Minnesota Session Laws - 2002, Regular Session

                            CHAPTER 280-H.F.No. 197 
                  An act relating to appropriations; reducing 
                  an earlier general fund appropriation; authorizing the 
                  sale of state bonds; appropriating money for grants to 
                  noncommercial television stations and to design and 
                  construct bus garages; amending Laws 2000, chapter 
                  479, article 1, section 3, subdivision 2. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  [DIGITAL TELEVISION CONVERSION APPROPRIATION.] 
           $7,800,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
        commissioner of administration for grants to noncommercial 
        television stations to assist with conversion to a digital 
        broadcast signal as mandated by the federal government.  
           The grants must be paid within 30 days after the effective 
        date of this act to the following stations, each of which has 
        already met the criteria established for grants in Minnesota 
        Statutes, section 129D.12, subdivision 2, and has certified to 
        the Federal Communications Commission that it will convert to a 
        digital broadcast signal: 
           KAWB-DT Brainerd; 
           KAWE-DT Bemidji; 
           KFME-DT Fargo-Moorhead; 
           KGFE-DT Crookston; 
           KSMN-DT Chandler; 
           KSMQ-DT Austin; 
           KTCA-DT St. Paul; 
           KTCI-DT St. Paul; 
           KWCM-DT Appleton; and 
           WDSE-DT Duluth. 
           The grants must be paid in equal shares, except that 
        KFME-DT and KGFE-DT must each be paid a 40 percent share. 
           When the grantee's digital broadcasting infrastructure is 
        fully operational, but not before January 1, 2004, the grantee 
        must make available to the state of Minnesota one of its 
        standard definition digital channels for a period of five hours 
        per week for the purposes of broadcasting nonpartisan public 
        service programming, at a time or times of the commissioner's 
        choosing, provided that the commissioner must exercise the 
        discretion reasonably and without undue disruption to or 
        interference with the regular broadcast program schedule of the 
        grantee.  The grantee's obligation to broadcast the programming 
        is subject to applicable state and federal rules and 
        regulations, including but not limited to, the grantee's 
        obligations to exercise editorial control, and expires three 
        years after the commencement of the programming.  
           Sec. 2.  Laws 2000, chapter 479, article 1, section 3, 
        subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
        Subd. 2.  Bus Garages                      10,000,000 2,200,000
        To construct bus garages.  This 
        appropriation is available until spent. 
           Sec. 3.  [BUS GARAGES.] 
           $7,800,000 is appropriated from the bond proceeds fund to 
        the metropolitan council to design and construct bus garages. 
           Sec. 4.  [BOND SALE.] 
           To provide the money appropriated in section 3 from the 
        bond proceeds fund, the commissioner of finance shall sell and 
        issue bonds of the state in an amount up to $7,800,000 in the 
        manner, on the terms, and with the effect prescribed by 
        Minnesota Statutes, sections 16A.631 to 16A.675, and by the 
        Minnesota Constitution, article XI, sections 4 to 7. 
           Sec. 5.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
           This act is effective the day following final enactment. 
           Presented to the governor March 25, 2002 
           Vetoed by the governor March 27, 2002, 3:31 p.m. 
           Reconsidered and approved by the legislature after the 
        governor's veto April 9, 2002