1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to utilities; requiring appropriations for 
  1.3             state activities relating to public utility regulation 
  1.4             to be made to commissioner of public service; 
  1.5             requiring commissioner to spend appropriations only in 
  1.6             accordance with recommendations of interagency task 
  1.7             force; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
  1.8             Statutes, chapter 216A. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  [216A.096] [APPROPRIATIONS FOR UTILITY 
  1.11  REGULATION.] 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE.] The commission 
  1.13  and the commissioner of public service shall establish an 
  1.14  interagency task force to consider and make recommendations on 
  1.15  the relative roles of the commission and department in 
  1.16  regulating public utilities.  Before June 30 of each year the 
  1.17  task force shall recommend an allocation of legislative 
  1.18  appropriations for public utility regulation for the next fiscal 
  1.19  year. 
  1.20     Subd. 2.  [APPROPRIATIONS.] Legislative appropriations for 
  1.21  state activities relating to public utility regulation, 
  1.22  including appropriations for (1) expenses and support of the 
  1.23  commission and (2) activities of the department relating to 
  1.24  public utility regulation, must be made to the commissioner of 
  1.25  public service.  The commissioner may spend legislative 
  1.26  appropriations for a fiscal year only in accordance with the 
  1.27  recommendations for that fiscal year from the task force 
  2.1   established under subdivision 1. 
  2.2      Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.3      Section 1, subdivision 1, is effective the day following 
  2.4   final enactment.  Section 1, subdivision 2, is effective July 1, 
  2.5   1997.