2007 Minnesota Statutes

383A.43 LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH COMMITTEE.
    Subdivision 1. Research committee. In Ramsey County, there is created a Legislative
Research Committee. The committee consists of all the legislative members in the county.
    Subd. 2. Powers, duties. The committee may investigate and study, accumulate, compile,
analyze and report on information concerning policies, plans, programs and procedures relating
to or affecting the fiscal and legislative needs of the county and the governmental or political
subdivisions therein, including school districts and any metropolitan or district authority having
jurisdiction in an area of the county. The prime motive of the committee is to gather information
and provide material to be used by the delegation in the legislature from the county in its work
while the legislature is in session and in connection with legislative proposals affecting the county
and local subdivisions.
    Subd. 3. Cooperate with other agencies. The committee may assign the research director
and staff to the house and senate delegations from the county in the legislature during each
regular legislative session to explain the work of the committee and develop additional data with
reference thereto. Each department, board, commission, agency, officer and employee in the
county government and those in local government in the county, including school districts and
metropolitan or district authorities having jurisdiction over an area of the county shall furnish the
information and render the assistance to the committee that it, from time to time, requests.
    Subd. 4. Meetings. The committee or a subcommittee that it appoints may sit at the time
and place as it considers advisable but the committee shall meet at least once in each quarter
and shall meet at any time upon the call of the chair. At a meeting of the committee eight
members constitute a quorum and a majority of the quorum may act in a matter falling within
the jurisdiction of the committee.
    Subd. 5. Organization. The committee shall select a chair and a vice-chair from its own
members and may prescribe its own rules of procedure. It may appoint a secretary who need not
be a member. The committee may employ the other persons and obtain the assistance of research
agencies that it considers necessary.
    Subd. 6. Minutes; reports. The committee shall keep minutes of its meetings which are open
to the public. At least 30 days before each biennial legislative session, the committee shall make a
written report summarizing its activities, investigations, surveys and findings of facts to the public.
    Subd. 7. Proposed legislation. The committee may require that suggested legislation to
be presented by a department, board, commission, agency, officer, official or employee of the
county and its local subdivisions, desiring the consideration of the committee, be presented
to it at least 60 days before a regular session.
    Subd. 8. Expenses, compensation. The members of the committee and the members of
a committee appointed as a subcommittee are entitled to be compensated for their expenses
necessarily incurred in attending meetings and in the performance of their official duties and shall
be paid mileage at the rate of ten cents for each mile necessarily traveled in attending meetings
and in the performance of these duties.
    Subd. 9. Appropriations. The county shall appropriate $5,000 each year from the county
general revenue fund for the use of the committee. For the payment of the expenses of the
committee, it shall draw its warrants upon the county treasurer. These warrants shall be signed
by the chair and one other member of the committee and approved by the county auditor. The
county treasurer shall pay them as and when presented but not exceeding in the aggregate the
amount herein provided in any one year.
History: 1974 c 435 s 3.16; 1986 c 444; 1997 c 7 art 2 s 53