1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to natural resources; moving the Minnesota 
  1.3             conservation corps to the friends of the Minnesota 
  1.4             conservation corps, an existing nonprofit corporation; 
  1.5             transferring assets to the Minnesota conservation 
  1.6             corps; appropriating money; proposing coding for new 
  1.7             law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 84; repealing 
  1.8             Minnesota Statutes 2002, sections 84.0887; 84.98; 
  1.9             84.99. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  [84.991] [MINNESOTA CONSERVATION CORPS.] 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [TRANSFER.] (a) The Minnesota conservation 
  1.13  corps is moved to the friends of the Minnesota conservation 
  1.14  corps, an existing nonprofit corporation under section 501(c)(3) 
  1.15  of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, doing business 
  1.16  as the Minnesota conservation corps under the supervision of a 
  1.17  board of directors. 
  1.18     (b) The expenditure of state funds by the Minnesota 
  1.19  conservation corps is subject to audit by the legislative 
  1.20  auditor and regular annual report to the legislature in general 
  1.21  and specifically to the house of representatives and senate 
  1.22  committees with jurisdiction over environment and natural 
  1.23  resources policy and finance. 
  1.24     Subd. 2.  [STAFF; CORPS MEMBERS.] (a) Staff employed by the 
  1.25  Minnesota conservation corps are not state employees, but, at 
  1.26  the option of the board of directors of the nonprofit 
  1.27  corporation, may participate in state retirement, deferred 
  2.1   compensation, insurance, or other plans that apply to state 
  2.2   employees. 
  2.3      (b) Employment as a Minnesota conservation corps member is 
  2.4   noncovered employment for purposes of eligibility for 
  2.5   unemployment benefits under chapter 268. 
  2.6      (c) The Minnesota conservation corps is authorized to have 
  2.7   staff and corps members participate in the state of Minnesota 
  2.8   workers' compensation program. 
  2.9      (d) The Minnesota conservation corps is a training and 
  2.10  service program and exempt from Minnesota prevailing wage 
  2.11  guidelines. 
  2.12     Subd. 3.  [STATE AND OTHER AGENCY COLLABORATION; CONTRACT 
  2.13  BIDDING STATUS.] The departments of natural resources, 
  2.14  agriculture, public safety, transportation, and other 
  2.15  appropriate state agencies shall constructively collaborate with 
  2.16  the Minnesota conservation corps. 
  2.17     Subd. 4.  [EQUIPMENT AND SERVICE PURCHASES; STATE 
  2.18  CONTRACTS.] The Minnesota conservation corps may purchase or 
  2.19  lease equipment and services, including fleet, through state 
  2.20  contracts administered by the commissioner of administration or 
  2.21  the department of natural resources. 
  2.22     Subd. 5.  [LIMITATIONS ON MINNESOTA CONSERVATION CORPS 
  2.23  PROJECTS.] Each employing state or local agency must certify 
  2.24  that the assignment of Minnesota conservation corps members will 
  2.25  not result in the displacement of currently employed workers or 
  2.26  workers on seasonal layoff, including partial displacement such 
  2.27  as reduction in hours of nonovertime work, wages, or other 
  2.28  employment benefits.  Supervising agencies that participate in 
  2.29  the program may not terminate, lay off, reduce the seasonal 
  2.30  hours, or reduce the working hours of any employee for the 
  2.31  purpose of using a corps member with available funds.  The 
  2.32  positions and job duties of corps members employed in projects 
  2.33  shall be submitted to affected exclusive representatives prior 
  2.34  to actual assignment. 
  2.35     Subd. 6.  [JOINT POWERS.] Section 471.59 relating to joint 
  2.36  exercise of powers applies to the Minnesota conservation corps. 
  3.1      Sec. 2.  [TRANSFER OF ASSETS.] 
  3.2      The state's ownership interest in all tools, computers, and 
  3.3   other supplies and equipment acquired by the commissioner of 
  3.4   natural resources for the purpose of the conservation corps 
  3.5   created under Minnesota Statutes, section 84.98, is transferred 
  3.6   to the friends of the Minnesota conservation corps. 
  3.7      Sec. 3.  [TRANSFER OF FUNDS.] 
  3.8      The remaining balances in the Minnesota conservation corps: 
  3.9   cooperative agreement, youthworks, Americorps administration, 
  3.10  education vouchers, and gift accounts on June 30, 2003, are 
  3.11  canceled and reappropriated to the friends of the Minnesota 
  3.12  conservation corps. 
  3.13     Sec. 4.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.14     $1,200,000 in fiscal year 2004, and $1,200,000 in fiscal 
  3.15  year 2005, are appropriated to the friends of the Minnesota 
  3.16  conservation corps.  Of the amount appropriated, $....... in 
  3.17  fiscal year 2004, and $....... in fiscal year 2005, are from the 
  3.18  general fund, and $....... in fiscal year 2004, and $....... in 
  3.19  fiscal year 2005, are from the natural resources fund. 
  3.20     Sec. 5.  [REPEALER.] 
  3.21     Minnesota Statutes 2002, sections 84.0887, 84.98, and 
  3.22  84.99, are repealed.