2nd Engrossment - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 11/09/2017 10:51am
A bill for an act
relating to state government; establishing an Advisory Task Force on Fiscal Notes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
new text begin
The Advisory Task Force on Fiscal Notes consists of the
following 13 voting members:
new text end
new text begin
(1) four senators, including two senators appointed by the senate majority leader and
two senators appointed by the senate minority leader;
new text end
new text begin
(2) four members of the house of representatives, including two members appointed by
the speaker of the house of representatives and two members appointed by the minority
leader of the house of representatives;
new text end
new text begin
(3) the commissioner of management and budget or a designee;
new text end
new text begin
(4) the state budget director or designee;
new text end
new text begin
(5) two fiscal note coordinators selected by the commissioner of management and budget;
and
new text end
new text begin
(6) one member appointed by the governor from the Office of the Governor.
new text end
new text begin
The lead fiscal analyst for the senate or a designee and the chief fiscal analyst for the
house of representatives or a designee shall serve on the task force as nonvoting members.
new text end
new text begin
(a) The task force shall conduct a detailed review of the current fiscal
note process under Minnesota Statutes, section 3.98, to determine whether to modify the
process. The review should consider:
new text end
new text begin
(1) the needs of the legislature for timely, accurate, unbiased fiscal notes prepared in a
cost-effective manner;
new text end
new text begin
(2) the time it takes to obtain a fiscal note;
new text end
new text begin
(3) the accuracy of fiscal notes;
new text end
new text begin
(4) methods used by other states for preparing fiscal notes;
new text end
new text begin
(5) the effect that legislative scheduling and amendments have on accuracy and timing
of fiscal notes;
new text end
new text begin
(6) review of the legislative auditor's 2012 report on fiscal notes; and
new text end
new text begin
(7) the current process of generating fiscal notes.
new text end
new text begin
(b) The task force shall evaluate whether the fiscal note process could be improved if
the legislature, through a new legislative office, assumed the current role of the commissioner
of management and budget in the fiscal note process; the cost for creating a new legislative
office; whether the cost for the new office would be justified by the expense; and what
safeguards would be needed to be put in place to ensure the independence and nonpartisan
status of the office.
new text end
new text begin
The task force shall report to the chairs and ranking minority members
of the committees in the house of representatives and senate with jurisdiction over the fiscal
note process by June 1, 2018, with recommendations for modifying the fiscal note process.
The report must include any draft legislation needed to implement the recommendations.
new text end
new text begin
The task force shall elect a chair by a majority vote of those members
present.
new text end
new text begin
The meetings of the commission are subject to Minnesota Statutes,
section 3.055.
new text end
new text begin
The Legislative Coordinating Commission shall provide
administrative services for the commission.
new text end
new text begin
Members who are not legislators serve without compensation.
new text end
new text begin
This section expires the day after submitting the report required
in subdivision 3.
new text end
new text begin
Appointing authorities must make initial
appointments to the Advisory Task Force on Fiscal Notes by June 1, 2017.
new text end
new text begin
The majority leader of the senate shall designate one senate
member of the Advisory Task Force on Fiscal Notes to convene the first meeting by August
1, 2017. The commission must select a chair from among the senate members at the first
meeting.
new text end
new text begin
This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end