department of Natural Resources and current statutes on management of school trust fund
lands at least deleted text begin semiannually deleted text end new text begin annually new text end and shall recommend necessary changes in statutes,
policy, and implementation in order to ensure provident utilization of the permanent
school fund lands. new text begin By January 15 of each year, the advisory committee shall submit a
report and any necessary draft legislation to the legislature with recommendations for the
management of school trust lands to secure long-term economic return for the permanent
school fund, consistent with sections 92.121 and 127A.31. The committee's annual report
must include recommendations to:
new text end

new text begin (1) improve the efficiency of the Department of Natural Resources' management of
school trust fund lands;
new text end

new text begin (2) reduce expenditures that are used to manage school trust fund lands and
maximize the revenues deposited in the permanent school trust fund;
new text end

new text begin (3) accelerate land exchanges, land sales, and commercial leasing of school trust
lands; and
new text end

new text begin (4) manage the school trust lands to maximize the long-term economic return for
the permanent school trust fund.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Duration. new text end

new text begin Notwithstanding section 15.059, subdivision 5, the advisory
committee is permanent and does not expire.
new text end