2001 Minnesota Statutes

     4.50 Office of citizenship and volunteer services. 

    Subdivision 1.    Information center for volunteer 
 programs.  (a) The office of citizenship and volunteer 
 services is under the supervision and administration of a 
 director appointed by the governor.  The office shall:  (1) 
 operate as a state information, technical assistance, and 
 promotion center for volunteer programs; and (2) promote and 
 facilitate citizen participation in local governance and public 
 problem solving. 

    (b) In furtherance of the mission in paragraph (a), clause 
 (2), the office shall: 

    (1) engage in education and other activities designed to 
 enhance the capacity of citizens to solve problems affecting 
 their communities; 

    (2) promote and support efforts by citizens, 
 community-based organizations, nonprofits, churches, and local 
 governments to collaborate in solving community problems; 

    (3) encourage local governments to provide increased 
 opportunities for citizen involvement in public decision making 
 and public problem solving; 

    (4) refer innovative approaches to encourage greater public 
 access to and involvement in state and local government 
 decisions to appropriate state and local government officials; 

    (5) encourage units of state and local government to 
 respond to citizen initiatives and ideas; 

    (6) promote processes for involving citizens in government 
 decisions; and 

    (7) recognize and publicize models of effective public 
 problem solving by citizens. 

    Subd. 2.    Cooperation with other groups.  The director 
 shall cooperate with national, state, and local groups in 
 collecting information on federal, state, and private resources 
 which may encourage and improve volunteer projects within the 
 state.  The office shall coordinate its research and other work 
 on citizen engagement with the board of government innovation 
 and cooperation, the Minnesota extension service, and Project 
 Public Life, Humphrey Institute, University of Minnesota. 

    Subd. 3.    Money.  The director may accept and disburse 
 public or private funds and gifts made available for the 
 promotion of the office's programs. 

    Subd. 4.    Fee for services.  The director may charge a 
 fee for services provided to state agencies, political 
 subdivisions, private and nonprofit organizations, and 
 individuals.  Fees collected by the office must be deposited in 
 the state treasury and are appropriated to the director for the 
 purposes of this section. 

    Subd. 5.    Research and information.  The director 
 shall:  (1) identify methods for increasing the capacity of 
 citizens to influence decisions affecting their lives, identify 
 methods citizens can use to solve problems in their communities, 
 and promote innovative techniques for citizen and 
 community-based organizations to collaborate in understanding 
 and solving community problems; and (2) identify needs of 
 volunteer programs. The director may issue informational 
 materials relating to volunteer programs in Minnesota and 
 results of the director's research. 

    HIST: 1977 c 389 s 1; 1983 c 260 s 3; 1985 c 285 s 1; 1986 c 
 444; 1987 c 365 s 1-3,24; 1988 c 613 s 30; 1991 c 114 s 1; 1991 
 c 238 art 1 s 1; 1995 c 254 art 1 s 60-63; 1Sp2001 c 10 art 2 s 
 32,96