SF 3726

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/22/2018 10:13am

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; creating a Legislative Commission on Regent
Selection; modifying procedures for making recommendations in the University
of Minnesota Regent election process; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, sections
137.0245, subdivision 4; 137.0246, subdivision 2; proposing coding for new law
in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 137.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [137.0244] LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION ON REGENT SELECTION.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin A Legislative Commission on Regent Selection is
established to assist in identifying and recruiting qualified candidates for membership on
the Board of Regents and to make recommendations to the Regent Candidate Advisory
Council described in section 137.0245, and to the joint legislative committee described in
section 137.0246, subdivision 2.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Membership. new text end

new text begin (a) The Legislative Commission on Regent Selection consists
of:
new text end

new text begin (1) one member of the house of representatives from each congressional district, appointed
by the speaker of the house; and
new text end

new text begin (2) one member of the senate from each congressional district, appointed by the majority
leader.
new text end

new text begin The appointing authorities must coordinate their appointments so that, to the extent possible,
the representation for each congressional district is balanced by member party identification.
For seats to be occupied by members of the minority caucuses, the appointing authorities
must appoint members recommended to them by the minority leaders in their respective
houses.
new text end

new text begin (b) Members serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority.
new text end

new text begin (c) A chair of the commission serves a two-year term, expiring on June 30 in an
even-numbered year. The chair must alternate biennially between a designee of the speaker
of the house and a designee of the senate majority leader. The speaker of the house shall
designate the first chair. The chair may vote on any matter before the commission.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Recommendations. new text end

new text begin (a) The commission shall recommend to the Regent
Candidate Advisory Council at least one and not more than two candidates for each at-large
vacancy. The members of the commission from each congressional district shall recommend
to the Regent Candidate Advisory Council at least one and no more than two candidates
for vacancies in their respective congressional districts. Recommendations under this
paragraph must be submitted by January 15 of each odd-numbered year.
new text end

new text begin (b) The Legislative Commission on Regent Selection must review the recommendations
received from the Regent Candidate Advisory Council under section 137.0245, subdivision
4, paragraph (a), and may provide additional recommendations to the joint committee
described in section 137.0246, subdivision 2, as follows:
new text end

new text begin (1) one additional recommendation from the commission for each at-large vacancy; and
new text end

new text begin (2) one additional recommendation from the members of each congressional district for
vacancies in their respective congressional districts.
new text end

new text begin The commission may only consider for additional recommendation those candidates
considered by the Regent Candidate Advisory Council in the current regent election cycle.
Any additional candidates that the commission chooses to recommend must be submitted
to the joint committee by February 10 of each odd-numbered year.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Support services. new text end

new text begin The Legislative Coordinating Commission shall provide
administrative and support services for the commission.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 137.0245, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Recommendations.

(a) The advisory council shall recommend at least two and
not more than deleted text begin four deleted text end new text begin three new text end candidates new text begin for each vacancy new text end . By January deleted text begin 15 deleted text end new text begin 31 new text end of each
odd-numbered year, the advisory council shall submit its recommendations to the new text begin Legislative
Commission on Regent Selection described in section 137.0244, and to the new text end joint legislative
committee described in section 137.0246, subdivision 2.

(b) The advisory council must submit a report to the joint committee on the needs criterion
identified under subdivision 3, paragraph (c), at the same time it submits its recommendations.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 137.0246, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Regent nomination joint committee.

(a) The joint legislative committee
consists of the members of the higher education budget and policy divisions in each house
of the legislature. The chairs of the divisions from each body shall be cochairs of the joint
legislative committee. A majority of the members from each house is a quorum of the joint
committee.

(b) By February 28 of each odd-numbered year, or at a date agreed to by concurrent
resolution, the joint legislative committee shall meet to consider the advisory council's
recommendations for regent of the University of Minnesota for possible presentation to a
joint convention of the legislature.

(c) The joint committee may new text begin only new text end recommend to the joint convention new text begin those new text end candidates
deleted text begin recommended by the advisory council and the other candidates nominated by the joint
committee. A candidate other than those recommended by the advisory council may be
nominated for consideration by the joint committee only if the nomination receives the
support of at least three house of representatives members of the committee and two senate
members of the committee deleted text end new text begin recommended to the committee under sections 137.0244,
subdivision 3, paragraph (b), and 137.0245, subdivision 4, paragraph (a) new text end . A candidate must
receive a majority vote of members from the house of representatives and from the senate
on the joint committee to be recommended to the joint convention. The joint committee
may recommend no more than one candidate for each vacancy. In recommending nominees,
the joint committee must consider the needs of the board of regents and the balance of the
board membership with respect to gender, racial, and ethnic composition.