SF 3627

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/20/2018 09:29am

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; requiring an assessment of the Minnesota Licensing and
Registration System; establishing a steering committee; appropriating money;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2017 Supplement, section 3.971, subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2017 Supplement, section 3.971, subdivision 2, is amended
to read:

Subd. 2.

Staff; compensation.

(a) The legislative auditor shall establish a Financial
Audits Division and a Program Evaluation Division to fulfill the duties prescribed in this
section.

(b) Each division may be supervised by a deputy auditor, appointed by the legislative
auditor, with the approval of the commission, for a term coterminous with the legislative
auditor's term. The deputy auditors may be removed before the expiration of their terms
only for cause. The legislative auditor and deputy auditors may each appoint a confidential
secretary to serve at pleasure. The salaries and benefits of the legislative auditor, deputy
auditors and confidential secretaries shall be determined by the compensation plan approved
by the Legislative Coordinating Commission. The deputy auditors may perform and exercise
the powers, duties and responsibilities imposed by law on the legislative auditor when
authorized by the legislative auditor.

(c) The legislative auditor must appoint a fiscal oversight officer with duties that include
performing the review under section 3.972, subdivision 4.

(d) The deputy auditors and the confidential secretaries serve in the unclassified civil
service, but the fiscal oversight officer and all other employees of the legislative auditor are
in the classified civil service. Compensation for employees of the legislative auditor in the
classified service shall be governed by a plan prepared by the legislative auditor and approved
by the Legislative Coordinating Commission and the legislature under section 3.855,
subdivision 3.

(e) While in office, a person appointed deputy for the Financial Audit Division must
hold an active license as a certified public accountant.

new text begin (f) The legislative auditor must appoint an information technology auditor to actively
monitor and report on planning, scoping, and implementation of all executive branch
technology development projects. At a minimum, the person appointed to this position must
have expertise in .NET coding.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin MNLARS ASSESSMENTS.
new text end

new text begin (a) The information technology auditor must conduct an assessment of the Minnesota
Licensing and Registration System (MNLARS). At a minimum, the assessment must include:
new text end

new text begin (1) a technical assessment of MNLARS;
new text end

new text begin (2) an assessment of the feasibility of the MNLARS Project Roadmap proposed in
January 2018;
new text end

new text begin (3) an assessment of estimated funding needs for the continued development, operations,
and maintenance of MNLARS; and
new text end

new text begin (4) an assessment of process changes and business flows for auto dealers and deputy
registrars.
new text end

new text begin This assessment must be provided to the MNLARS Steering Committee upon completion.
new text end

new text begin (b) The information technology auditor must develop a method to measure progress on
the following items:
new text end

new text begin (1) plans for user acceptance testing, including metropolitan and out-state deputy registrars
and auto dealers, to the extent testing is deemed feasible by the Minnesota Deputy Registrar's
Association and the Minnesota Automobile Dealer's Association;
new text end

new text begin (2) plans for system stakeholder input on code releases to MNLARS;
new text end

new text begin (3) a communications plan for transparent reporting on (i) outages and slowdowns to
system stakeholders, including how to provide timely information in a usable format, (ii)
actions taken in response to communication, and (iii) responses from the Department of
Public Safety and the Office of MN.IT Services;
new text end

new text begin (4) a communications plan for postrelease reporting on features and fixes to system
stakeholders;
new text end

new text begin (5) the project plan developed by the MNLARS Steering Committee; and
new text end

new text begin (6) a plan to create greater efficiencies and streamline the vehicle title process to reduce
the current backlog and to minimize any future backlogs.
new text end

new text begin (c) The information technology auditor must make quarterly reports to the MNLARS
Steering Committee established under section 3 regarding the project plan, whether the
identified deadlines and milestones are being met, and on the progress of the items identified
in paragraph (b).
new text end

new text begin (d) For purposes of this section, the information technology auditor is the individual
appointed by the legislative auditor pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 3.971, subdivision
2, paragraph (f).
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin MNLARS STEERING COMMITTEE.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, the terms defined in this
subdivision have the meanings given.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Committee" means the MNLARS Steering Committee established in this section.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Information technology auditor" means the individual appointed by the legislative
auditor pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, section 3.971, subdivision 2, paragraph (f).
new text end

new text begin (d) "MNLARS" means the Minnesota Licensing and Registration System.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Membership. new text end

new text begin (a) The committee is made up of the following members:
new text end

new text begin (1) the commissioner of public safety or designee;
new text end

new text begin (2) the director of Driver and Vehicle Services in the Department of Public Safety;
new text end

new text begin (3) the commissioner of the Office of MN.IT Services or designee;
new text end

new text begin (4) the chief enterprise architect of MNLARS;
new text end

new text begin (5) the executive director of projects and initiatives in the Office of MN.IT Services;
new text end

new text begin (6) one member appointed by the Minnesota Deputy Registrar's Association;
new text end

new text begin (7) one member appointed by the Minnesota Automobile Dealer's Association;
new text end

new text begin (8) four senators, including the chair and ranking minority member of the committee
with jurisdiction over transportation finance, one senator appointed by the majority leader,
and one senator appointed by the minority leader; and
new text end

new text begin (9) four members of the house of representatives, including the chair and ranking minority
member of the committee with jurisdiction over transportation finance, one member appointed
by the speaker of the house, and one member appointed by the minority leader.
new text end

new text begin To the extent possible, the appointed legislative members must represent geographical
balance throughout the state.
new text end

new text begin (b) The appointments required by this subdivision must be completed by April 15, 2018.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Duties. new text end

new text begin The committee must oversee the ongoing administration, business
operations, system goals, priorities, allocation of resources, major system decisions, and
funding and expenditures for MNLARS. At a minimum, the committee must:
new text end

new text begin (1) conduct quarterly public meetings;
new text end

new text begin (2) approve a project plan with specific deadlines and milestones, including a timeline
for resolving system defects and resolving functionality gaps, based on the MNLARS Project
Roadmap proposed in January 2018;
new text end

new text begin (3) develop, in consultation with the information technology auditor, performance
measures to determine if MNLARS deadlines and milestones are being met;
new text end

new text begin (4) discuss the quarterly report from the information technology auditor;
new text end

new text begin (5) take action on decisions to reduce or eliminate appropriations, as outlined in
subdivision 4; and
new text end

new text begin (6) make recommendations on major system decisions.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Voting. new text end

new text begin (a) For matters not related to funding, a simple majority of all members
is required for committee action, except that at least two legislators representing different
parties must be voting with the prevailing side.
new text end

new text begin (b) Only legislative members may vote on questions regarding funding. Six or more
legislative members may vote to eliminate funding, reduce funding, or condition funding
already appropriated by the legislature based on the failure to meet performance measures.
new text end

new text begin (c) Any votes taken by the committee related to funding for MNLARS are binding on
the Department of Public Safety and the Office of MN.IT Services.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Administrative; meetings. new text end

new text begin (a) The senate chair of the committee with
jurisdiction over transportation finance must convene the initial meeting of the committee
by May 1, 2018.
new text end

new text begin (b) The chairs of the house of representatives and senate committees with jurisdiction
over transportation finance must serve as cochairs of the committee.
new text end

new text begin (c) The Legislative Coordinating Commission must provide meeting space and
administrative services for the group.
new text end

new text begin (d) Failure to meet constitutes approval of all pending decisions before the committee.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin (a) $10,000,000 in fiscal year 2018 is transferred from the driver and vehicle services
operating account in the special revenue fund to the driver and vehicle services technology
account in the special revenue fund for contracted technical staff and technical costs related
to continued development and improvement of the Minnesota Licensing and Registration
System. Of this amount: (1) $7,500,000 is from the driver services operating account in the
special revenue fund as a onetime transfer; and (2) $2,500,000 is from the vehicle services
operating account in the special revenue fund as a onetime transfer.
new text end

new text begin (b) $50,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $50,000 in fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from
the general fund to the Legislative Coordinating Commission for the purposes of the
MNLARS Steering Committee established in section 3.
new text end

new text begin (c) $100,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $250,000 in fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from
the general fund to the Office of the Legislative Auditor for the information technology
auditor position established in section 1.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end

new text begin Sections 1 to 4 are effective the day following final enactment.
new text end