1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; creating a Legislative Commission on Regent 
1.3 	Selection; modifying procedures for making recommendations in the University 
1.4 	of Minnesota Regent election process;amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, sections 
1.5 	137.0245, subdivision 4; 137.0246, subdivision 2; proposing coding for new law 
1.6 	in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 137.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. [137.0244] LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION ON REGENT SELECTION.
1.9 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. A Legislative Commission on Regent Selection is 
1.10 	established to assist in identifying and recruiting qualified candidates for membership on 
1.11 	the Board of Regents and to make recommendations to the Regent Candidate Advisory 
1.12 	Council described in section 137.0245, and to the joint legislative committee described in 
1.13 	section 137.0246, subdivision 2.
1.14 		Subd. 2.Membership. (a) The Legislative Commission on Regent Selection consists 
1.15 	of:
1.16 	(1) one member of the house of representatives from each congressional district, appointed 
1.17 	by the speaker of the house; and
1.18 	(2) one member of the senate from each congressional district, appointed by the majority 
1.19 	leader.
1.20 	The appointing authorities must coordinate their appointments so that, to the extent possible, 
1.21 	the representation for each congressional district is balanced by member party identification. 
1.22 	For seats to be occupied by members of the minority caucuses, the appointing authorities 
2.1 	must appoint members recommended to them by the minority leaders in their respective 
2.2 	houses.
2.3 	(b) Members serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority.
2.4 	(c) A chair of the commission serves a two-year term, expiring on June 30 in an 
2.5 	even-numbered year. The chair must alternate biennially between a designee of the speaker 
2.6 	of the house and a designee of the senate majority leader. The speaker of the house shall 
2.7 	designate the first chair. The chair may vote on any matter before the commission.
2.8 		Subd. 3.Recommendations. (a) The commission shall recommend to the Regent 
2.9 	Candidate Advisory Council at least one and not more than two candidates for each at-large 
2.10 	vacancy. The members of the commission from each congressional district shall recommend 
2.11 	to the Regent Candidate Advisory Council at least one and no more than two candidates 
2.12 	for vacancies in their respective congressional districts. Recommendations under this 
2.13 	paragraph must be submitted by January 15 of each odd-numbered year.
2.14 	(b) The Legislative Commission on Regent Selection must review the recommendations 
2.15 	received from the Regent Candidate Advisory Council under section 137.0245, subdivision 
2.16 	4, paragraph (a), and may provide additional recommendations to the joint committee 
2.17 	described in section 137.0246, subdivision 2, as follows:
2.18 	(1) one additional recommendation from the commission for each at-large vacancy; and
2.19 	(2) one additional recommendation from the members of each congressional district for 
2.20 	vacancies in their respective congressional districts.
2.21 	The commission may only consider for additional recommendation those candidates 
2.22 	considered by the Regent Candidate Advisory Council in the current regent election cycle. 
2.23 	Any additional candidates that the commission chooses to recommend must be submitted 
2.24 	to the joint committee by February 10 of each odd-numbered year.
2.25 		Subd. 4.Support services. The Legislative Coordinating Commission shall provide 
2.26 	administrative and support services for the commission.

2.27 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 137.0245, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
2.28 		Subd. 4.Recommendations. (a) The advisory council shall recommend at least two and 
2.29 	not more than ~~four~~ three candidates for each vacancy. By January ~~15~~ 31 of each 
2.30 	odd-numbered year, the advisory council shall submit its recommendations to the Legislative 
2.31 	Commission on Regent Selection described in section 137.0244, and to the joint legislative 
2.32 	committee described in section 137.0246, subdivision 2.
3.1 	(b) The advisory council must submit a report to the joint committee on the needs criterion 
3.2 	identified under subdivision 3, paragraph (c), at the same time it submits its recommendations.

3.3 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 137.0246, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
3.4 		Subd. 2.Regent nomination joint committee. (a) The joint legislative committee 
3.5 	consists of the members of the higher education budget and policy divisions in each house 
3.6 	of the legislature. The chairs of the divisions from each body shall be cochairs of the joint 
3.7 	legislative committee. A majority of the members from each house is a quorum of the joint 
3.8 	committee.
3.9 	(b) By February 28 of each odd-numbered year, or at a date agreed to by concurrent 
3.10 	resolution, the joint legislative committee shall meet to consider the advisory council's 
3.11 	recommendations for regent of the University of Minnesota for possible presentation to a 
3.12 	joint convention of the legislature.
3.13 	(c) The joint committee may only recommend to the joint convention those candidates 
3.14 	~~recommended by the advisory council and the other candidates nominated by the joint~~ 
3.15 	~~committee. A candidate other than those recommended by the advisory council may be~~ 
3.16 	~~nominated for consideration by the joint committee only if the nomination receives the~~ 
3.17 	~~support of at least three house of representatives members of the committee and two senate~~ 
3.18 	~~members of the committee~~ recommended to the committee under sections 137.0244, 
3.19 	subdivision 3, paragraph (b), and 137.0245, subdivision 4, paragraph (a). A candidate must 
3.20 	receive a majority vote of members from the house of representatives and from the senate 
3.21 	on the joint committee to be recommended to the joint convention. The joint committee 
3.22 	may recommend no more than one candidate for each vacancy. In recommending nominees, 
3.23 	the joint committee must consider the needs of the board of regents and the balance of the 
3.24 	board membership with respect to gender, racial, and ethnic composition.