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3.97 Legislative audit commission.

Subdivision 1. Policy. Continuous legislative review of the spending of public funds and financing at all levels of government is required in the public interest to enable the enactment of appropriate legislation.

Subd. 2. Membership; terms; meetings; compensation; powers. The legislative audit commission consists of:

(1) the majority leader of the senate and the president of the senate or their designees;

(2) the chair of the senate committee on governmental operations and reform or a designee who is a member of the committee;

(3) a chair of a senate committee on finance designated by the majority leader;

(4) four members of the senate appointed by the senate minority leader;

(5) the speaker of the house and the chair of the house committee on rules or their designees;

(6) the chair of the house committee on governmental operations and gaming or a designee who is a member of the committee;

(7) the chair of the house ways and means committee or a designee who is a member of the committee; and

(8) four members of the house appointed by the house minority leader.

The appointed members of the commission shall serve for a term commencing upon appointment and expiring at the opening of the next regular session of the legislature in the odd-numbered year and until a successor is appointed. A vacancy in the membership of the commission shall be filled for the unexpired term in a manner that will preserve the representation established by this subdivision.

The commission shall meet in January of each odd-numbered year to elect its chair and other officers as it may determine necessary. A chair shall serve a two-year term, expiring on January 1 in the odd-numbered year following election, and until a successor is elected. The chair shall alternate biennially between the senate and the house. The commission shall meet at the call of the chair or the executive secretary. The members shall serve without compensation but be reimbursed for their reasonable expenses as members of the legislature. The commission may exercise the powers prescribed by section 3.153.

Subd. 3. Transfer of department. The department of public examiner is transferred from the executive to the legislative branch.

Subd. 3a. Evaluation topics. (a) The commission shall periodically select topics for the legislative auditor to evaluate. Topics may include any agency, program, or activity established by law to achieve a state purpose, or any topic that affects the operation of state government, but the commission shall give primary consideration to topics that are likely, upon examination, to produce recommendations for cost savings, increased productivity, or the elimination of duplication among public agencies. Legislators and legislative committees may suggest topics for evaluation, but the legislative auditor shall only conduct evaluations approved by the commission.

(b) The commission is requested to direct the auditor, in response to a suggestion from an individual legislator of an evaluation topic, to estimate the scope of the proposed evaluation and the time required to complete it. The estimate must be reported to the legislator who submitted the suggestion and to the commission. The commission must determine within 60 days of receiving the estimate whether to proceed with the suggested evaluation and must convey its decision to the legislator along with the reasons for its decision.

Subd. 4. Renumbered 3.971, subdivision 1

Subd. 5. Renumbered 3.971, subd 2

Subd. 6. Renumbered 3.971, subd 3a

Subd. 7. Renumbered 3.971, subd 4

Subd. 8. Renumbered 3.971, subd 5

Subd. 9. Renumbered 3.979, subdivision 1

Subd. 10. Renumbered 3.979, subd 2

Subd. 11. Renumbered 3.979, subd 3

Subd. 11a. Renumbered 3.979, subd 4

Subd. 12. Renumbered subd 3a

HIST: 1973 c 492 s 12; 1973 c 720 s 76 subd 2; 1975 c 204 s 90; 1980 c 484 s 1-3; 1981 c 311 s 39; 1982 c 545 s 24; 1983 c 317 s 1; 1985 c 248 s 70; 1986 c 444; 1988 c 469 art 1 s 1; 1989 c 351 s 1; 1991 c 345 art 1 s 38; 1993 c 4 s 5; 1994 c 632 art 3 s 15; 1997 c 184 s 1; 1999 c 99 s 1,23; 1Sp2001 c 10 art 2 s 10

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes