1998 Minnesota Statutes

     465.796 Board of government innovation and cooperation. 

    Subdivision 1.    Membership.  The board of government 
 innovation and cooperation consists of three members of the 
 senate appointed by the subcommittee on committees of the senate 
 committee on rules and administration, three members of the 
 house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house, 
 two administrative law judges appointed by the chief 
 administrative law judge, the commissioner of finance, the 
 commissioner of administration, and the state auditor.  The 
 commissioners of finance and administration and the state 
 auditor may each designate one staff member to serve in the 
 commissioner's or auditor's place.  The members of the senate 
 and house of representatives serve as nonvoting members.  

    Subd. 2.    Duties of board.  The board shall: 

    (1) accept applications from local government units for 
 waivers of administrative rules and temporary, limited 
 exemptions from enforcement of procedural requirements in state 
 law as provided in section 465.797, and determine whether to 
 approve, modify, or reject the application; 

    (2) accept applications for grants to local government 
 units and related organizations proposing to design models or 
 plans for innovative service delivery and management as provided 
 in section 465.798 and determine whether to approve, modify, or 
 reject the application; 

    (3) accept applications from local government units for 
 financial assistance to enable them to plan for cooperative 
 efforts as provided in section 465.799, and determine whether to 
 approve, modify, or reject the application; 

    (4) accept applications from eligible local government 
 units for service-sharing grants as provided in section 465.801, 
 and determine whether to approve, modify, or reject the 
 application; 

    (5) accept applications from counties, cities, and towns 
 proposing to combine under sections 465.81 to 465.88, and 
 determine whether to approve or disapprove the application; 

    (6) make recommendations to the legislature for the 
 authorization of pilot projects for the implementation of 
 innovative service delivery activities that require statutory 
 authorization; 

    (7) make recommendations to the legislature regarding the 
 elimination of state mandates that inhibit local government 
 efficiency, innovation, and cooperation by prescribing specific 
 processes for achieving a desired outcome; 

    (8) investigate and review the role of unfunded state 
 mandates in intergovernmental relations and assess their impact 
 on state and local government objectives and responsibilities; 

    (9) make recommendations to the governor and the 
 legislature regarding: 

    (i) allowing flexibility for local units of government in 
 complying with specific unfunded state mandates for which terms 
 of compliance are unnecessarily rigid or complex; 

    (ii) reconciling any two or more unfunded state mandates 
 that impose contradictory or inconsistent requirements; 

    (iii) terminating unfunded state mandates that are 
 duplicative, obsolete, or lacking in practical utility; 

    (iv) suspending, on a temporary basis, unfunded state 
 mandates that are not vital to public health and safety and that 
 compound the fiscal difficulties of local units of government, 
 including recommendations for initiating the suspensions; 

    (v) consolidating or simplifying unfunded state mandates or 
 the planning or reporting requirements of the mandates, in order 
 to reduce duplication and facilitate compliance by local units 
 of government with those mandates; and 

    (vi) establishing common state definitions or standards to 
 be used by local units of government in complying with unfunded 
 state mandates that use different definitions or standards for 
 the same terms or principles; and 

    (10) identify relevant unfunded state mandates. 

    The duties imposed under clauses (8) to (10) shall be 
 performed to the extent possible given existing resources.  Each 
 recommendation under clause (9) shall, to the extent 
 practicable, identify the specific unfunded state mandates to 
 which the recommendation applies.  The commissioners or 
 directors of state agencies responsible for the promulgation or 
 enforcement of the unfunded mandates addressed in clauses (7) to 
 (10) shall assign staff to assist the board in carrying out the 
 board's duties under this section. 

    Subd. 3.    Staff.  The board may hire staff or 
 consultants as necessary to perform its duties. 

    HIST: 1993 c 375 art 15 s 2; 1994 c 587 art 8 s 2; 1995 c 264 
 art 8 s 2