1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to health; providing staffing and funding for 
  1.3             the consumer advisory board; appropriating money; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1997 Supplement, section 
  1.5             62J.75. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1997 Supplement, section 
  1.8   62J.75, is amended to read: 
  1.9      62J.75 [CONSUMER ADVISORY BOARD.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [CREATION AND MEMBERSHIP.] (a) The consumer 
  1.11  advisory board consists of 18 members appointed in accordance 
  1.12  with paragraph (b).  All members must be public, consumer 
  1.13  members who: 
  1.14     (1) do not have and never had a material interest in either 
  1.15  the provision of health care services or in an activity directly 
  1.16  related to the provision of health care services, such as health 
  1.17  insurance sales or health plan administration; 
  1.18     (2) are not registered lobbyists; and 
  1.19     (3) are not currently responsible for or directly involved 
  1.20  in the purchasing of health insurance for a business or 
  1.21  organization. 
  1.22     (b) The governor, the speaker of the house of 
  1.23  representatives, and the subcommittee on committees of the 
  1.24  committee on rules and administration of the senate shall each 
  1.25  appoint two members.  The Indian affairs council, the council on 
  2.1   affairs of Chicano/Latino people, the council on Black 
  2.2   Minnesotans, the council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans, 
  2.3   mid-Minnesota legal assistance, and the Minnesota chamber of 
  2.4   commerce shall each appoint one member.  The member appointed by 
  2.5   the Minnesota chamber of commerce must represent small business 
  2.6   interests.  The health care campaign of Minnesota, Minnesotans 
  2.7   for affordable health care, and consortium for citizens with 
  2.8   disabilities shall each appoint two members.  Members serve 
  2.9   without compensation or reimbursement for expenses. Compensation 
  2.10  for members is governed by section 15.059, subdivision 3. 
  2.11     (c) The board shall advise the commissioners of health and 
  2.12  commerce on the following: 
  2.13     (1) the needs of health care consumers and how to better 
  2.14  serve and educate the consumers on health care concerns and 
  2.15  recommend solutions to identified problems; and 
  2.16     (2) consumer protection issues in the self-insured market, 
  2.17  including, but not limited to, public education needs. 
  2.18     The board also may make recommendations to the legislature 
  2.19  on these issues. 
  2.20     (d) The board and this section expire June 30, 2001. 
  2.21     Subd. 2.  [STAFF.] The board shall appoint an executive 
  2.22  director who is experienced in administrative activities and is 
  2.23  knowledgeable about health care policy and the needs of health 
  2.24  care consumers.  The executive director shall maintain the 
  2.25  records of the board, supervise and direct any employees of the 
  2.26  board, and perform other services as directed by the board.  The 
  2.27  executive director may employ other staff as needed, within the 
  2.28  limits of available appropriations, to discharge the duties of 
  2.29  the board.  The executive director is in the unclassified civil 
  2.30  service, and any full-time staff are in the classified civil 
  2.31  service. 
  2.32     Subd. 3.  [EXPENSES.] Expenses for administering the duties 
  2.33  of the board, including expenses for administrative services and 
  2.34  office space, shall be paid from money appropriated for that 
  2.35  purpose.  
  2.36     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.1      $145,000 is appropriated for fiscal year 1999 from the 
  3.2   general fund to the commissioner of health to administer 
  3.3   Minnesota Statutes, section 62J.75.