A bill for an act 
                  relating to joint powers agreements; adding the 
                  University of Minnesota as a governmental unit; 
                  amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 471.59, 
                  subdivision 1. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 471.59, 
        subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
           Subdivision 1.  [AGREEMENT.] Two or more governmental 
        units, by agreement entered into through action of their 
        governing bodies, may jointly or cooperatively exercise any 
        power common to the contracting parties or any similar powers, 
        including those which are the same except for the territorial 
        limits within which they may be exercised.  The agreement may 
        provide for the exercise of such powers by one or more of the 
        participating governmental units on behalf of the other 
        participating units.  The term "governmental unit" as used in 
        this section includes every city, county, town, school district, 
        other political subdivision of this or another state, another 
        state, the University of Minnesota, and any agency of the state 
        of Minnesota or the United States, and includes any 
        instrumentality of a governmental unit.  For the purpose of this 
        section, an instrumentality of a governmental unit means an 
        instrumentality having independent policy making and 
        appropriating authority. 
           Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
           Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.