Minnesota Session Laws - 2001, Regular Session

                             CHAPTER 39-S.F.No. 142 
                  An act relating to state government; increasing the 
                  membership of the state council on Black Minnesotans; 
                  amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 3.9225, 
                  subdivisions 1 and 2. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 3.9225, 
        subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
           Subdivision 1.  [CREATION.] A state council on Black 
        Minnesotans consists of 11 13 members appointed by the governor. 
        The members of the council must be broadly representative of the 
        Black community of the state and include at least five males and 
        at least five females.  One member of the council must be a 
        person whose ethnic heritage is from West Africa, and one member 
        of the council must be a person whose ethnic heritage is from 
        East Africa.  Membership terms, compensation, removal of 
        members, and filling of vacancies for nonlegislative members are 
        as provided in section 15.0575.  Because the council performs 
        functions that are not purely advisory, the council is not 
        subject to the expiration date in section 15.059.  Two members 
        of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker and two 
        members of the senate appointed by the subcommittee on 
        committees of the committee on rules and administration shall 
        serve as nonvoting members of the council.  The council shall 
        annually elect from its membership a chair and other officers it 
        deems necessary. 
           Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 3.9225, 
        subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 2.  [DEFINITIONS.] For the purpose of this section, 
        the term: 
           (1) "Black" describes persons who consider themselves as 
        having origin in any of the black racial groups of Africa; 
           (2) "East Africa" means the eastern region of the continent 
        of Africa, comprising areas occupied by the countries of 
        Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Somalia; and 
           (3) "West Africa" means the western region of the continent 
        of Africa comprising areas occupied by the countries of 
        Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra 
        Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, 
        Burkina Faso, and those parts of Mali and Niger south of the 
        Sahara. 
           Presented to the governor April 20, 2001 
           Signed by the governor April 24, 2001, 10:10 a.m.