1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to taxation; providing that certain payments 
  1.3             in lieu of taxes may be used for road maintenance in 
  1.4             unorganized townships; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.5             1996, section 477A.14. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 477A.14, is 
  1.8   amended to read: 
  1.9      477A.14 [USE OF FUNDS.] 
  1.10     Forty percent of the total payment to the county shall be 
  1.11  deposited in the county general revenue fund to be used to 
  1.12  provide property tax levy reduction.  The remainder shall be 
  1.13  distributed by the county in the following priority:  
  1.14     (a) 37.5 cents for each acre of county-administered other 
  1.15  natural resources land shall be deposited in a resource 
  1.16  development fund to be created within the county treasury for 
  1.17  use in resource development, forest management, game and fish 
  1.18  habitat improvement, and recreational development and 
  1.19  maintenance of county-administered other natural resources 
  1.20  land.  Any county receiving less than $5,000 annually for the 
  1.21  resource development fund may elect to deposit that amount in 
  1.22  the county general revenue fund; 
  1.23     (b) From the funds remaining, within 30 days of receipt of 
  1.24  the payment to the county, the county treasurer shall pay each 
  1.25  organized township 30 cents per acre of acquired natural 
  2.1   resources land and 7.5 cents per acre of other natural resources 
  2.2   located within its boundaries.  Payments for natural resources 
  2.3   lands not located in an organized township shall be deposited in 
  2.4   the county general revenue fund.  Payments to counties and 
  2.5   townships pursuant to this paragraph shall be used to provide 
  2.6   property tax levy reduction, except that of the payments for 
  2.7   natural resources lands not located in an organized township, 
  2.8   the county may allocate the amount determined to be necessary 
  2.9   for maintenance of roads in unorganized townships.  Provided 
  2.10  that, if the total payment to the county pursuant to section 
  2.11  477A.12 is not sufficient to fully fund the distribution 
  2.12  provided for in this clause, the amount available shall be 
  2.13  distributed to each township and the county general revenue fund 
  2.14  on a pro rata basis; and 
  2.15     (c) Any remaining funds shall be deposited in the county 
  2.16  general revenue fund.  Provided that, if the distribution to the 
  2.17  county general revenue fund exceeds $35,000, the excess shall be 
  2.18  used to provide property tax levy reduction.  
  2.19     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.20     Section 1 is effective for payments to counties after June 
  2.21  30, 1998.