SF 78

2nd Engrossment - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 11/09/2017 10:51am

A bill for an act
relating to state government; establishing an Advisory Task Force on Fiscal Notes.

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

Section 1.

new text begin ADVISORY TASK FORCE ON FISCAL NOTES.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Membership. new text end

new text begin The Advisory Task Force on Fiscal Notes consists of the
following 13 voting members:
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new text begin (1) four senators, including two senators appointed by the senate majority leader and
two senators appointed by the senate minority leader;
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new text begin (2) four members of the house of representatives, including two members appointed by
the speaker of the house of representatives and two members appointed by the minority
leader of the house of representatives;
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new text begin (3) the commissioner of management and budget or a designee;
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new text begin (4) the state budget director or designee;
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new text begin (5) two fiscal note coordinators selected by the commissioner of management and budget;
and
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new text begin (6) one member appointed by the governor from the Office of the Governor.
new text end

new text begin The lead fiscal analyst for the senate or a designee and the chief fiscal analyst for the
house of representatives or a designee shall serve on the task force as nonvoting members.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Duties. new text end

new text begin (a) The task force shall conduct a detailed review of the current fiscal
note process under Minnesota Statutes, section 3.98, to determine whether to modify the
process. The review should consider:
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new text begin (1) the needs of the legislature for timely, accurate, unbiased fiscal notes prepared in a
cost-effective manner;
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new text begin (2) the time it takes to obtain a fiscal note;
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new text begin (3) the accuracy of fiscal notes;
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new text begin (4) methods used by other states for preparing fiscal notes;
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new text begin (5) the effect that legislative scheduling and amendments have on accuracy and timing
of fiscal notes;
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new text begin (6) review of the legislative auditor's 2012 report on fiscal notes; and
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new text begin (7) the current process of generating fiscal notes.
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new text begin (b) The task force shall evaluate whether the fiscal note process could be improved if
the legislature, through a new legislative office, assumed the current role of the commissioner
of management and budget in the fiscal note process; the cost for creating a new legislative
office; whether the cost for the new office would be justified by the expense; and what
safeguards would be needed to be put in place to ensure the independence and nonpartisan
status of the office.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin The task force shall report to the chairs and ranking minority members
of the committees in the house of representatives and senate with jurisdiction over the fiscal
note process by June 1, 2018, with recommendations for modifying the fiscal note process.
The report must include any draft legislation needed to implement the recommendations.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Chair. new text end

new text begin The task force shall elect a chair by a majority vote of those members
present.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Meetings. new text end

new text begin The meetings of the commission are subject to Minnesota Statutes,
section 3.055.
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new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Administration. new text end

new text begin The Legislative Coordinating Commission shall provide
administrative services for the commission.
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new text begin Subd. 7. new text end

new text begin Compensation. new text end

new text begin Members who are not legislators serve without compensation.
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new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin This section expires the day after submitting the report required
in subdivision 3.
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Sec. 2. new text begin FIRST APPOINTMENTS AND FIRST MEETING OF THE ADVISORY
TASK FORCE ON FISCAL INFORMATION FOR THE LEGISLATURE.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin First appointments. new text end

new text begin Appointing authorities must make initial
appointments to the Advisory Task Force on Fiscal Notes by June 1, 2017.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin First meeting. new text end

new text begin The majority leader of the senate shall designate one senate
member of the Advisory Task Force on Fiscal Notes to convene the first meeting by August
1, 2017. The commission must select a chair from among the senate members at the first
meeting.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end