1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; establishing a regional 
  1.3             distribution of regents; changing the membership and 
  1.4             recommendation procedures of the regent candidate 
  1.5             advisory council; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, 
  1.6             section 137.0245, subdivisions 2 and 4; proposing 
  1.7             coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 137; 
  1.8             repealing Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 137.024. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  [137.241] [REGENT RESIDENCE.] 
  1.11     In electing regents, the legislature must reflect the 
  1.12  distinctive parts of the state by maintaining geographical 
  1.13  balance.  To this end, at least five members of the board shall 
  1.14  reside in the seven-county metropolitan area, and at least five 
  1.15  members shall reside outside the seven-county metropolitan area. 
  1.16     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 137.0245, 
  1.17  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.18     Subd. 2.  [MEMBERSHIP.] The regent candidate advisory 
  1.19  council shall consist of 24 15 members.  Twelve Five members 
  1.20  shall be appointed by the subcommittee on committees of the 
  1.21  committee on rules and administration of the senate, four by the 
  1.22  majority leader and one by the minority leader.  Twelve Five 
  1.23  members shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of 
  1.24  representatives, four by the speaker and one by the minority 
  1.25  leader.  No more than one-third of the members appointed by each 
  1.26  appointing authority may be current or former legislators.  No 
  1.27  more than two-thirds of the members appointed by each appointing 
  2.1   authority may belong to the same political party; however, 
  2.2   political activity or affiliation is not required for the 
  2.3   appointment of any member Five members shall be appointed by the 
  2.4   governor.  Geographical representation must be taken into 
  2.5   consideration when making appointments.  Section 15.0575 shall 
  2.6   govern the advisory council, except that the members shall be 
  2.7   appointed to six-year terms with one-third appointed each 
  2.8   even-numbered year.  
  2.9      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 137.0245, 
  2.10  subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  2.11     Subd. 4.  [RECOMMENDATIONS.] The advisory council shall 
  2.12  recommend at least two and not more than four candidates for 
  2.13  each vacancy.  By March 15 February 1 of each odd-numbered year, 
  2.14  the advisory council shall submit its recommendations to the 
  2.15  president of the senate and the speaker of the house of 
  2.16  representatives.  The governor is encouraged to endorse regent 
  2.17  candidates and to communicate this endorsement to the house and 
  2.18  senate education committees.  The legislature shall not be bound 
  2.19  by these recommendations. 
  2.20     Sec. 4.  [TRANSITION OF ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS.] 
  2.21     Terms of all members of the regent candidate advisory 
  2.22  council are terminated on June 30, 1998.  By July 1, 1998, the 
  2.23  house, senate, and governor's office shall make their 
  2.24  appointments to the council, as provided in section 1.  These 
  2.25  appointments may include current council members.  The senate 
  2.26  majority leader and speaker of the house shall each appoint one 
  2.27  member to an initial two-year term, one member to an initial 
  2.28  four-year term, and two members to initial six-year terms.  The 
  2.29  minority leaders shall each appoint one member to an initial 
  2.30  four-year term.  The governor shall appoint three members to 
  2.31  initial two-year terms, one member to an initial four-year term, 
  2.32  and one member to an initial six-year term.  As these members' 
  2.33  terms expire or their seats become vacant, the seats shall be 
  2.34  filled by board members residing in the appropriate geographic 
  2.35  region. 
  2.36     Sec. 5.  [REPEALER.] 
  3.1      Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 137.024, is repealed. 
  3.2      Sec. 6.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.3      Sections 1 to 5 are effective the day following final 
  3.4   enactment.