STATE OF MINNESOTA
Journal of the
House
EIGHTY-SIXTH SESSION - 2010
_____________________
ONE HUNDRED FIRST DAY
Saint Paul, Minnesota, Monday, May 10, 2010
The House of Representatives convened at
9:00 a.m. and was called to order by Doug Magnus, Speaker pro tempore.
Prayer was offered by the Reverend Jules
Erickson, All Saint Lutheran Church, Cottage Grove, Minnesota.
The members of the House gave the pledge
of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.
The roll was called and the following
members were present:
Abeler
Anderson, B.
Anderson, P.
Anderson, S.
Anzelc
Atkins
Beard
Benson
Bigham
Bly
Brod
Brown
Brynaert
Buesgens
Bunn
Carlson
Champion
Clark
Cornish
Davids
Davnie
Dean
Demmer
Dettmer
Dill
Dittrich
Doepke
Doty
Downey
Drazkowski
Eastlund
Eken
Emmer
Falk
Faust
Fritz
Gardner
Garofalo
Gottwalt
Greiling
Gunther
Hackbarth
Hamilton
Hansen
Hausman
Haws
Hayden
Hilstrom
Hilty
Holberg
Hoppe
Hornstein
Hortman
Hosch
Howes
Huntley
Jackson
Johnson
Juhnke
Kahn
Kalin
Kath
Kelly
Kiffmeyer
Knuth
Koenen
Kohls
Laine
Lanning
Lenczewski
Lesch
Liebling
Lieder
Lillie
Loeffler
Loon
Mack
Magnus
Mahoney
Mariani
Marquart
Masin
McFarlane
McNamara
Morgan
Morrow
Mullery
Murdock
Murphy, E.
Murphy, M.
Nelson
Newton
Nornes
Norton
Obermueller
Olin
Otremba
Paymar
Pelowski
Persell
Peterson
Poppe
Reinert
Rosenthal
Rukavina
Ruud
Sailer
Sanders
Scalze
Scott
Seifert
Sertich
Severson
Shimanski
Simon
Slawik
Slocum
Smith
Solberg
Sterner
Swails
Thao
Thissen
Tillberry
Torkelson
Urdahl
Wagenius
Ward
Welti
Westrom
Winkler
Zellers
Spk. Kelliher
A quorum was present.
Peppin was excused until 2:35 p.m.
The Chief Clerk proceeded to read the
Journals of the preceding days. Nelson
moved that further reading of the Journals be dispensed with and that the
Journals be approved as corrected by the Chief Clerk. The motion prevailed.
REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES
AND DIVISIONS
Carlson
from the Committee on Finance to which was referred:
H. F. No. 2227,
A bill for an act relating to local government; establishing Minnesota
Innovation and Research Council; imposing powers and duties of council;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 3.971, by adding
a subdivision; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 465;
repealing Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 6.80.
Reported
the same back with the following amendments:
Page 2,
line 32, after "Administration" insert ", one member
of the majority caucus and one member of the largest minority caucus"
Page 3,
line 2, after "house" insert ", one member of the
majority caucus and one member of the largest minority caucus"
Page 7,
line 32, after "comments" insert "and requests to
present oral comments"
Page 8,
line 11, after the period, insert "If a member of the public requests
to present comments or information at the hearing, the council must permit the
member of the public an opportunity to present the comments or information."
Page 15,
line 27, delete "$350,000" and insert "$50,000"
Page 15,
line 35, after the period, insert "This is a onetime appropriation."
With the
recommendation that when so amended the bill pass and be re-referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means.
The report was adopted.
Carlson from the Committee on Finance to which was referred:
H. F. No. 3795, A bill for an act relating to
public safety; appropriating money to match federal disaster assistance made
available through FEMA Public Assistance Program.
Reported the same back with the following amendments:
Page 1, after line 12, insert:
"Sec. 2. Laws
2006, chapter 258, section 7, subdivision 23, is amended to read:
Subd. 23. Trail
connections 2,010,000
For
matching grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 85.019, subdivision 4c.
$500,000 is for a grant to
Carlton County to predesign, design, and construct a nonmotorized pedestrian
trail connection to the Willard Munger State Trail from the city of Carlton
through the city of Scanlon continuing to the city of Cloquet, along the St. Louis
River in Carlton County.
$260,000 is
to provide the state match for the cost of the Soo Line Multiuse Recreational
Bridge project over marked Trunk Highway 169 in Mille Lacs County.
$175,000 is
for a grant to the city of Bowlus in Morrison County to design, construct,
furnish, and equip a trailhead center at the head of the Soo Line Recreational
Trail.
$125,000 is
for a grant to Morrison County to predesign, design, construct, furnish, and
equip a park-and-ride lot and restroom building adjacent to the Soo Line
Recreational Trail at U.S. Highway 10.
$950,000 is
for a grant to the St. Louis and Lake Counties Regional Railroad Authority
for land acquisition, engineering, construction, furnishing, and equipping of a
19-mile "Boundary Waters Connection" of the Mesabi Trail from
Bearhead State Park to the International Wolf Center in Ely. This appropriation is contingent upon a
matching contribution of $950,000 from other sources, public or private. Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes,
section 16A.642, the bond authorization and appropriation of bond proceeds for
this project are available until June 30, 2014.
Sec. 3. Laws 2008, chapter 179, section 4,
subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Subd. 4. Independent
School District No. 279, Osseo 2,000,000
For a grant
to Independent School District No. 279, Osseo, to predesign, design,
construct, furnish, and equip the Northwest Hennepin Family Center and
parking facility in Brooklyn Center.
This appropriation is not available until the commissioner has
determined that at least an equal amount has been committed from nonstate
sources.
No later
than five years after the facility opens, the school district must report to
the commissioner of education on how the facility has improved student achievement
and reduced educational disparities.
Sec. 4. Laws 2008, chapter 179, section 18,
subdivision 6, is amended to read:
Subd. 6. Hennepin
County Medical Center 820,000
For a grant
to Hennepin County to predesign and, design, construct, and
equip an outpatient clinic and health education facility at Hennepin County
Medical Center that includes teaching clinics and an education center.
Sec. 5. Laws 2009, chapter 93, article 1, section 16,
subdivision 5, is amended to read:
Subd. 5. Olmsted
County - Steam Line Extension 5,000,000
For a grant
to Olmsted County to design and construct approximately 1.25 miles of a new
steam pipeline from the Olmsted Waste-to-Energy Facility to the Rochester
Community and Technical College Campus, supplying steam heat and cooling from a
renewable energy source. Any portion
of this appropriation remaining after the construction is completed is
reappropriated to the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities to convert heating and cooling systems within existing Rochester
Community and Technical College buildings from electrical energy to
steam-derived energy.
This
appropriation is not available until the commissioner has determined that at
least an equal amount has been committed from Olmsted County.
Sec. 6. APPROPRIATIONS
MADE ONLY ONCE.
If the
appropriations made in this act are enacted more than once in the 2010 regular
session, these appropriations must be given effect only once."
Page 1,
line 14, delete "Section 1" and insert "This act"
Renumber
the sections in sequence
Amend the
title as follows:
Page 1,
line 2, delete "public safety" and insert "state
government"
Page 1,
line 3, before the period, insert "; modifying previous
appropriations"
Correct the
title numbers accordingly
With the
recommendation that when so amended the bill pass and be re-referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means.
The report was adopted.
Carlson from the Committee on Finance to which was referred:
H. F. No. 3796, A bill for an act relating to
public safety; appropriating money to match federal disaster assistance made
available through FEMA Public Assistance Program.
Reported the same back with the following amendments:
Page 1, after line 12, insert:
"Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS MADE ONLY ONCE.
If the appropriations made in this act are enacted more than
once in the 2010 regular session, these appropriations must be given effect
only once."
Page 1, line 14, delete "Section 1 is" and
insert "Sections 1 and 2 are"
Renumber the sections in sequence and correct the internal
references
With the recommendation that when so amended the bill pass
and be re-referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
The report was adopted.
Carlson from the Committee on Finance to which was referred:
S. F. No. 1679, A bill for an act relating to
public employment; authorizing retirement incentives.
Reported the same back with the following amendments:
Delete everything after the enacting clause and insert:
"Section 1. RETIREMENT INCENTIVE.
Subdivision 1.
Eligibility. (a) An eligible appointing authority
may provide the retirement incentive in this section to an employee who:
(1) has at least 15 years of allowable service in one or more
of the funds listed in Minnesota Statutes, section 356.30, subdivision 3, or
has at least 15 years of coverage by the individual retirement account plan
governed by Minnesota Statutes, chapter 354B, and upon retirement is
immediately eligible for a retirement annuity or benefit from one or more of
these funds;
(2) accepts the incentive no later than December 31, 2010,
and retires no later than June 30, 2011; and
(3) is not in receipt of a retirement plan, retirement
annuity, retirement allowance, or service pension from a fund listed in
Minnesota Statutes, section 356.30, subdivision 3, during the month preceding
the termination of qualified employment.
(b) An eligible appointing authority is any appointing
authority in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state
government, the Public Employees Retirement Association, the Minnesota State
Retirement System, the Teachers Retirement Association, or the Minnesota State
Colleges and Universities.
(c) An elected official is not eligible to receive an
incentive under this section.
(d) An employee who, after termination of employment, receives
an employer contribution for health insurance, may not receive a payment for
health insurance under this section from that appointing authority.
Subd. 2.
Subd. 3.
Employer discretion;
implementation. Provision of
an incentive under this section is at the discretion of the appointing
authority. Appointing authorities in the
executive branch must apply for approval from the commissioner of management
and budget before providing early retirement incentives under this section. All appointing authorities and the
commissioner's review must give consideration to issues such as equity within
the agency, budgetary constraints, and workforce planning concerns. The appointing authority will determine the
date of retirement upon consultation with the employee. Unilateral implementation of this section by
the appointing authority is not an unfair labor practice under Minnesota
Statutes, chapter 179A.
Subd. 4.
Acceptance. An employee who is eligible for an
incentive under this section, who is offered an incentive by the appointing
authority, and who accepts the incentive offer, must do so in writing. A copy of the acceptance document must be
provided by the appointing authority to the applicable retirement plan within
15 days of its execution.
Subd. 5.
Reemployment prohibition. An individual who receives an
incentive payment under this section may not be reemployed or hired as a
consultant by any agency or entity that participates in the State Employee
Group Insurance Program for a period of three years after termination of
service.
Subd. 6.
Report. The commissioner of management and
budget must report to the legislature by April 2, 2011, regarding use of the
retirement incentive for calendar year 2010, with a recommendation regarding
renewal of the incentive.
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This act is effective the day following final enactment."
Delete the title and insert:
"A bill for an act relating to retirement; authorizing
retirement incentives; requiring a report."
With the recommendation that when so amended the bill pass.
The report was adopted.
SECOND READING OF SENATE BILLS
S. F. No. 1679 was read for the second
time.
INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING
OF HOUSE BILLS
The following House File was introduced:
Bunn, Ruud, Peterson, Scalze, Rosenthal,
Gardner and Murphy, E., introduced:
H. F. No. 3837, A bill for an act relating
to human services; modifying coverage and payment rates for rehabilitative
services and medical supplies and equipment; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008,
sections 256B.04, subdivision 14; 256B.0625, subdivisions 8, 8a, 8b, 31, by
adding a subdivision; Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 256B.0653,
subdivision 5.
The bill was read for the first time and
referred to the Committee on Finance.
MESSAGES
FROM THE SENATE
The following messages were received from
the Senate:
Madam
Speaker:
I hereby announce that the Senate refuses
to concur in the House amendments to the following Senate File:
S. F. No. 2918, A bill for an act relating to
retirement; various retirement plans; increasing certain contribution rates;
suspending certain postretirement adjustments; reducing certain postretirement
adjustment increase rates; reducing interest rates on refunds; reducing
deferred annuity augmentation rates; eliminating interest on reemployed
annuitant earnings limitation deferred accounts; increasing certain vesting
requirements; increasing certain early retirement reduction rates; reducing
certain benefit accrual rates; extending certain amortization periods; making
changes of an administrative nature for retirement plans administered by the
Minnesota State Retirement Association; revising insurance withholding for
certain retired public employees; authorizing state patrol plan service credit
for leave procedures; addressing plan coverage errors and omitted
contributions; revising unlawful discharge annuity repayment requirements;
requiring employment unit accommodation of daily valuation of investment
accounts; eliminating administrative fee maximum for the unclassified state
employees retirement program; making changes of an administrative nature in the
general employees retirement plan of the Public Employees Retirement
Association, the public employees police and fire retirement plan, and the defined
contribution retirement plan; making various administrative modifications in
the voluntary statewide lump-sum volunteer firefighter retirement plan of the
Public Employees Retirement Association; revising purchase of salary credit
procedures in certain partial salary situations; adding new partial salary
credit purchase authority for partial paid medical leaves and budgetary leaves;
redefining TRA allowable service credit; defining annual base salary; requiring
base salary reporting by TRA-covered employing units; making changes of an
administrative nature in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System
individual retirement account plan; setting deadline dates for actuarial
reporting; extending and revising an early retirement incentive program;
permitting the court-ordered revocation of an optional annuity election in
certain marriage dissolutions; transfer of the administrative functions of the
Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund to the Public Employees Retirement
Association; creation of MERF consolidation account within the Public Employees
Retirement Association; making various technical corrections relating to
volunteer fire relief associations; revising break-in-service return to
firefighting authorizations; authorizing Minnesota deferred compensation plan
service pension transfers; revising payout defaults in survivor benefits;
authorizing corrections of certain special fund deposits; requiring a
retirement fund investment authority study; authorizing certain
bylaw amendments; making technical changes; appropriating money; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 3A.02, subdivision 4; 11A.04; 11A.23,
subdivision 4; 13D.01, subdivision 1; 43A.17, subdivision 9; 43A.316,
subdivision 8; 69.021, subdivision 10; 69.051, subdivision 3; 126C.41,
subdivision 3; 256D.21; 352.01, subdivision 2a; 352.03, subdivision 4; 352.04,
subdivision 9; 352.113, subdivision 1; 352.115, subdivisions 1, 10; 352.12,
subdivision 2; 352.22, subdivisions 2, 3; 352.72, subdivisions 1, 2; 352.91, by
adding a subdivision; 352.93, subdivisions 1, 2a, 3a; 352.931, subdivision 1;
352.965, subdivisions 1, 2, 6; 352B.02, as amended; 352B.08, subdivisions 1,
2a; 352B.11, subdivision 2b; 352B.30, subdivisions 1, 2; 352D.015, subdivisions
4, 9, by adding a subdivision; 352D.02, subdivisions 1c, 2, 3; 352D.03;
352D.04, subdivisions 1, 2; 352D.05, subdivisions 3, 4; 352D.06, subdivision 3;
352D.065, subdivision 3; 352D.09, subdivisions 3, 7; 352F.07; 353.01,
subdivisions 2b, 2d, by adding subdivisions; 353.0161, subdivision 2; 353.03,
subdivision 1; 353.05; 353.27, as amended; 353.29, subdivision 1; 353.30,
subdivision 1c; 353.32, subdivisions 1, 1a; 353.34, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 6;
353.37, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 3a, 4, 5; 353.46, subdivisions 2, 6; 353.64,
subdivision 7; 353.651, subdivisions 1, 4; 353.657, subdivisions 1, 2a; 353.71,
subdivisions 1, 2, 4; 353.86, subdivisions 1, 2; 353.87, subdivisions 1, 2;
353.88; 353D.01, subdivision 2; 353D.03, subdivision 1; 353D.04, subdivisions
1, 2; 353E.04, subdivisions 1, 4; 353E.07, subdivisions 1, 2; 353F.025,
subdivisions 1, 2; 353F.03; 354.05, by adding a subdivision; 354.07,
subdivision 5; 354.091; 354.42, subdivisions 3, 7, by adding subdivisions;
354.52, subdivision 6, by adding a subdivision; 354.66, subdivision 3; 354.71;
354A.011, subdivision 27; 354A.12, subdivisions 1, 3c, by adding a subdivision;
354A.27, subdivisions 5, 6, by adding a subdivision; 354A.31, subdivision 1;
354A.35, subdivision 1; 354A.37, subdivisions 2, 3, 4; 354A.39; 354B.25,
subdivisions 1, 3; 354C.14; 355.095, subdivision 1; 356.214, subdivision 1;
356.215, subdivisions 3, 8; 356.216; 356.24, subdivision 1; 356.30,
subdivisions 1, 3; 356.302, subdivisions 1, 3, 4, 5, 7; 356.303, subdivisions
2, 4; 356.315, subdivision 5; 356.351, subdivision 1; 356.407, subdivision 2;
356.431, subdivision 1; 356.465, subdivision 3; 356.47, subdivision 3; 356.50,
subdivision 4; 356.64; 356.65, subdivision 2; 356.91; 356.96, subdivisions 2,
3, 7, 8; 356A.06, subdivision 8; 422A.101, subdivision 3; 422A.26; 473.511,
subdivision 3; 473.606, subdivision 5; 475.52, subdivision 6; 490.123, by
adding a subdivision; 518.58, subdivisions 3, 4; Minnesota Statutes 2009
Supplement, sections 6.67; 69.011, subdivision 1; 69.031, subdivision 5;
69.772, subdivision 6; 69.773, subdivision 6; 352.01, subdivision 2b; 352.75,
subdivision 4; 352.95, subdivision 2; 352B.011, subdivision 3; 353.01,
subdivisions 2, 2a, 16; 353.06; 353.27, subdivisions 2, 3, 7; 353.33,
subdivision 1; 353.371, subdivision 4; 353.65, subdivisions 2, 3; 353F.02,
subdivision 4; 353G.05, subdivision 2; 353G.06, subdivision 1; 353G.08;
353G.09, subdivision 3; 353G.11, subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision;
354.42, subdivision 2; 354.47, subdivision 1; 354.49, subdivision 2; 354.52,
subdivision 4b; 354.55, subdivision 11; 354A.12, subdivision 2a; 356.20,
subdivision 2; 356.215, subdivision 11; 356.32, subdivision 2; 356.351,
subdivision 2; 356.401, subdivision 3; 356.415, subdivisions 1, 2, by adding
subdivisions; 356.96, subdivisions 1, 5; 423A.02, subdivision 3; 424A.01, subdivisions
1, 6; 424A.015, by adding a subdivision; 424A.016, subdivisions 4, 7; 424A.02,
subdivisions 9, 10; 424A.05, subdivision 3, by adding a subdivision; 424A.08;
480.181, subdivision 2; Laws 2006, chapter 271, article 3, section 43, as
amended; Laws 2009, chapter 169, article 4, section 49; article 5, section 2;
article 7, section 4; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
chapters 352B; 353; 353G; 356; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections
13.63, subdivision 1; 69.011, subdivision 2a; 352.91, subdivision 5; 353.01,
subdivision 40; 353.46, subdivision 1a; 353.88; 353D.03, subdivision 2;
353D.12; 354A.27, subdivision 1; 354C.15; 356.43; 422A.01, subdivisions 1, 2,
3, 4, 4a, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13a, 17, 18; 422A.02; 422A.03; 422A.04;
422A.05, subdivisions 1, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 5, 6, 8; 422A.06, subdivisions
1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7; 422A.08, subdivision 1; 422A.09; 422A.10; 422A.101,
subdivisions 1, 1a, 2, 2a; 422A.11; 422A.12; 422A.13; 422A.14, subdivision 1;
422A.15; 422A.151; 422A.155; 422A.156; 422A.16, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 10; 422A.17; 422A.18, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7; 422A.19; 422A.20;
422A.21; 422A.22, subdivisions 1, 3, 4, 6; 422A.23, subdivisions 1, 2, 5, 6, 7,
8, 9, 10, 11, 12; 422A.231; 422A.24; 422A.25; Minnesota Statutes 2009
Supplement, sections 422A.06, subdivision 8; 422A.08, subdivision 5; 424A.001,
subdivision 6; Laws 2009, chapter 169, article 10, section 32.
The Senate respectfully requests that a Conference Committee
be appointed thereon. The Senate has
appointed as such committee:
Senators Betzold, Pappas, Lynch, Dille and Higgins.
Said Senate File is herewith
transmitted to the House with the request that the House appoint a like
committee.
Colleen J. Pacheco, First
Assistant Secretary of the Senate
Sertich moved that the House accede to the
request of the Senate and that the Speaker appoint a Conference Committee of 5
members of the House to meet with a like committee appointed by the Senate on
the disagreeing votes of the two houses on S. F. No. 2918. The motion prevailed.
Madam
Speaker:
I hereby announce that the Senate refuses
to concur in the House amendments to the following Senate File:
S. F. No. 2933, A bill for an act relating to
human services; making changes to continuing care policy and technical
provisions; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 245A.03, by adding a
subdivision; 626.557, subdivision 9a; Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement,
sections 144.0724, subdivision 11; 256B.0625, subdivision 19c; 256B.0651, by adding
a subdivision; 256B.0652, subdivision 6; 256B.0659, subdivisions 4, 10, 11, 13,
21, 30, by adding a subdivision; 256B.0911, subdivision 2b.
The Senate respectfully requests that a Conference Committee
be appointed thereon. The Senate has
appointed as such committee:
Senators Lourey, Marty and Frederickson.
Said Senate File is herewith transmitted to the House with
the request that the House appoint a like committee.
Colleen J. Pacheco, First
Assistant Secretary of the Senate
Hosch moved that the House accede to the
request of the Senate and that the Speaker appoint a Conference Committee of 3
members of the House to meet with a like committee appointed by the Senate on
the disagreeing votes of the two houses on S. F. No. 2933. The motion prevailed.
FISCAL CALENDAR ANNOUNCEMENT
Pursuant to rule 1.22, Solberg announced
his intention to place S. F. No. 2900; and
H. F. Nos. 3051 and 2753 on the Fiscal Calendar for Monday, May
10, 2010.
Sertich moved that the House recess
subject to the call of the Chair. The
motion prevailed.
RECESS
RECONVENED
The House reconvened and was called to
order by the Speaker.
Emmer was excused between the hours of 1:30 p.m. and 2:20
p.m.
MESSAGES
FROM THE SENATE, Continued
The
following messages were received from the Senate:
Madam Speaker:
I
hereby announce the passage by the Senate of the following House File, herewith
returned:
H. F. No. 3660,
A bill for an act relating to claims against the state; providing for
settlement of certain claims; appropriating money.
Colleen J. Pacheco, First Assistant Secretary of the Senate
Madam
Speaker:
I hereby announce that the Senate refuses
to concur in the House amendments to the following Senate File:
S. F. No. 2642,
A bill for an act relating to legislation; correcting erroneous, ambiguous, and
omitted text and obsolete references; eliminating redundant, conflicting, and
superseded provisions; making miscellaneous technical corrections to laws and
statutes; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 3.7393, subdivision 12;
12A.05, subdivision 3; 13.321, subdivision 10; 13.411, subdivision 5; 13.861,
subdivision 2; 16B.24, subdivision 5; 16D.11, subdivision 7; 53C.01,
subdivision 12a; 84.797, subdivision 6; 84.803, subdivision 2; 84.8045;
115A.932, subdivision 1; 116.155, subdivision 3; 125A.64, subdivision 6;
126C.55, subdivision 6; 128D.03, subdivision 2; 129C.10, subdivision 8;
136F.61; 168.002, subdivision 13; 168.013, subdivision 1; 169.67, subdivision
1; 190.025, subdivision 3; 214.04, subdivision 1; 216B.1691, subdivision 1;
245A.18, subdivision 2; 256L.04, subdivision 1; 260C.301, subdivision 1;
270.41, subdivision 5; 273.1115, subdivisions 1, 3; 273.124, subdivision 11;
290.0921, subdivision 3a; 297A.61, subdivision 3; 309.72; 325F.675, subdivision
6; 325F.732, subdivision 2; 332.37; 332.40, subdivision 2; 332.52, subdivision
3; 374.02; 469.154, subdivision 3; 473.599, subdivision 8; 490.133; 507.071,
subdivision 16; 515B.1-102; Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, sections
16A.126, subdivision 1; 16C.138, subdivision 2; 47.60, subdivisions 4, 6;
53.09, subdivision 2; 69.772, subdivision 6; 116J.401, subdivision 2; 120B.30,
subdivisions 1, 2; 122A.60, subdivision 2; 124D.10, subdivisions 3, 8, 14, 15,
23, 25; 152.025; 168.33, subdivision 7; 169.011, subdivision 71; 169.865,
subdivision 1; 176.135, subdivision 8; 246B.06, subdivision 7; 256.969,
subdivision 3b; 256B.0659, subdivision 3; 256B.5012, subdivision 8; 260C.212,
subdivision 7; 270.97; 270C.445, subdivision 7; 299A.61, subdivision 1;
332B.07, subdivisions 1, 4; 332B.09, subdivision 3; 424A.02, subdivision 10;
524.5-701; 571.914, subdivision 4; 626.557, subdivision 20; Laws 2009, chapter
78, article 8, section 22, subdivision 3; Laws 2009, chapter 79, article 10,
section 48; Laws 2009, chapter 88, article 5, section 17; Laws 2009, chapter
172, article 1, section 2, subdivision 5; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2008,
sections 13.6435, subdivision 9; 15.38, subdivision 5; 168.098; 256B.041,
subdivision 5; 256D.03, subdivision 5; Laws 2005, First Special Session chapter
4, article 8, section 87; Laws 2006, chapter 277, article 1, sections 1; 3;
Laws 2008, chapter 287, article 1, section 104; Laws 2008, chapter 300, section
6; Laws 2009, chapter 78, article 4, section 41; Laws 2009, chapter 88, article
6, sections 14; 15; 16; Laws 2009, chapter 169, article 10, section 32;
Minnesota Rules, parts 9525.0750; 9525.0760; 9525.0770; 9525.0780; 9525.0790; 9525.0800;
9525.0810; 9525.0820; 9525.0830.
The Senate
respectfully requests that a Conference Committee be appointed thereon. The Senate has appointed as such committee:
Senators
Moua, Chaudhary, Ingebrigtsen, Rest and Skogen.
Said Senate File is herewith
transmitted to the House with the request that the House appoint a like
committee.
Colleen J. Pacheco, First Assistant Secretary of the
Senate
Jackson moved that the House accede to the
request of the Senate and that the Speaker appoint a Conference Committee of 5
members of the House to meet with a like committee appointed by the Senate on
the disagreeing votes of the two houses on S. F. No. 2642. The motion prevailed.
Madam Speaker:
I hereby announce
that the Senate has concurred in and adopted the report of the Conference
Committee on:
S. F. No. 2737.
The Senate has
repassed said bill in accordance with the recommendation and report of the
Conference Committee. Said Senate File
is herewith transmitted to the House.
Colleen J. Pacheco, First
Assistant Secretary of the Senate
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT ON S. F. NO. 2737
A bill for
an act relating to state government; changing certain pesticide control
provisions; authorizing waiver of a fee; providing for control of bovine tuberculosis;
eliminating the native grasses and wildflower seed production and incentive
program; authorizing ownership of agricultural land by certain nonprofit
corporations; requiring tree care and tree trimming company registration;
regulating certain sale and distribution of firewood; authorizing individuals
and entities to take certain easements in agricultural land; allowing a
temporary lien for livestock production inputs for 45 days following a
mediation request requiring reports; clarifying the role of the commissioner
and Department of Veterans Affairs in providing certain resources for the
county veterans service offices; modifying a residency requirement for purposes
of eligibility for higher educational benefits for the surviving spouse and children
of a deceased veteran who dies as a result of military service; repealing
authorization for a license plate; repealing a requirement that the Department
of Veterans Affairs report on the status of a construction project priority
listing; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 3.737,
subdivision 4; 17.03, by adding a subdivision; 18B.31, subdivision 5; 18B.36,
subdivision 1; 18B.37, subdivision 4; 18G.07; 28A.082, subdivision 1; 35.244,
subdivisions 1, 2; 197.60, subdivision 1; 197.601; 197.605; 197.606; 197.609,
subdivisions 1, 2; 197.75, subdivision 1; 239.092; 239.093; 500.221,
subdivisions 2, 4; 500.24, subdivision 2; 514.965, subdivision 2; 514.966,
subdivision 6, by adding a subdivision; Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement,
sections 3.737, subdivision 1; 18B.316, subdivision 10; Laws 2008, chapter 296,
article 1, section 25; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
chapters 17; 38; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2008, sections 17.231; 168.1251;
343.26; Laws 2009, chapter 94, article 3, section 23.
May 6, 2010
The Honorable James P. Metzen
President of the Senate
The Honorable Margaret Anderson
Kelliher
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
We, the
undersigned conferees for S. F. No. 2737 report that we have agreed
upon the items in dispute and recommend as follows:
That the House recede from its
amendments and that S. F. No. 2737 be further amended as
follows:
Delete
everything after the enacting clause and insert:
"ARTICLE
1
AGRICULTURE
Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section
3.737, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision
1. Compensation
required. (a) Notwithstanding
section 3.736, subdivision 3, paragraph (e), or any other law, a livestock
owner shall be compensated by the commissioner of agriculture for livestock
that is destroyed by a gray wolf or is so crippled by a gray wolf that it must
be destroyed. Except as provided in this
section, the owner is entitled to the fair market value of the destroyed
livestock as determined by the commissioner, upon recommendation of the fair
market value by a university extension agent or a conservation officer. In any fiscal year, a livestock owner may not
be compensated for a destroyed animal claim that is less than $100 in value and
may be compensated up to $20,000, as determined under this section. In any fiscal year, the commissioner may
provide compensation for claims filed under this section up to the amount
expressly appropriated for this purpose.
(b) Either
the agent or the A university extension agent, a conservation
officer, an official from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of
the United States Department of Agriculture, a peace officer from the county
sheriff's office, or a licensed veterinarian must make a personal
inspection of the site and submit a report to the commissioner, including
photographs, detailing the results of the investigation. The agent or the conservation officer
The investigator must take into account factors in addition to a visual
identification of a carcass when making a recommendation to the commissioner. The commissioner, upon recommendation of the agent
or conservation officer investigator, shall determine whether the
livestock was destroyed by a gray wolf and any deficiencies in the owner's
adoption of the best management practices developed in subdivision 5. The commissioner may authorize payment of
claims only if the agent or the conservation officer has recommended payment. The owner shall file a claim on forms
provided by the commissioner and available at the university extension agent's
office.
Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 3.737,
subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Subd. 4. Payment;
denial of compensation. (a) If the
commissioner finds that the livestock owner has shown that the loss of the
livestock was likely caused by a gray wolf, the commissioner shall pay
compensation as provided in this section and in the rules of the department.
(b) For
a gray wolf depredation claim submitted by a livestock owner after September 1,
1999, the commissioner shall, based on the report from the university extension
agent and conservation officer, evaluate the claim for conformance with the
best management practices developed by the commissioner in subdivision 5. The commissioner must provide to the
livestock owner an itemized list of any deficiencies in the livestock owner's
adoption of best management practices that were noted in the university
extension agent's or conservation officer's report.
(c) If the
commissioner denies compensation claimed by an owner under this section, the
commissioner shall issue a written decision based upon the available evidence. It shall include specification of the facts
upon which the decision is based and the conclusions on the material issues of
the claim. A copy of the decision shall
be mailed to the owner.
petition for review with the
administrator of the court within 60 days following receipt of a decision under
this section. Upon the filing of a
petition, the administrator shall mail a copy to the commissioner and set a
time for hearing within 90 days of the filing.(d) (c) A decision
to deny compensation claimed under this section is not subject to the contested
case review procedures of chapter 14, but may be reviewed upon a trial de novo
in a court in the county where the loss occurred. The decision of the court may be appealed as
in other civil cases. Review in court
may be obtained by filing a
Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 13.635, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 5. Secretary
of state. Social Security
numbers and tax identification numbers maintained by the secretary of state in
filing systems are classified under sections 336.9-531 and 336A.14.
Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 17.03, is amended
by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 11a. Permitting
efficiency goal and report. (a)
It is the goal of the Department of Agriculture that environmental and resource
management permits be issued or denied within 150 days of the submission of a completed
permit application. The commissioner of
agriculture shall establish management systems designed to achieve the goal.
(b) The
commissioner shall prepare semiannual permitting efficiency reports that
include statistics on meeting the goal in paragraph (a). The reports are due February 1 and August 1
of each year. For permit applications
that have not met the goal, the report must state the reasons for not meeting
the goal, steps that will be taken to complete action on the application, and
the expected timeline. In stating the
reasons for not meeting the goal, the commissioner shall separately identify
delays caused by the responsiveness of the proposer, lack of staff, scientific
or technical disagreements, or the level of public engagement. The report must specify the number of days
from initial submission of the application to the day of determination that the
application is complete. The report for
the final quarter of the fiscal year must aggregate the data for the year and
assess whether program or system changes are necessary to achieve the goal. The report must be posted on the department
Web site and submitted to the governor and the chairs of the house of
representatives and senate committees having jurisdiction over agriculture
policy and finance.
(c) The
commissioner shall allow electronic submission of environmental review and
permit documents to the department.
Sec. 5. [17.459]
HORSES.
Subdivision
1. Classification as livestock.
Horses and other equines raised for the purposes of riding,
driving, farm or ranch work, competition, racing, recreation, sale, or as
breeding stock are livestock. Horses and
their products are livestock and farm products for purposes of financial
transactions and collateral.
Subd. 2. Agricultural
pursuit. Raising horses and
other equines is agricultural production and an agricultural pursuit.
Subd. 3. Nonapplicability
for property tax laws. This
section does not apply to the treatment of land used for raising horses under
chapter 273.
Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 18B.31,
subdivision 5, is amended to read:
Subd. 5. Application
fee. (a) An application for a
pesticide dealer license must be accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee
of $150.
(b) If an
application for renewal of a pesticide dealer license is not filed before January
1 of the year for which the license is to be issued expires,
an additional fee of $20 50 percent of the application fee must
be paid by the applicant before the commissioner may issue the license is
issued.
Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section
18B.316, subdivision 10, is amended to read:
Subd. 10. Application
fee. (a) An application for an
agricultural pesticide dealer license, or a renewal of an agricultural
pesticide dealer license, must be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of $150.
(b) If an
application for renewal of an agricultural pesticide dealer license is not
filed before January of the year for which the license is to be
issued expires, an additional fee of 50 percent of the application
fee must be paid by the applicant before the commissioner may issue the
license.
Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 18B.36,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision
1. Requirement. (a) Except for a licensed commercial or
noncommercial applicator, only a certified private applicator may use a
restricted use pesticide to produce an agricultural commodity:
(1) as a
traditional exchange of services without financial compensation;
(2) on a
site owned, rented, or managed by the person or the person's employees; or
(3) when
the private applicator is one of two or fewer employees and the owner or
operator is a certified private applicator or is licensed as a noncommercial
applicator.
(b) A private
applicator person may not purchase a restricted use pesticide
without presenting a license card, certified private applicator card,
or the card number.
Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 18B.37,
subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Subd. 4.
Storage,
handling, incident response, and disposal plan. A commercial pesticide dealer,
agricultural pesticide dealer, or a commercial, noncommercial, or
structural pest control applicator or the business that the applicator is
employed by must develop and maintain a plan that describes its pesticide
storage, handling, incident response, and disposal practices. The plan must be kept at a principal business
site or location within this state and must be submitted to the commissioner
upon request on forms provided by the commissioner. The plan must be available for inspection by
the commissioner.
Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 18G.07, is
amended to read:
18G.07 TREE CARE AND TREE TRIMMING COMPANY REGISTRY
REGISTRATION.
Subdivision
1. Creation
of registry. (a) The
commissioner shall maintain a list of all persons and companies that provide
tree care or tree trimming services in Minnesota. All tree care providers, tree trimmers, and
persons who remove trees, limbs, branches, brush, or shrubs for hire must provide
the following information to be registered by the commissioner:.
(b) Persons
or companies who are required to be registered under paragraph (a), must
register annually by providing the following to the commissioner:
(1)
accurate and up-to-date business name, address, and telephone number;
(2) a
complete list of all Minnesota counties in which they work; and
(3) a
complete list of persons in the business who are certified by the International
Society of Arborists a nonrefundable fee of $25 for initial application
or renewing the registration.
(c) All persons and companies
required to be registered under paragraph (a) must register before conducting
the activities specified in paragraph (a).
Annual registration expires December 31, must be renewed annually, and
the renewal fee remitted by January 7 of the year for which it is issued. In addition, a penalty of ten percent of the
renewal fee due must be charged for each month, or portion of a month, that the
fee is delinquent up to a maximum of 30 percent for any application for renewal
postmarked after December 31.
Subd. 2. Information
dissemination. The commissioner
shall provide registered tree care companies with information and data
regarding any existing or potential regulated forest pest infestations within
the state.
Subd. 3. Violation. It is unlawful for a person to
advertise tree care or tree trimming services in Minnesota without being
registered with the commissioner.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This
section is effective January 1, 2011.
Sec. 11. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 28A.082,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision
1. Fees;
application. The fees for review of
food handler facility floor plans under the Minnesota Food Code are based upon
the square footage of the structure being newly constructed, remodeled, or
converted. The fees for the review shall
be:
square
footage review
fee
0
- 4,999 $200.00
5,000
- 24,999 $275.00
25,000
plus $425.00
The applicant must submit
the required fee, review application, plans, equipment specifications,
materials lists, and other required information on forms supplied by the
department at least 30 days prior to commencement of construction, remodeling,
or conversion. The commissioner may
waive this fee after determining that the facility's principal mode of business
is not the sale of food and that the facility sells only prepackaged foods.
Sec. 12. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 35.244,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1. Designation
of zones. The board has the
authority to may establish zones for the control and eradication
of tuberculosis and restrict the movement of cattle, bison, goats,
and farmed cervidae within and between tuberculosis zones in the state. Zones within the state may be designated
as accreditation preparatory, modified accredited, modified accredited
advanced, or accredited free as those terms are defined in Code of Federal
Regulations, title 9, part 77. The board
may designate bovine tuberculosis control zones that contain not more than 325
herds.
Sec. 13. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 35.244,
subdivision 2, is amended to read:
Subd. 2. Requirements
within a tuberculosis control within modified accredited zone. In a modified accredited
tuberculosis control zone, the board has the authority to may:
(1) require owners of
cattle, bison, goats, or farmed cervidae to report personal contact information
and location of livestock to the board;
(2) require a permit or
movement certificates for all cattle, bison, goats, and farmed cervidae moving
between premises within the zone or leaving or entering the zone;
(3) require official
identification of all cattle, bison, goats, and farmed cervidae within the zone
or leaving or entering the zone;
(4) require a whole-herd
tuberculosis test on each herd of cattle, bison, goats, or farmed cervidae when
any of the animals in the herd is kept on a premises within the zone;
(5) require a negative
tuberculosis test within 60 days prior to movement for any individual cattle,
bison, goat, or farmed cervidae moved from a premises in the zone to another
location in Minnesota, with the exception of cattle moving under permit
directly to a slaughter facility under state or federal inspection;
(6) require a whole-herd
tuberculosis test within 12 months prior to moving cattle, bison, goats, or
farmed cervidae from premises in the zone to another location in Minnesota;
(7) require annual herd
inventories on all cattle, bison, goat, or farmed cervidae herds; and
(8) require that a risk
assessment be performed to evaluate the interaction of free-ranging deer and
elk with cattle, bison, goat, and farmed cervidae herds and require the owner
to implement the recommendations of the risk assessment.
Sec. 14. [38.345]
APPROPRIATIONS BY MUNICIPALITIES.
The council
of any city and the board of supervisors of any town may spend money for county
extension work, as provided in sections 38.33 to 38.38.
Sec. 15. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 239.092, is
amended to read:
239.092 SALE FROM BULK.
(a) Bulk sales of
commodities, when the buyer and seller are not both present to witness the
measurement, must be accompanied by a delivery ticket containing the following
information:
(1) the name and address of
the person who weighed or measured the commodity;
(2) the date delivered;
(3) the quantity delivered;
(4) the count of
individually wrapped packages delivered, if more than one is included in the
quantity delivered;
(5) the quantity on which
the price is based, if different than the quantity delivered; and
(6) the identity of the
commodity in the most descriptive terms commercially practicable, including
representations of quality made in connection with the sale.
(b) This section is not
intended to conflict with the bulk sale requirements of the Department of
Agriculture. If a conflict occurs, the
law and rules of the Department of Agriculture govern.
(c) Firewood sold or
distributed across state boundaries or more than 100 miles from its origin must
include delivery ticket information regarding the harvest locations of the wood
by county and state.
(d)
Paragraph (c) may be enforced using the authority granted in this chapter or
section 18J.05 or 84D.13.
Sec. 16. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 239.093, is
amended to read:
239.093 INFORMATION REQUIRED WITH PACKAGE.
(a) A package offered,
exposed, or held for sale must bear a clear and conspicuous declaration of:
(1) the identity of the
commodity in the package, unless the commodity can be easily identified through
the wrapper or container;
(2) the net quantity in
terms of weight, measure, or count;
(3) the name and address of
the manufacturer, packer, or distributor, if the packages were not produced on
the premises where they are offered, exposed, or held for sale; and
(4) the unit price, if the
packages are part of a lot containing random weight packages of the same
commodity.
(b) This section is not
intended to conflict with the packaging requirements of the Department of
Agriculture. If a conflict occurs, the
laws and rules of the Department of Agriculture govern.
(c) Firewood sold or
distributed across state boundaries or more than 100 miles from its origin must
include information regarding the harvest locations of the wood by county and
state on each label or wrapper.
(d)
Paragraph (c) may be enforced using the authority granted in this chapter or
section 18J.05 or 84D.13.
Sec. 17. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section
239.791, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1. Minimum
ethanol content required. (a) Except
as provided in subdivisions 10 to 14, a person responsible for the product
shall ensure that all gasoline sold or offered for sale in Minnesota must
contain at least the quantity of ethanol required by clause (1) or (2), whichever
is greater:
(1) 10.0 percent denatured
ethanol by volume; or
(2) the maximum percent of
denatured ethanol by volume authorized in a waiver granted by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency under section 211(f)(4) of the Clean Air
Act, United States Code, title 42, section 7545, subsection (f), paragraph (4).
(b) For purposes of
enforcing the minimum ethanol requirement of paragraph (a), clause (1), a
gasoline/ethanol blend will be construed to be in compliance if the ethanol
content, exclusive of denaturants and other permitted contaminants
components, comprises not less than 9.2 percent by volume and not more
than 10.0 percent by volume of the blend as determined by an appropriate United
States Environmental Protection Agency or American Society of Testing Materials
standard method of analysis of alcohol/ether content in engine fuels.
(c) The provisions of this
subdivision are suspended during any period of time that subdivision 1a,
paragraph (a), is in effect.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
following final enactment.
Sec. 18. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section
239.791, subdivision 1a, is amended to read:
Subd. 1a. Minimum
ethanol content required. (a) Except
as provided in subdivisions 10 to 14, on August 30, 2013, and thereafter, a
person responsible for the product shall ensure that all gasoline sold or
offered for sale in Minnesota must contain at least the quantity of ethanol
required by clause (1) or (2), whichever is greater:
(1) 20 percent denatured
ethanol by volume; or
(2) the maximum percent of
denatured ethanol by volume authorized in a waiver granted by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency under section 211(f)(4) of the Clean Air
Act, United States Code, title 42, section 7545, subsection (f), paragraph (4).
(b) For purposes of
enforcing the minimum ethanol requirement of paragraph (a), clause (1), a
gasoline/ethanol blend will be construed to be in compliance if the ethanol
content, exclusive of denaturants and other permitted contaminants
components, comprises not less than 18.4 percent by volume and not more
than 20 percent by volume of the blend as determined by an appropriate United
States Environmental Protection Agency or American Society of Testing Materials
standard method of analysis of alcohol content in motor fuels.
(c) No
motor fuel shall be deemed to be a defective product by virtue of the fact that
the motor fuel is formulated or blended pursuant to the requirements of
paragraph (a) under any theory of liability except for simple or willful
negligence or fraud. This paragraph does
not preclude an action for negligent, fraudulent, or willful acts. This paragraph does not affect a person whose
liability arises under chapter 115, water pollution control; 115A, waste
management; 115B, environmental response and liability; 115C, leaking
underground storage tanks; or 299J, pipeline safety; under public nuisance law
for damage to the environment or the public health; under any other
environmental or public health law; or under any environmental or public health
ordinance or program of a municipality as defined in section 466.01.
(d) (c)
This subdivision expires on December 31, 2010 2012, if by that
date:
(1) the commissioner of
agriculture certifies and publishes the certification in the State Register
that at least 20 percent of the volume of gasoline sold in the state is
denatured ethanol; or
(2) federal approval has not
been granted under paragraph (a), clause (1).
The United States Environmental Protection Agency's failure to act on an
application shall not be deemed approval under paragraph (a), clause (1), or a
waiver under section 211(f)(4) of the Clean Air Act, United States Code, title
42, section 7545, subsection (f), paragraph (4).
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
following final enactment.
Sec. 19. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 239.791, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 2a. Federal
Clean Air Act waivers; conditions. (a)
Before a waiver granted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
under section 211(f)(4) of the Clean Air Act, United States Code, title 42,
section 7545, subsection (f), paragraph (4), may alter the minimum content
level required by subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2), or subdivision 1a,
paragraph (a), clause (2), the waiver must:
(1) apply
to all gasoline-powered motor vehicles irrespective of model year; and
(2) allow
for special regulatory treatment of Reid vapor pressure under Code of Federal
Regulations, title 40, section 80.27(d), for blends of gasoline and ethanol up
to the maximum percent of denatured ethanol by volume authorized under the
waiver.
(b) The minimum ethanol
requirement in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2), or subdivision 1a,
paragraph (a), clause (2), shall, upon the grant of the federal waiver, be
effective the day after the commissioner of commerce publishes notice in the
State Register. In making this
determination, the commissioner shall consider the amount of time required by
refiners, retailers, pipeline and distribution terminal companies, and other
fuel suppliers, acting expeditiously, to make the operational and logistical
changes required to supply fuel in compliance with the minimum ethanol
requirement.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
following final enactment.
Sec. 20. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 239.791, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 2b. Limited
liability waiver. No motor
fuel shall be deemed to be a defective product by virtue of the fact that the
motor fuel is formulated or blended pursuant to the requirements of subdivision
1, paragraph (a), clause (2), or subdivision 1a, under any theory of liability
except for simple or willful negligence or fraud. This subdivision does not preclude an action
for negligent, fraudulent, or willful acts.
This subdivision does not affect a person whose liability arises under
chapter 115, water pollution control; 115A, waste management; 115B,
environmental response and liability; 115C, leaking underground storage tanks;
or 299J, pipeline safety; under public nuisance law for damage to the
environment or the public health; under any other environmental or public
health law; or under any environmental or public health ordinance or program of
a municipality as defined in section 466.01.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
following final enactment.
Sec. 21. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 239.791, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 2c. Fuel
dispensing equipment; blends over ten percent ethanol. Notwithstanding any other law or rule,
fuel dispensing equipment authorized to dispense fuel under subdivision 1,
paragraph (a), clause (1), is authorized to dispense fuel under subdivision 1,
paragraph (a), clause (2), or subdivision 1a.
Sec. 22. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 336.9-531,
is amended to read:
336.9-531 ELECTRONIC ACCESS; LIABILITY; RETENTION.
(a) Electronic access. The
secretary of state may allow private parties to have electronic access to the
central filing system and to other computerized records maintained by the
secretary of state on a fee basis, except that:
(1) visual access to electronic display terminals at the public counters
at the Secretary of State's Office must be without charge and must be available
during public counter hours; and (2) access by law enforcement personnel,
acting in an official capacity, must be without charge. If the central filing system allows a form of
electronic access to information regarding the obligations of debtors, the
access must be available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Notwithstanding section 13.355, private
parties who have electronic access to computerized records may view the Social
Security number information about a debtor that is of record.
Notwithstanding
section 13.355, a filing office may include Social Security number information
in an information request response under section 336.9-523 or a search of other
liens in the central filing system. A
filing office may also include Social Security number information on a
photocopy or electronic copy of a record whether provided in an information
request response or in response to a request made under section 13.03. A Social Security number or tax
identification number maintained by the secretary of state under this section
is private data on individuals or nonpublic data, as defined in section 13.02.
(b) Liability. The secretary of
state, county recorders, and their employees and agents are not liable for any
loss or damages arising from errors in or omissions from information entered
into the central filing system as a result of the electronic transmission of
tax lien notices under sections 268.058, subdivision 1, paragraph (c); 270C.63,
subdivision 4; 272.483; and 272.488, subdivisions 1 and 3.
The state, the secretary of
state, counties, county recorders, and their employees and agents are immune
from liability that occurs as a result of errors in or omissions from
information provided from the central filing system.
(c) Retention. Once the image of
a paper record has been captured by the central filing system, the secretary of
state may remove or direct the removal from the files and destroy the paper
record.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for financing
statements filed in the central filing system after November 30, 2010.
Sec. 23. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 336A.08,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1. Compilation. (a) The secretary of state shall compile
the information on effective financing statements in the computerized filing
system into a master list:
(1) organized according to
farm product;
(2) arranged within each
product:
(i) in alphabetical order
according to the last name of the individual debtor or, in the case of debtors
doing business other than as individuals, the first word in the name of the
debtors;
(ii) in numerical order
according to the Social Security number of the individual debtor or, in the
case of debtors doing business other than as individuals, the Internal Revenue
Service taxpayer identification number of the debtors unique identifier
assigned by the secretary of state to, and associated with, the Social Security
number or tax identification number of the debtor;
(iii) geographically by
county; and
(iv) by crop year;
(3) containing the
information provided on an effective financing statement; and
(4) designating any
applicable terminations of the effective financing statement.
(b) The secretary of state
shall compile information from lien notices recorded in the computerized filing
system into a statutory lien master list in alphabetical order according to the
last name of the individual debtor or, in the case of debtors doing business
other than as individuals, the first word in the name of the debtors. The secretary of state may also organize the
statutory lien master list according to one or more of the categories of
information established in paragraph (a).
Any terminations of lien notices must be noted.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for lists
compiled pursuant to this section after October 31, 2010.
Sec. 24. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 336A.08,
subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Subd. 4. Distribution
of master and partial lists. (a) The
secretary of state shall maintain the information on the effective financing
statement master list:
(1) by farm product arranged
alphabetically by debtor; and
(2) by farm product arranged
numerically by the debtor's Social Security number for an individual debtor
or, in the case of debtors doing business other than as individuals, the
Internal Revenue Service taxpayer identification number of the debtors
unique identifier assigned by the secretary of state to, and associated with,
the Social Security number or tax identification number of the debtor.
(b) The secretary of state
shall maintain the information in the farm products statutory lien master list
by county arranged alphabetically by debtor.
(c) The secretary of state
shall distribute or make available the requested master and partial master
lists on a monthly basis to farm product dealers registered under section
336A.11. Lists will be distributed or
made available on or before the tenth day of each month or on the next business
day thereafter if the tenth day is not a business day.
(d) The secretary of state
shall make the master and partial master lists available as written or printed
paper documents and may make lists available in other forms or media,
including:
(1) any electronically
transmitted medium; or
(2) any form of digital
media.
(e) There shall be no fee
for partial or master lists distributed via an electronically transmitted
medium. The annual fee for any other
form of digital media is $200. The
annual fee for paper partial lists is $250 and $400 for paper master lists.
(f) A farm products dealer
shall register pursuant to section 336A.11 by the last business day of the
month to receive the monthly lists requested by the farm products dealer for
that month.
(g) If a registered farm
products dealer receives a monthly list that cannot be read or is incomplete,
the farm products dealer must immediately inform the secretary of state by
telephone or e-mail of the problem. The
registered farm products dealer shall confirm the existence of the problem by writing
to the secretary of state. The secretary
of state shall provide the registered farm products dealer with new monthly
lists in the medium chosen by the registered farm products dealer no later than
five business days after receipt of the oral notice from the registered farm
products dealer. A registered farm
products dealer is not considered to have received notice of the information on
the monthly lists until the duplicate list is received from the secretary of
state or until five days have passed since the duplicate lists were deposited
in the mail by the secretary of state, whichever comes first.
(h) On receipt of a written
notice pursuant to section 336A.13, the secretary of state shall duplicate the
monthly lists requested by the registered farm products dealer. The duplicate monthly lists must be sent to
the registered farm products dealer no later than five business days after
receipt of the written notice from the registered farm products dealer.
(i) A registered farm
products dealer may request monthly lists in one medium per registration.
(j) Registered farm products
dealers must have renewed their registration before the first day of July each
year. Failure to send in the
registration before that date will result in the farm products dealer not
receiving the requested monthly lists.
(k) Registered farm products
dealers choosing to obtain monthly lists via an electronically transmitted
medium or in any form of digital media may choose to receive all of the
information for the monthly lists requested the first month and then only
additions and deletions to the database for the remaining 11 months of the year. Following the first year of registration, the
registered farm products dealer may choose to continue to receive one copy of
the full monthly list at the beginning of each year or may choose to receive
only additions and deletions.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for lists
distributed pursuant to this section after October 31, 2010.
Sec. 25. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 336A.14, is
amended to read:
336A.14 RESTRICTED USE OF INFORMATION.
A Social
Security number or tax identification number maintained by the secretary of
state under this section is private data on individuals or nonpublic data, as
defined in section 13.02. Information
obtained from the seller of a farm product relative to the Social Security
number or tax identification number of the true owner of the farm product and
all information obtained from the master or limited list may not be used for purposes
that are not related to: (1) purchase of
a farm product; (2) taking a security interest against a farm product; or (3)
perfecting a farm product statutory lien.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective October
31, 2010.
Sec. 26. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 500.221,
subdivision 2, is amended to read:
Subd. 2. Aliens
and non-American corporations. Except
as hereinafter provided, no natural person shall acquire directly or indirectly
any interest in agricultural land unless the person is a citizen of the United
States or a permanent resident alien of the United States. In addition to the restrictions in section
500.24, no corporation, partnership, limited partnership, trustee, or other
business entity shall directly or indirectly, acquire or otherwise obtain any
interest, whether legal, beneficial or otherwise, in any title to agricultural
land unless at least 80 percent of each class of stock issued and outstanding
or 80 percent of the ultimate beneficial interest of the entity is held directly
or indirectly by citizens of the United States or permanent resident aliens. This section shall not apply:
(1) to agricultural land
that may be acquired by devise, inheritance, as security for indebtedness, by
process of law in the collection of debts, or by any procedure for the
enforcement of a lien or claim thereon, whether created by mortgage or
otherwise. All agricultural land
acquired in the collection of debts or by the enforcement of a lien or claim
shall be disposed of within three years after acquiring ownership;
(2) to citizens or subjects
of a foreign country whose rights to hold land are secured by treaty;
(3) to lands used for
transportation purposes by a common carrier, as defined in section 218.011,
subdivision 10;
(4) to lands or interests in
lands acquired for use in connection with (i) the production of timber and
forestry products by a corporation organized under the laws of Minnesota, or
(ii) mining and mineral processing operations.
Pending the development of agricultural land for the production of
timber and forestry products or mining purposes the land may not be used for
farming except under lease to a family farm, a family farm corporation or an
authorized farm corporation;
(5) to agricultural land
operated for research or experimental purposes if the ownership of the
agricultural land is incidental to the research or experimental objectives of
the person or business entity and the total acreage owned by the person or
business entity does not exceed the acreage owned on May 27, 1977;
(6) to the purchase of any
tract of 40 acres or less for facilities incidental to pipeline operation by a
company operating a pipeline as defined in section 216G.01, subdivision 3;
(7) to agricultural land and
land capable of being used as farmland in vegetable processing operations that
is reasonably necessary to meet the requirements of pollution control law or
rules; or
(8) to an interest in
agricultural land held on the August 1, 2003, by a natural person with a
nonimmigrant treaty investment visa, pursuant to United States Code, title 8,
section 1101(a)15(E)(ii), if, within five years after August 1, 2003, the
person:
(i) disposes of all
agricultural land held; or
(ii) becomes a permanent
resident alien of the United States or a United States citizen.; or
(9) to an
easement taken by an individual or entity for the installation and repair of
transmission lines and for wind rights.
Sec. 27. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 500.221,
subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Subd. 4. Reports. (a) Any natural person,
corporation, partnership, limited partnership, trustee, or other business
entity prohibited from future acquisition of agricultural land may retain title
to any agricultural land lawfully acquired within this state prior to June 1,
1981, but shall file a report with the commissioner of agriculture annually
before January 31 containing a description of all agricultural land held within
this state, the purchase price and market value of the land, the use to which
it is put, the date of acquisition and any other reasonable information
required by the commissioner.
(b) An
individual or entity that qualifies for an exemption under subdivision 2,
clause (2) or (9), and owns an interest in agricultural land shall file a
report with the commissioner of agriculture by December 31 of each year in
which the individual or entity acquires an interest in agricultural land. The report must contain a description of all
interests in agricultural land held by the individual or entity within this
state.
(c) The
commissioner shall make the information available to the public.
(d) All
required annual reports shall include a filing fee of $50 plus $10 for each
additional quarter section of land.
Sec. 28. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 500.24,
subdivision 2, is amended to read:
Subd. 2. Definitions. The definitions in this subdivision apply
to this section.
(a) "Farming"
means the production of (1) agricultural products; (2) livestock or livestock
products; (3) milk or milk products; or (4) fruit or other horticultural
products. It does not include the
processing, refining, or packaging of said products, nor the provision of
spraying or harvesting services by a processor or distributor of farm products. It does not include the production of timber
or forest products, the production of poultry or poultry products, or the
feeding and caring for livestock that are delivered to a corporation for
slaughter or processing for up to 20 days before slaughter or processing.
(b) "Family farm"
means an unincorporated farming unit owned by one or more persons residing on
the farm or actively engaging in farming.
(c) "Family farm
corporation" means a corporation founded for the purpose of farming and
the ownership of agricultural land in which the majority of the stock is held
by and the majority of the stockholders are persons, the spouses of persons, or
current beneficiaries of one or more family farm trusts in which the trustee
holds stock in a family farm corporation, related to each other within the
third degree of kindred according to the rules of the civil law, and at least
one of the related persons is residing on or actively operating the farm, and
none of whose stockholders are corporations; provided that a family farm
corporation shall not cease to qualify as such hereunder by reason of any:
(1) transfer of shares of
stock to a person or the spouse of a person related within the third degree of
kindred according to the rules of civil law to the person making the transfer,
or to a family farm trust of which the shareholder, spouse, or related person
is a current beneficiary; or
(2) distribution from a family
farm trust of shares of stock to a beneficiary related within the third degree
of kindred according to the rules of civil law to a majority of the current
beneficiaries of the trust, or to a family farm trust of which the shareholder,
spouse, or related person is a current beneficiary.
For the purposes of this
section, a transfer may be made with or without consideration, either directly
or indirectly, during life or at death, whether or not in trust, of the shares
in the family farm corporation, and stock owned by a family farm trust are
considered to be owned in equal shares by the current beneficiaries.
(d) "Family farm
trust" means:
(1) a trust in which:
(i) a majority of the
current beneficiaries are persons or spouses of persons who are related to each
other within the third degree of kindred according to the rules of civil law;
(ii) all of the current
beneficiaries are natural persons or nonprofit corporations or trusts described
in the Internal Revenue Code, section 170(c), as amended, and the regulations
under that section; and
(iii) one of the family
member current beneficiaries is residing on or actively operating the farm; or
the trust leases the agricultural land to a family farm unit, a family farm
corporation, an authorized farm corporation, an authorized livestock farm
corporation, a family farm limited liability company, a family farm trust, an
authorized farm limited liability company, a family farm partnership, or an
authorized farm partnership; or
(2) a charitable remainder
trust as defined in the Internal Revenue Code, section 664, as amended, and the
regulations under that section, and a charitable lead trust as set forth in the
Internal Revenue Code, section 170(f), and the regulations under that section.
(e) "Authorized farm
corporation" means a corporation meeting the following standards:
(1) it has no more than five
shareholders, provided that for the purposes of this section, a husband and
wife are considered one shareholder;
(2) all its shareholders,
other than any estate, are natural persons or a family farm trust;
(3) it does not have more
than one class of shares;
(4) its revenue from rent,
royalties, dividends, interest, and annuities does not exceed 20 percent of its
gross receipts;
(5) shareholders holding 51
percent or more of the interest in the corporation reside on the farm or are
actively engaging in farming;
(6) it does not, directly or
indirectly, own or otherwise have an interest in any title to more than 1,500
acres of agricultural land; and
(7) none of its shareholders
are shareholders in other authorized farm corporations that directly or
indirectly in combination with the corporation own more than 1,500 acres of
agricultural land.
(f) "Authorized
livestock farm corporation" means a corporation formed for the production
of livestock and meeting the following standards:
(1) it is engaged in the
production of livestock other than dairy cattle;
(2) all its shareholders,
other than any estate, are natural persons, family farm trusts, or family farm
corporations;
(3) it does not have more
than one class of shares;
(4) its revenue from rent,
royalties, dividends, interest, and annuities does not exceed 20 percent of its
gross receipts;
(5) shareholders holding 75
percent or more of the control, financial, and capital investment in the
corporation are farmers, and at least 51 percent of the required percentage of
farmers are actively engaged in livestock production;
(6) it does not, directly or
indirectly, own or otherwise have an interest in any title to more than 1,500
acres of agricultural land; and
(7) none of its shareholders
are shareholders in other authorized farm corporations that directly or
indirectly in combination with the corporation own more than 1,500 acres of
agricultural land.
(g) "Agricultural
land" means real estate used for farming or capable of being used for
farming in this state.
(h) "Pension or
investment fund" means a pension or employee welfare benefit fund, however
organized, a mutual fund, a life insurance company separate account, a common
trust of a bank or other trustee established for the investment and
reinvestment of money contributed to it, a real estate investment trust, or an
investment company as defined in United States Code, title 15, section 80a-3.
(i) "Farm
homestead" means a house including adjoining buildings that has been used
as part of a farming operation or is part of the agricultural land used for a
farming operation.
(j) "Family farm
partnership" means a limited partnership formed for the purpose of farming
and the ownership of agricultural land in which the majority of the interests
in the partnership is held by and the majority of the partners are natural
persons or current beneficiaries of one or more family farm trusts in which the
trustee holds an interest in a family farm partnership related to each other within
the third degree of kindred according to the rules of the civil law, and at
least one of the related persons is residing on the farm, actively operating
the farm, or the agricultural land was owned by one or more of the related
persons for a period of five years before its transfer to the limited
partnership, and none of the partners is a corporation. A family farm partnership does not cease to
qualify as a family farm partnership because of a:
(1) transfer of a
partnership interest to a person or spouse of a person related within the third
degree of kindred according to the rules of civil law to the person making the
transfer or to a family farm trust of which the partner, spouse, or related
person is a current beneficiary; or
(2) distribution from a
family farm trust of a partnership interest to a beneficiary related within the
third degree of kindred according to the rules of civil law to a majority of
the current beneficiaries of the trust, or to a family farm trust of which the
partner, spouse, or related person is a current beneficiary.
For the purposes of this
section, a transfer may be made with or without consideration, either directly
or indirectly, during life or at death, whether or not in trust, of a
partnership interest in the family farm partnership, and interest owned by a
family farm trust is considered to be owned in equal shares by the current
beneficiaries.
(k) "Authorized farm
partnership" means a limited partnership meeting the following standards:
(1) it has been issued a certificate
from the secretary of state or is registered with the county recorder and
farming and ownership of agricultural land is stated as a purpose or character
of the business;
(2) it has no more than five
partners;
(3) all its partners, other
than any estate, are natural persons or family farm trusts;
(4) its revenue from rent,
royalties, dividends, interest, and annuities does not exceed 20 percent of its
gross receipts;
(5) its general partners
hold at least 51 percent of the interest in the land assets of the partnership
and reside on the farm or are actively engaging in farming not more than 1,500
acres as a general partner in an authorized limited partnership;
(6) its limited partners do
not participate in the business of the limited partnership including operating,
managing, or directing management of farming operations;
(7) it does not, directly or
indirectly, own or otherwise have an interest in any title to more than 1,500
acres of agricultural land; and
(8) none of its limited
partners are limited partners in other authorized farm partnerships that
directly or indirectly in combination with the partnership own more than 1,500
acres of agricultural land.
(l) "Family farm
limited liability company" means a limited liability company founded for
the purpose of farming and the ownership of agricultural land in which the
majority of the membership interests is held by and the majority of the members
are natural persons, or current beneficiaries of one or more family farm trusts
in which the trustee holds an interest in a family farm limited liability
company related to each other within the third degree of kindred according to
the rules of the civil law, and at least one of the related persons is residing
on the farm, actively operating the farm, or the agricultural land was owned by
one or more of the related persons for a period of five years before its
transfer to the limited liability company, and none of the members is a
corporation or a limited liability company.
A family farm limited liability company does not cease to qualify as a
family farm limited liability company because of:
(1) a transfer of a
membership interest to a person or spouse of a person related within the third
degree of kindred according to the rules of civil law to the person making the
transfer or to a family farm trust of which the member, spouse, or related
person is a current beneficiary; or
(2) distribution from a
family farm trust of a membership interest to a beneficiary related within the
third degree of kindred according to the rules of civil law to a majority of
the current beneficiaries of the trust, or to a family farm trust of which the
member, spouse, or related person is a current beneficiary.
For the purposes of this
section, a transfer may be made with or without consideration, either directly
or indirectly, during life or at death, whether or not in trust, of a
membership interest in the family farm limited liability company, and interest
owned by a family farm trust is considered to be owned in equal shares by the
current beneficiaries. Except for a
state or federally chartered financial institution acquiring an encumbrance for
the purpose of security or an interest under paragraph (x), a member of a
family farm limited liability company may not transfer a membership interest,
including a financial interest, to a person who is not otherwise eligible to be
a member under this paragraph.
(m) "Authorized farm
limited liability company" means a limited liability company meeting the
following standards:
(1) it has no more than five
members;
(2) all its members, other
than any estate, are natural persons or family farm trusts;
(3) it does not have more
than one class of membership interests;
(4) its revenue from rent,
royalties, dividends, interest, and annuities does not exceed 20 percent of its
gross receipts;
(5) members holding 51
percent or more of both the governance rights and financial rights in the
limited liability company reside on the farm or are actively engaged in
farming;
(6) it does not, directly or
indirectly, own or otherwise have an interest in any title to more than 1,500
acres of agricultural land; and
(7) none of its members are
members in other authorized farm limited liability companies that directly or
indirectly in combination with the authorized farm limited liability company
own more than 1,500 acres of agricultural land.
Except for a state or
federally chartered financial institution acquiring an encumbrance for the
purpose of security or an interest under paragraph (x), a member of an
authorized farm limited liability company may not transfer a membership
interest, including a financial interest, to a person who is not otherwise
eligible to be a member under this paragraph.
(n) "Farmer" means
a natural person who regularly participates in physical labor or operations
management in the person's farming operation and files "Schedule F"
as part of the person's annual Form 1040 filing with the United States Internal
Revenue Service.
(o) "Actively engaged in
livestock production" means performing day-to-day physical labor or
day-to-day operations management that significantly contributes to livestock
production and the functioning of a livestock operation.
(p) "Research or
experimental farm" means a corporation, limited partnership, pension,
investment fund, or limited liability company that owns or operates
agricultural land for research or experimental purposes, provided that any
commercial sales from the operation are incidental to the research or
experimental objectives of the corporation.
A corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, or
pension or investment fund seeking initial approval by the commissioner to
operate agricultural land for research or experimental purposes must first
submit to the commissioner a prospectus or proposal of the intended method of
operation containing information required by the commissioner including a copy
of any operational contract with individual participants.
(q) "Breeding stock
farm" means a corporation, limited partnership, or limited liability
company, that owns or operates agricultural land for the purpose of raising
breeding stock, including embryos, for resale to farmers or for the purpose of
growing seed, wild rice, nursery plants, or sod. An entity that is organized to raise
livestock other than dairy cattle under this paragraph that does not qualify as
an authorized farm corporation must:
(1) sell all castrated
animals to be fed out or finished to farming operations that are neither
directly nor indirectly owned by the business entity operating the breeding
stock operation; and
(2) report its total
production and sales annually to the commissioner.
(r) "Aquatic farm"
means a corporation, limited partnership, or limited liability company, that
owns or leases agricultural land as a necessary part of an aquatic farm as
defined in section 17.47, subdivision 3.
(s) "Religious farm"
means a corporation formed primarily for religious purposes whose sole income
is derived from agriculture.
(t) "Utility
corporation" means a corporation regulated under Minnesota Statutes 1974,
chapter 216B, that owns agricultural land for purposes described in that
chapter, or an electric generation or transmission cooperative that owns
agricultural land for use in its business if the land is not used for farming
except under lease to a family farm unit, a family farm corporation, a family
farm trust, a family farm partnership, or a family farm limited liability
company.
(u) "Development
organization" means a corporation, limited partnership, limited liability
company, or pension or investment fund that has an interest in agricultural
land for which the corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company,
or pension or investment fund has documented plans to use and subsequently uses
the land within six years from the date of purchase for a specific nonfarming
purpose, or if the land is zoned nonagricultural, or if the land is located
within an incorporated area. A corporation,
limited partnership, limited liability company, or pension or investment fund
may hold agricultural land in the amount necessary for its nonfarm business
operation; provided, however, that pending the development of agricultural land
for nonfarm purposes, the land may not be used for farming except under lease
to a family farm unit, a family farm corporation, a family farm trust, an
authorized farm corporation, an authorized livestock farm corporation, a family
farm partnership, an authorized farm partnership, a family farm limited
liability company, or an authorized farm limited liability company, or except
when controlled through ownership, options, leaseholds, or other agreements by
a corporation that has entered into an agreement with the United States under
the New Community Act of 1968 (Title IV of the Housing and Urban Development
Act of 1968, United States Code, title 42, sections 3901 to 3914) as amended,
or a subsidiary or assign of such a corporation.
(v) "Exempt land"
means agricultural land owned or leased by a corporation as of May 20, 1973,
agricultural land owned or leased by a pension or investment fund as of May 12,
1981, agricultural land owned or leased by a limited partnership as of May 1,
1988, or agricultural land owned or leased by a trust as of the effective date
of Laws 2000, chapter 477, including the normal expansion of that ownership at
a rate not to exceed 20 percent of the amount of land owned as of May 20, 1973,
for a corporation; May 12, 1981, for a pension or investment fund; May 1, 1988,
for a limited partnership, or the effective date of Laws 2000, chapter 477, for
a trust, measured in acres, in any five-year period, and including additional
ownership reasonably necessary to meet the requirements of pollution control
rules. A corporation, limited
partnership, or pension or investment fund that is eligible to own or lease
agricultural land under this section prior to May 1997, or a corporation that
is eligible to own or lease agricultural land as a benevolent trust under this
section prior to the effective date of Laws 2000, chapter 477, may continue to
own or lease agricultural land subject to the same conditions and limitations
as previously allowed.
(w) "Gifted land"
means agricultural land acquired as a gift, either by grant or devise, by an
educational, religious, or charitable nonprofit corporation, limited
partnership, limited liability company, or pension or investment fund if all
land so acquired is disposed of within ten years after acquiring the title.
(x) "Repossessed
land" means agricultural land acquired by a corporation, limited
partnership, limited liability company, or pension or investment fund by
process of law in the collection of debts, or by any procedure for the
enforcement of a lien or claim on the land, whether created by mortgage or
otherwise if all land so acquired is disposed of within five years after
acquiring the title. The five-year
limitation is a covenant running with the title to the land against any
grantee, assignee, or successor of the pension or investment fund, corporation,
limited partnership, or limited liability company. The land so acquired must not be used for
farming during the five-year period, except under a lease to a family farm
unit, a family farm corporation, a family farm trust, an authorized farm
corporation, an authorized livestock farm corporation, a family farm
partnership, an authorized farm partnership, a family farm limited liability
company, or an authorized farm limited liability company. Notwithstanding the five-year divestiture
requirement under this paragraph, a financial institution may continue to own
the agricultural land if the agricultural land is leased to the immediately
preceding former owner, but must dispose of the agricultural land within
ten years of acquiring the title. Livestock
acquired by a pension or investment fund, corporation, limited partnership, or
limited liability company in the collection of debts, or by a procedure for the
enforcement of lien or claim on the livestock whether created by security
agreement or otherwise after August 1, 1994, must be sold or disposed of within
one full production cycle for the type of livestock acquired or 18 months after
the livestock is acquired, whichever is earlier.
(y) "Commissioner"
means the commissioner of agriculture.
(z) "Nonprofit
corporation" means a nonprofit corporation organized under state nonprofit
corporation or trust law or qualified for tax-exempt status under federal tax
law that: (1) uses the land for a
specific nonfarming purpose or; (2) leases the agricultural land
to a family farm unit, a family farm corporation, an authorized farm
corporation, an authorized livestock farm corporation, a family farm limited
liability company, a family farm trust, an authorized farm limited liability
company, a family farm partnership, or an authorized farm partnership; or
(3) actively farms less than 160 acres that were acquired by the nonprofit
corporation prior to August 1, 2010, or actively farms less than 40 acres that
were acquired by the nonprofit corporation after August 1, 2010, and the
nonprofit corporation uses all profits from the agricultural land for
educational purposes.
(aa) "Current
beneficiary" means a person who at any time during a year is entitled to,
or at the discretion of any person may, receive a distribution from the income
or principal of the trust. It does not
include a distributee trust, other than a trust described in section 170(c) of
the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, but does include the current beneficiaries
of the distributee trust. It does not
include a person in whose favor a power of appointment could be exercised until
the holder of the power of appointment actually exercises the power of
appointment in that person's favor. It
does not include a person who is entitled to receive a distribution only after
a specified time or upon the occurrence of a specified event until the time or
occurrence of the event. For the
purposes of this section, a distributee trust is a current beneficiary of a
family farm trust.
(bb) "De minimis"
means that any corporation, pension or investment fund, limited liability
company, or limited partnership that directly or indirectly owns, acquires, or
otherwise obtains any interest in 40 acres or less of agricultural land and
annually receives less than $150 per acre in gross revenue from rental or
agricultural production.
Sec. 29. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 514.965,
subdivision 2, is amended to read:
Subd. 2. Agricultural
lien. "Agricultural lien"
means an agricultural lien as defined in section 336.9-102(a)(5) and includes a
veterinarian's lien, breeder's lien, livestock production input lien, temporary
livestock production input lien, and feeder's lien under this section and
section 514.966.
Sec. 30. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 514.966, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 3a. Temporary
livestock production input lien; debtor in mediation. (a) A supplier furnishing livestock
production inputs in the ordinary course of business to a debtor who has filed
a mediation request under chapter 583 has a temporary livestock production
input lien for the unpaid retail cost of the livestock production input. A perfected temporary livestock production
input lien that attaches to livestock may not exceed the amount, if any, that
the sales price of the livestock for which the inputs were received exceeds the
greater of the fair market value of the livestock at the time the lien attaches
or the acquisition price of the livestock.
A temporary livestock production input lien becomes effective when the
agricultural production inputs are furnished by the supplier to the purchaser.
(b) A
temporary livestock production input lien under this subdivision applies to
livestock production inputs provided to the debtor during the 45 days following
a mediation request under chapter 583.
(c) A person who supplies
livestock production inputs under this subdivision shall provide a
lien-notification statement as required under subdivision 3, paragraphs (b) and
(c), but is not subject to subdivision 3, paragraphs (d) to (f). A perfected temporary livestock production
input lien corresponding to the lien-notification statement has priority over
any security interest of the lender in the same livestock or their proceeds for
the lesser of:
(1) the
amount stated in the lien-notification statement; or
(2) the
unpaid retail cost of the livestock production input identified in the
lien-notification statement, subject to any limitation in paragraph (a).
Sec. 31. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 514.966,
subdivision 5, is amended to read:
Subd. 5. Scope. A veterinarian's lien, breeder's lien,
livestock production input lien, temporary livestock production lien, or
feeder's lien attaches to the livestock serviced by the agricultural
lienholder, and products and proceeds thereof to the extent of the price or
value of the service provided.
Sec. 32. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 514.966,
subdivision 6, is amended to read:
Subd. 6. Perfection. (a) An agricultural lien under this
section is perfected if a financing statement is filed pursuant to sections
336.9-501 to 336.9-530 and within the time periods set forth in paragraphs (b)
to (e) (f).
(b) A veterinarian's lien
must be perfected on or before 180 days after the last item of the veterinary
service is performed.
(c) A breeder's lien must be
perfected by six months after the last date that breeding services are provided
the obligor.
(d) Except as provided in
paragraph (f), a livestock production input lien must be perfected by six
months after the last date that livestock production inputs are furnished the
obligor.
(e) A feeder's lien must be
perfected on or before 60 days after the last date that feeding services are
furnished the obligor.
(f) A
temporary livestock production input lien, under subdivision 3a, must be
perfected on or before 60 days after the last date that livestock production
inputs are furnished the obligor.
Sec. 33. Laws 2008, chapter 296, article 1, section
25, the effective date, is amended to read:
EFFECTIVE DATE. This
section is effective June 1, 2010 2012.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
following final enactment.
Sec. 34. FERTILIZER
RESEARCH GRANTS; EXTENSION OF APPROPRIATION AVAILABILITY.
Notwithstanding
Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.28:
(1) the
appropriation encumbered on or before June 30, 2009, for fertilizer research
grants in Laws 2007, chapter 45, article 1, section 3, subdivision 5, is
available until June 30, 2011;
(2) the
fiscal year 2010 appropriation encumbered on or before June 30, 2011, for
fertilizer research grants in Laws 2009, chapter 94, article 1, section 3,
subdivision 5, is available until June 30, 2013; and
(3) the fiscal year 2011
appropriation encumbered on or before June 30, 2012, for fertilizer research
grants in Laws 2009, chapter 94, article 1, section 3, subdivision 5, is
available until June 30, 2014.
Sec. 35. DAIRY
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION FACILITY; COLLABORATION.
The
commissioner of agriculture shall convene one or more meetings with milk
producers, other industry stakeholders, and representatives of the University
of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System whose work
relates to the dairy industry to consider the elements of a dairy research and
education facility which would represent a partnership between higher education
institutions and the dairy industry. No
later than February 1, 2011, the commissioner shall provide a report on
facility and financing options to the legislative committees with jurisdiction
over agriculture finance.
Sec. 36. APPROPRIATION;
TERMINAL CAPACITY REPORT.
$40,000 is
appropriated in fiscal year 2011 from the liquefied petroleum gas account in
the special revenue fund under Minnesota Statutes, section 239.785, subdivision
6 to the commissioner of agriculture for a terminal capacity report. This is a onetime appropriation. The commissioner of agriculture, with
assistance from the Office of Energy Security, shall determine the total
propane and anhydrous ammonia terminal capacity located in the state and within
100 miles of the state's borders. The
commissioner shall also use projected grain yields and other relevant factors
to estimate total agricultural demand for propane and anhydrous ammonia in this
state in the year 2020 and shall develop a detailed plan for fully and
economically satisfying this anticipated demand. No later than February 1, 2011, the
commissioner shall present the report to the legislative committees with
jurisdiction over agriculture finance.
Sec. 37. INDUSTRIAL
HEMP REPORT.
The
commissioner of agriculture shall identify and analyze industrial hemp laws and
procedures in Canada or one or more of the other 30 nations where industrial
hemp is grown as an agricultural crop. In
particular, the commissioner shall report on how law enforcement and other
authorities differentiate between industrial hemp and marijuana growing in the
field. No later than February 15, 2011,
the commissioner shall present a report on this topic to the legislative
committees with jurisdiction over agriculture policy and finance and provide a
copy to the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, the Minnesota
Chiefs of Police Association, the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association, and the
Minnesota County Attorneys Association.
Sec. 38. BIOENERGY
DEVELOPMENT; REPORT.
The
commissioner of agriculture shall actively pursue federal and other resources
available to promote and achieve greater production and use of biofuels in this
state, including but not limited to increasing the availability of retail fuel
dispensers for E85 and intermediate ethanol-gasoline blends. No later than February 15, 2011, the
commissioner shall report on activities and accomplishments under this section
to the legislative committees with jurisdiction over agriculture finance.
Sec. 39. FOREST
PEST WORKGROUP; REPORT.
(a) The
commissioners of agriculture and natural resources shall form a workgroup and
develop recommendations on how the state should address mitigation of invasive
or exotic forest pests, primarily gypsy moth and emerald ash borer. The commissioners shall consult with
representatives of the Forest and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services
of the United States Department of Agriculture, local units of government, the
nursery industry, and the timber industry.
The commissioners shall report to the legislature under Minnesota
Statutes, section 3.195, no later than September 1, 2010.
(b) The recommendations must
outline current funding sources for forest pest survey, treatment, quarantine,
and outreach activities and must explore and evaluate alternative or additional
funding options. The workgroup shall
also report on:
(1) the
public and private sector benefits of forest pest survey, detection,
eradication and outreach efforts;
(2)
potential ramifications if the state discontinues efforts to control forest
pests, including but not limited to the economic and commercial impact of a
statewide quarantine and the environmental consequences of forests pests left
unabated;
(3)
clarifying statutory and regulatory roles and responsibilities of state
agencies and local units of government as well as identifying and evaluating
options for consolidating these roles and responsibilities; and
(4) the
roles that federal agencies play in managing and regulating invasive forest
pests.
Sec. 40. REPEALER.
Minnesota
Statutes 2008, sections 17.231; and 343.26, and Laws 2009, chapter 94, article
1, section 106, are repealed.
ARTICLE 2
VETERANS
Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 1.141, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 6. Folding
of the state flag for presentation or display. The following procedures constitute
the proper way to fold the Minnesota State Flag for presentation or display. Fold the flag four times lengthwise so that
one section displays the three stars of the state crest and the text
"L'Etoile du Nord." Fold each side behind the displayed section at a
90-degree angle so that the display section forms a triangle. Take the section ending with the hoist and
fold it at a 90-degree angle across the bottom of the display section and then
fold the hoist back over so it is aligned with the middle of the display
section. Fold the other protruding
section directly upwards so that its edge is flush with the display section and
then fold it upwards along a 45-degree angle so that a mirror of the display
section triangle is formed. Fold the
mirror section in half from the point upwards, then fold the remaining portion
upwards, tucking it between the display section and the remainder of the flag.
Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 1.141, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 7. Folding
of the state flag for storage. When
folding the Minnesota State Flag for storage, the proper procedure is to fold
and store the flag in the same manner as the national colors.
Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section
16C.16, subdivision 6a, is amended to read:
Subd. 6a. Veteran-owned
small businesses. (a) The
commissioner shall award up to a six percent preference, but no less than the
percentage awarded to any other group under this section, in the amount bid on
state procurement to certified small businesses that are majority-owned and
operated either by:
(1) by recently
separated veterans, who are veterans as defined in section 197.447, who
have served in active military service, at any time on or after September 11,
2001, and who have been discharged under honorable conditions from active
service, as indicated by the person's United States Department of Defense form
DD-214 or by the commissioner of veterans affairs; or
(2)
by veterans who are veterans as defined in section 197.447, with
service-connected disabilities, as determined at any time by the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs; or
(3) any
other veteran-owned small businesses certified under section 16C.19, paragraph
(d).
(b) The purpose of this
designation is to facilitate the transition of veterans from military to
civilian life, and to help compensate veterans for their sacrifices, including
but not limited to their sacrifice of health and time, to the state and nation
during their military service, as well as to enhance economic development
within Minnesota.
(c) For
purposes of this section and section 16C.19, "service-connected
disability" has the meaning given in United States Code, title 38, section
101(16), as determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2010,
and applies to businesses that apply for state contracts being awarded on or
after that date.
Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section
16C.19, is amended to read:
16C.19 ELIGIBILITY; RULES.
(a) A small business wishing
to participate in the programs under section 16C.16, subdivisions 4 to 7, must
be certified by the commissioner. The
commissioner shall adopt by rule standards and procedures for certifying that
small businesses, small targeted group businesses, and small businesses located
in economically disadvantaged areas are eligible to participate under the
requirements of sections 16C.16 to 16C.21.
The commissioner shall adopt by rule standards and procedures for
hearing appeals and grievances and other rules necessary to carry out the
duties set forth in sections 16C.16 to 16C.21.
(b) The commissioner may make
rules which exclude or limit the participation of nonmanufacturing business,
including third-party lessors, brokers, franchises, jobbers, manufacturers'
representatives, and others from eligibility under sections 16C.16 to 16C.21.
(c) The commissioner may make
rules that set time limits and other eligibility limits on business
participation in programs under sections 16C.16 to 16C.21.
(d) Notwithstanding paragraph
(c), for purposes of sections 16C.16 to 16C.21, a veteran-owned small business or
service-disabled veteran-owned small business, the principal place of
business of which is in Minnesota, is certified if:
(1) it has been
verified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as being either
a veteran-owned small business or a service-disabled veteran-owned small
business, in accordance with Public Law 109-461 and Code of Federal
Regulations, title 38, part 74, and a majority of the owners of the business
are recently separated veterans as provided in section 16C.16, subdivision 6a;
or
(2) it has
been verified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs as being a
service-disabled veteran-owned small business in accordance with Public Law
109-461 and Code of Federal Regulations, title 38, part 74.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1,
2010, and applies to businesses that apply for state contracts being awarded on
or after that date.
Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 123B.35, is
amended to read:
123B.35 GENERAL POLICY.
It is the policy of the state
of Minnesota that public school education shall be free and no pupil shall be
denied an education because of economic inability to furnish educational books
and supplies necessary to complete educational requirements necessary for
graduation. Any practice leading to
suspension, coercion, exclusion, withholding of grades or
diplomas, or discriminatory action based upon nonpayment of fees denies pupils
their right to equal protection and entitled privileges. It is recognized that school boards do have
the right to accept voluntary contributions and, to make certain
charges and to establish fees in areas considered extra curricular,
noncurricular or supplementary to the requirements for the successful
completion of a class or educational program, and to waive those fees under
certain circumstances. No public
school board may require, except as authorized by sections 123B.36 and 123B.38,
the payment of fees.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
following final enactment.
Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 123B.36,
subdivision 6, is amended to read:
Subd. 6. Waiver
of student fees based on need. (a)
A board may waive any deposit or fee for any pupil whose parent is serving in,
or within the past year has served in, active military service as defined under
section 190.05.
(b) A board
may waive any deposit or fee if any pupil or the pupil's parent or guardian is
unable to pay it.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
following final enactment.
Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 168.123,
subdivision 2, is amended to read:
Subd. 2. Design. The commissioner of veterans affairs
shall design the emblem for the veterans' special plates, subject to the
approval of the commissioner, that satisfy the following requirements:
(a) For a Vietnam veteran
who served after July 1, 1961, and before July 1, 1978, in the active military
service in a branch of the armed forces of the United States or a nation or
society allied with the United States the special plates must bear the
inscription "VIETNAM VET" and the letters "V" and
"V" with the first letter directly above the second letter and both
letters just preceding the first numeral of the special plate number.
(b) For a veteran stationed
on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, or offshore, during the attack on Pearl Harbor
on December 7, 1941, the special plates must bear the inscription "PEARL
HARBOR SURVIVOR" and the letters "P" and "H" with the
first letter directly above the second letter and both letters just preceding
the first numeral of the special plate number.
(c) For a veteran who served
during World War I or World War II, the plates must bear the inscription
"WORLD WAR VET" and:
(1) for a World War I
veteran, the characters "W" and "I" with the first
character directly above the second character and both characters just
preceding the first numeral of the special plate number; or
(2) for a World War II
veteran, the characters "W" and "II" with the first
character directly above the second character and both characters just
preceding the first numeral of the special plate number.
(d) For a veteran who served
during the Korean Conflict, the special plates must bear the inscription
"KOREAN VET" and the letters "K" and "V" with the
first letter directly above the second letter and both letters just preceding
the first numeral of the special plate number.
(e) For a combat wounded veteran
who is a recipient of the purple heart medal, the plates must bear the
inscription "COMBAT WOUNDED VET" and have a facsimile on an emblem of
the official purple heart medal and the letters "C" over
"W" with the first letter directly over the second letter just
preceding the first numeral of the special plate number.
A member of the United States
armed forces who is serving actively in the military and who is a recipient of
the purple heart medal is also eligible for this license plate. The commissioner of public safety shall
ensure that information regarding the required proof of eligibility for any
applicant under this paragraph who has not yet been issued military discharge
papers is distributed to the public officials responsible for administering this
section.
(f) For a Persian Gulf War
veteran, the plates must bear the inscription "GULF WAR VET" and the
letters "G" and "W" with the first letter directly above
the second letter and both letters just preceding the first numeral of the
special plate number. For the purposes
of this section, "Persian Gulf War veteran" means a person who served
on active duty after August 1, 1990, in a branch of the armed forces of the
United States or a nation or society allied with the United States or the
United Nations during Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, or
other military operation in the Persian Gulf area combat zone as
designated in United States Presidential Executive Order No. 12744,
dated January 21, 1991.
(g) For a veteran who served
in the Laos War after July 1, 1961, and before July 1, 1978, the special plates
must bear the inscription "LAOS WAR VET" and the letters
"L" and "V" with the first letter directly above the second
letter and both letters just preceding the first numeral of the special plate
number.
(h) For a veteran who is the
recipient of:
(1) the Iraq Campaign Medal,
the special plates must be inscribed with a facsimile of that medal and must
bear the inscription "IRAQ WAR VET" directly below the special plate
number;
(2) the Afghanistan Campaign
Medal, the special plates must be inscribed with a facsimile of that medal and
must bear the inscription "AFGHAN WAR VET" directly below the special
plate number; or
(3) the Global War on
Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the special plates must be inscribed with a
facsimile of that medal and must bear the inscription "GWOT VETERAN"
directly below the special plate number.
(i) For a veteran who is the
recipient of the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the special plates must
be inscribed with a facsimile of that medal and must bear the inscription
"GWOT VETERAN" directly below the special plate number. In addition, any member of the National Guard
or other military reserves who has been ordered to federally funded state
active service under United States Code, title 32, as defined in section
190.05, subdivision 5b, and who is the recipient of the Global War on Terrorism
Service Medal, is eligible for the license plate described in this paragraph,
irrespective of whether that person qualifies as a veteran under section
197.447.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective August 1,
2010.
Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 196.05, is
amended by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 3. Consumer
satisfaction. (a) The commissioner
shall submit a memorandum each year to the governor and the chairs and ranking
minority members of the house of representatives and senate standing committees
with jurisdiction over the department's programs that provides the following
information:
(1) the
number of calls made to each of the department's help lines by consumers and
citizens regarding services provided or regulated by the department;
(2) the
subject matter of the call;
(3) the
number of service-related calls that were resolved;
(4) the
number that remain open; and
(5) the number that were
without merit.
(b) The
commissioner shall publish the annual memorandum on the department's Web site
each year no later than March 1.
Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 197.455, is amended
by adding a subdivision to read:
Subd. 5a. Teacher
hiring. (a) Any public school
under the state's Education Code that chooses at any time to use a 100-point
hiring method to evaluate applicants for teaching positions is subject to the
requirements of subdivisions 4 and 5 for determining veterans preference
points.
(b) Any
public school under the state's Education Code opting at any time not to use a
100-point hiring method to evaluate applicants for teaching positions is exempt
from the requirements of subdivisions 4 and 5 for determining veterans
preference points, but must instead grant to any veteran who applies for a
teaching position and who has proper licensure for that position an interview
for that position.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
following final enactment.
Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section
197.46, is amended to read:
197.46 VETERANS PREFERENCE ACT; REMOVAL FORBIDDEN; RIGHT OF MANDAMUS.
Any person whose rights may
be in any way prejudiced contrary to any of the provisions of this section,
shall be entitled to a writ of mandamus to remedy the wrong. No person holding a position by appointment
or employment in the several counties, cities, towns, school districts and all
other political subdivisions in the state, who is a veteran separated from the
military service under honorable conditions, shall be removed from such
position or employment except for incompetency or misconduct shown after a
hearing, upon due notice, upon stated charges, in writing.
Any veteran who has been
notified of the intent to discharge the veteran from an appointed position or
employment pursuant to this section shall be notified in writing of such intent
to discharge and of the veteran's right to request a hearing within 60 days of
receipt of the notice of intent to discharge.
The failure of a veteran to request a hearing within the provided 60-day
period shall constitute a waiver of the right to a hearing. Such failure shall also waive all other
available legal remedies for reinstatement.
Request for a hearing
concerning such a discharge shall be made in writing and submitted by mail or
personal service to the employment office of the concerned employer or other
appropriate office or person.
In all governmental
subdivisions having an established civil service board or commission, or merit
system authority, such hearing for removal or discharge shall be held before
such civil service board or commission or merit system authority. Where no such civil service board or
commission or merit system authority exists, such hearing shall be held by a
board of three persons appointed as follows:
one by the governmental subdivision, one by the veteran, and the third
by the two so selected. In the event the
two persons so selected do not appoint the third person within ten days after
the appointment of the last of the two, then the judge of the district court of
the county wherein the proceeding is pending, or if there be more than one
judge in said county then any judge in chambers, shall have jurisdiction to
appoint, and upon application of either or both of the two so selected shall
appoint, the third person to the board and the person so appointed by the judge
with the two first selected shall constitute the board. The veteran may appeal from the decision of
the board upon the charges to the district court by causing written notice of
appeal, stating the grounds thereof, to be served upon the governmental
subdivision or officer making the charges within 15 days after notice of the
decision and by filing the original notice of appeal with proof of service
thereof in the office of the court administrator of the district court within
ten days after service thereof. Nothing
in section 197.455 or this section shall be construed to apply to the position
of private secretary, superintendent of schools, or one chief deputy of any elected official
or head of a department, or to any person holding a strictly confidential
relation to the appointing officer. Nothing
in this section shall be construed to apply to the position of teacher. The burden of establishing such relationship
shall be upon the appointing officer in all proceedings and actions relating
thereto.
All officers, boards,
commissions, and employees shall conform to, comply with, and aid in all proper
ways in carrying into effect the provisions of section 197.455 and this section
notwithstanding any laws, charter provisions, ordinances or rules to the
contrary. Any willful violation of such
sections by officers, officials, or employees is a misdemeanor.
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
following final enactment.
Sec. 11. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 197.481,
subdivision 1, is amended to read:
Subdivision 1. Petition. A veteran, as defined by section
197.447, who has been denied rights by the state or any political
subdivision, municipality, or other public agency of the state as authorized
by the Veterans Preference Act under section 43A.11, 197.46, 197.48, or
197.455 may petition the commissioner of veterans affairs for an order
directing the agency to grant the veteran such relief the commissioner finds
justified by said statutes.
The petition shall be
submitted via United States mail and contain:
(1) the name, address, telephone
number, and acknowledged notarized original signature of the
veteran;
(2) the names, telephone
numbers, and addresses of all agencies and persons that will be directly
affected if the petition is granted;
(3) a concise statement of
the facts giving rise to the veteran's rights and a concise statement showing
the manner in which rights were denied;
(4) a statement of the
relief requested.; and
(5) a copy
of the veteran's Form DD214 (Separation or Discharge from Active Duty).
Sec. 12. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 197.481,
subdivision 2, is amended to read:
Subd. 2. Service. Upon receipt and authorization
verification of a complete petition herein, the commissioner shall
serve a copy of same, by certified mail, on all agencies and persons named
therein and on such other agencies or persons as in the judgment of the
commissioner should in justice be parties to the proceeding. The veteran and all agencies and persons
served shall be parties to the proceeding.
Sec. 13. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 197.481,
subdivision 4, is amended to read:
Subd. 4. Hearing. The commissioner shall hold schedule
a hearing on the petition of any party to be held or conducted within 20
120 days of serving, or being served with the authorized and complete
petition. The veteran may demand an
opportunity to be heard at a time set by the commissioner. A party who fails to demand such hearing
within 20 days shall be heard only by permission of the commissioner, except
that if any party demands to be heard At the hearing, all parties
shall have the right to be heard. A
hearing hereunder shall be conducted and orders issued in accord with sections
14.57 to 14.60 and 14.62, at the office of the commissioner or at a place the
commissioner designates. The
commissioner shall notify all parties, by certified mail, of the date,
time, and place of the hearing.