1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to state government; requiring the state auditor to reimburse the legal costs 
1.3 	of Wright, Becker, and Ramsey Counties; regulating the use of certain 
1.4 	appropriations by the state auditor for litigation expenses.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. REIMBURSEMENT OF LEGAL COSTS FOR WRIGHT, BECKER, 
1.7 	AND RAMSEY COUNTIES.
 1.8 	The state auditor shall reimburse Wright, Becker, and Ramsey Counties for legal fees 
1.9 	incurred and costs and disbursements made as a result of defending against the state auditor's 
1.10 	lawsuit against them.

1.11 	Sec. 2. STATE AUDITOR LITIGATION EXPENSES.
 1.12 	(a) Unless funds are otherwise expressly provided by law for this purpose, all costs 
1.13 	incurred by the state auditor in preparing and asserting a civil claim or appeal, or in defending 
1.14 	against a civil claim or appeal, related to the proper exercise of the auditor's constitutionally 
1.15 	authorized core functions must be paid by the auditor's constitutional office division. Only 
1.16 	allocations made to the constitutional office division on or before January 1, 2020, may be 
1.17 	used to pay these costs.
1.18 	(b) In complying with paragraph (a), the state auditor may not, directly or indirectly, 
1.19 	decrease allocations previously made to, transfer funds from, or otherwise reduce services 
1.20 	provided by any other division of the office.