1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; modifying certain requirements for University of 
1.3 	Minnesota regents;amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 137.0245, 
1.4 	subdivision 3; 137.0246, subdivision 2; proposing coding for new law in 
1.5 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 137.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [137.0235] DESIGNATED MEMBERS ON BOARD OF REGENTS.
1.8 	In electing members of the Board of Regents pursuant to the Minnesota Constitution, 
1.9 	article XIII, section 3, and Territorial Laws 1851, chapter 3, section 5, the Board of 
1.10 	Regents of the university must have at least one member, who at the time of election to the 
1.11 	board, meets the qualifications under this section. At least one member must be a person 
1.12 	who is a member of the faculty at the University of Minnesota and at least one other 
1.13 	member must be a person who represents labor as a member of a labor union. Regents 
1.14 	elected under this section may represent the state at large or a congressional district under 
1.15 	section 137.024. Upon expiration of the term or in the event of a vacancy in the office, 
1.16 	each position must be filled by a person having the same qualifications.

1.17 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 137.0245, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
1.18 		Subd. 3.Duties. (a) The advisory council shall:
1.19 	(1) develop, in consultation with current and former regents and the administration 
1.20 	of the University of Minnesota, a statement of the selection criteria to be applied and 
1.21 	a description of the responsibilities and duties of a regent, and shall distribute this to 
1.22 	potential candidates; and
1.23 	(2) for each position on the board, identify and recruit qualified candidates for 
1.24 	the Board of Regents, based on the requirements of sections 137.023 to 137.024, 
2.1 	the background and experience of the candidates, their potential for discharging the 
2.2 	responsibilities of a member of the Board of Regents, and the needs of the board. The 
2.3 	selection criteria must not include a limitation on the number of terms an individual may 
2.4 	serve on the Board of Regents.
2.5 	(b) The selection criteria developed under paragraph (a), clause (1), must include a 
2.6 	criterion that regents represent diversity in geography; gender; race; occupation, including 
2.7 	business and labor; and experience.
2.8 	(c) The selection criterion must include an identification of the membership needs of 
2.9 	the board for individual skills relevant to the governance of the University of Minnesota 
2.10 	and the needs for certain individual characteristics. Individual characteristics relate to 
2.11 	qualities such as gender, race, and geographic location of residence.

2.12 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 137.0246, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
2.13 		Subd. 2.Regent nomination joint committee. (a) The joint legislative committee 
2.14 	consists of the members of the higher education budget and policy divisions in each house 
2.15 	of the legislature. The chairs of the divisions from each body shall be cochairs of the 
2.16 	joint legislative committee. A majority of the members from each house is a quorum of 
2.17 	the joint committee.
2.18 	(b) By February 28 of each odd-numbered year, or at a date agreed to by concurrent 
2.19 	resolution, the joint legislative committee shall meet to consider the advisory council's 
2.20 	recommendations for regent of the University of Minnesota for possible presentation to a 
2.21 	joint convention of the legislature.
2.22 	(c) The joint committee may recommend to the joint convention candidates 
2.23 	recommended by the advisory council and the other candidates nominated by the joint 
2.24 	committee. A candidate other than those recommended by the advisory council may be 
2.25 	nominated for consideration by the joint committee only if the nomination receives the 
2.26 	support of at least three house of representatives members of the committee and two senate 
2.27 	members of the committee. A candidate must receive a majority vote of members from the 
2.28 	house of representatives and from the senate on the joint committee to be recommended to 
2.29 	the joint convention. The joint committee may recommend no more than one candidate 
2.30 	for each vacancy. In recommending nominees, the joint committee must consider the 
2.31 	requirements of sections 137.023 to 137.024, the needs of the board of regents, and the 
2.32 	balance of the board membership with respect to gender, racial, and ethnic composition.