1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to elections; providing for costs of hearing Fair Campaign Practices Act 
1.3 	complaints; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections 
1.4 	10A.31, subdivision 4; 211B.37.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 10A.31, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
1.7 		Subd. 4.Appropriation. (a) The amounts designated by individuals for the state 
1.8 	elections campaign fund, less three percent, are appropriated from the general fund, must 
1.9 	be transferred and credited to the appropriate account in the state elections campaign fund, 
1.10 	and are annually appropriated for distribution as set forth in subdivisions 5, 5a, 6, and 7. 
1.11 	The remaining three percent must be kept in the general fund for administrative costs.
1.12 	(b) In addition to the amounts in paragraph (a), $1,250,000 for each general election 
1.13 	is appropriated from the general fund for transfer to the general account of the state 
1.14 	elections campaign fund.
1.15 	~~Of this appropriation, $65,000 each fiscal year must be set aside to pay assessments~~ 
1.16 	~~made by the Office of Administrative Hearings under section 211B.37. Amounts~~ 
1.17 	~~remaining after all assessments have been paid must be canceled to the general account.~~

1.18 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 211B.37, is amended to read:
1.19 	211B.37 COSTS ASSESSED.
1.20 	Except as otherwise provided in section 211B.36, subdivision 3, the chief 
1.21 	administrative law judge shall assess the cost of considering complaints filed under section 
1.22 	211B.32 as provided in this section. Costs of complaints relating to a statewide ballot 
1.23 	question or an election for a statewide or legislative office must be assessed against the 
2.1 	appropriation from the general fund to the ~~general account of the state elections campaign~~ 
2.2 	~~fund in section 10A.31, subdivision 4~~ Office of Administrative Hearings. Costs of 
2.3 	complaints relating to any other ballot question or elective office must be assessed against 
2.4 	the county or counties in which the election is held. Where the election is held in more 
2.5 	than one county, the chief administrative law judge shall apportion the assessment among 
2.6 	the counties in proportion to their respective populations within the election district to 
2.7 	which the complaint relates according to the most recent decennial federal census. 

2.8 	Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION.
 2.9 	$130,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the Office of Administrative 
2.10 	Hearings to pay costs of hearing complaints of violations of the Fair Campaign Practices 
2.11 	Act by candidates for state office assessed against the general fund under Minnesota 
2.12 	Statutes, section 211B.37. $65,000 is for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, and $65,000 
2.13 	is for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009.