1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to agriculture; establishing the Minnesota 
  1.3             agriculture education leadership council; establishing 
  1.4             agricultural education grant programs; creating the 
  1.5             Minnesota center for agriculture education; 
  1.6             appropriating money; proposing coding for new law as 
  1.7             Minnesota Statutes, chapter 41D; repealing Minnesota 
  1.8             Statutes 1996, section 126.113. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  [41D.02] [MINNESOTA AGRICULTURE EDUCATION 
  1.11  LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.] 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT; MEMBERSHIP.] The Minnesota 
  1.13  agriculture education leadership council is established.  The 
  1.14  council is composed of 17 members as follows: 
  1.15     (1) the chair of the senate committee on agriculture and 
  1.16  rural development or the chair's designee; 
  1.17     (2) the chair of the house committee on agriculture or the 
  1.18  chair's designee; 
  1.19     (3) the ranking minority caucus member of the senate 
  1.20  committee on agriculture and rural development or the member's 
  1.21  designee; 
  1.22     (4) the ranking minority caucus member of the house 
  1.23  agriculture committee or the member's designee; 
  1.24     (5) a member of the senate children, families, and learning 
  1.25  committee designated by the chair of the committee; 
  1.26     (6) a member of the house education committee designated by 
  1.27  the chair of the committee; 
  2.1      (7) the chair of the University of Minnesota agricultural 
  2.2   education program; 
  2.3      (8) the supervisor of secondary agricultural education for 
  2.4   the department of children, families, and learning; 
  2.5      (9) the director of management education for the board of 
  2.6   trustees of the Minnesota state colleges and universities; 
  2.7      (10) the president and the president-elect of the Minnesota 
  2.8   vocational agriculture instructors association; 
  2.9      (11) a representative of the Future Farmers of America 
  2.10  Foundation designated by the leadership of the organization; 
  2.11     (12) the commissioner of agriculture or the commissioner's 
  2.12  designee; 
  2.13     (13) a representative of agriculture education appointed by 
  2.14  the chair of the senate committee on agriculture and rural 
  2.15  development; 
  2.16     (14) a representative of agricultural business appointed by 
  2.17  the ranking minority caucus member of the senate committee on 
  2.18  agriculture and rural development; 
  2.19     (15) a representative of agriculture education appointed by 
  2.20  the chair of the house committee on agriculture; and 
  2.21     (16) a representative of agricultural business appointed by 
  2.22  the ranking minority caucus member of the house committee on 
  2.23  agriculture. 
  2.24     Subd. 2.  [POWERS AND DUTIES.] Specific powers and duties 
  2.25  of the council are to: 
  2.26     (1) develop recommendations to the legislature and the 
  2.27  governor and provide oversight for agriculture education 
  2.28  programs in Minnesota; 
  2.29     (2) establish a grant program to foster and encourage the 
  2.30  development of secondary and post-secondary agriculture 
  2.31  education programs; 
  2.32     (3) coordinate and articulate Minnesota's agriculture 
  2.33  education policy across all programs and institutions; 
  2.34     (4) identify the critical needs for agriculture educators; 
  2.35     (5) serve as a link between the agribusiness sector and the 
  2.36  agriculture education system to communicate mutual concerns, 
  3.1   needs, and projections; 
  3.2      (6) establish and maintain an increased awareness of 
  3.3   agriculture education and its continued need to all citizens of 
  3.4   Minnesota; 
  3.5      (7) operate the Minnesota center for agriculture education 
  3.6   created in section 41D.10; and 
  3.7      (8) gain broad public support for agriculture education in 
  3.8   Minnesota. 
  3.9      Subd. 3.  [COUNCIL OFFICERS; TERMS AND COMPENSATION OF 
  3.10  APPOINTEES; STAFF.] (a) The chair of the senate agriculture and 
  3.11  rural development committee and chair of the house agriculture 
  3.12  committee are the cochairs of the council. 
  3.13     (b) The council's membership terms, compensation, filing of 
  3.14  vacancies, and removal of members are as provided in section 
  3.15  15.0575. 
  3.16     (c) The council may employ an executive director and any 
  3.17  other staff to carry out its functions. 
  3.18     Sec. 2.  [41D.03] [AGRICULTURE EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM.] 
  3.19     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] The Minnesota agriculture 
  3.20  education leadership council shall establish a program to 
  3.21  provide grants under subdivisions 2 and 3 to educational 
  3.22  institutions and other appropriate entities for secondary and 
  3.23  post-secondary agriculture education programs. 
  3.24     Subd. 2.  [SECONDARY AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION.] The council 
  3.25  may provide grants for: 
  3.26     (1) secondary student organization executive directors; 
  3.27     (2) planning and establishment costs for secondary 
  3.28  agriculture education programs, including the agriculture 
  3.29  education magnet schools provided for in sections 41D.10 to 
  3.30  41D.15; 
  3.31     (3) new instructional and communication technologies; and 
  3.32     (4) curriculum updates. 
  3.33     Subd. 3.  [POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION.] The council may 
  3.34  provide grants for: 
  3.35     (1) agriculture education faculty through the college of 
  3.36  agriculture with joint administration between the colleges of 
  4.1   agriculture and education; 
  4.2      (2) new instructional and communication technologies; 
  4.3      (3) new small business management and farm business 
  4.4   management programs; and 
  4.5      (4) special project funding, including programming, 
  4.6   in-service training, and support staff. 
  4.7      Sec. 3.  [41D.10] [MINNESOTA CENTER FOR AGRICULTURE 
  4.8   EDUCATION.] 
  4.9      Subdivision 1.  [GOVERNANCE.] The Minnesota center for 
  4.10  agriculture education is governed by the Minnesota agriculture 
  4.11  education leadership council. 
  4.12     Subd. 2.  [POWERS AND DUTIES OF COUNCIL.] (a) The council 
  4.13  has the powers necessary for the care, management, and control 
  4.14  of the Minnesota center for agriculture education and all its 
  4.15  real and personal property.  The powers shall include, but are 
  4.16  not limited to, those listed in this subdivision. 
  4.17     (b) The council may employ and discharge necessary 
  4.18  employees, and contract for other services to ensure the 
  4.19  efficient operation of the center for agriculture education. 
  4.20     (c) The council may receive and award grants.  The council 
  4.21  may establish a charitable foundation and accept, in trust or 
  4.22  otherwise, any gift, grant, bequest, or devise for educational 
  4.23  purposes and hold, manage, invest, and dispose of them and the 
  4.24  proceeds and income of them according to the terms and 
  4.25  conditions of the gift, grant, bequest, or devise and its 
  4.26  acceptance.  The council shall adopt internal procedures to 
  4.27  administer and monitor aids and grants. 
  4.28     (d) The council may establish or coordinate evening, 
  4.29  continuing education, extension, and summer programs for 
  4.30  teachers and pupils. 
  4.31     (e) The council may determine the location for the 
  4.32  Minnesota center for agriculture education and any additional 
  4.33  facilities related to the center, including the authority to 
  4.34  lease a temporary facility. 
  4.35     (f) The council may enter into contracts with other public 
  4.36  and private agencies and institutions for residential and 
  5.1   building maintenance services if it determines that these 
  5.2   services could be provided more efficiently and less expensively 
  5.3   by a contractor than by the council itself.  The council may 
  5.4   also enter into contracts with public or private agencies and 
  5.5   institutions, school districts or combinations of school 
  5.6   districts, or educational cooperative service units to provide 
  5.7   supplemental educational instruction and services. 
  5.8      (g) The council may provide for transportation of pupils to 
  5.9   and from the center for agriculture education for all or part of 
  5.10  the school year, as the council considers advisable and subject 
  5.11  to its rules.  Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, 
  5.12  the council may charge a reasonable fee for transportation of 
  5.13  pupils.  Every driver providing transportation of pupils under 
  5.14  this paragraph must possess all qualifications required by the 
  5.15  state council of education.  The council may contract for 
  5.16  furnishing authorized transportation under rules established by 
  5.17  the commissioner of children, families, and learning and may 
  5.18  purchase and furnish gasoline to a contract carrier for use in 
  5.19  the performance of a contract with the council for 
  5.20  transportation of pupils to and from the center for agriculture 
  5.21  education.  When transportation is provided, scheduling of 
  5.22  routes, establishment of the location of bus stops, the manner 
  5.23  and method transportation, the control and discipline of pupils, 
  5.24  and any other related matter is within the sole discretion, 
  5.25  control, and management of the council. 
  5.26     (h) The council may establish and set fees for services and 
  5.27  programs without regard to chapter 14.  If the council sets fees 
  5.28  not authorized or prohibited by the Minnesota public school fee 
  5.29  law, it may do so without complying with the requirements of 
  5.30  section 120.75, subdivision 1. 
  5.31     Subd. 3.  [CENTER ACCOUNT.] There is established in the 
  5.32  state treasury a center for agriculture education account in the 
  5.33  special revenue fund.  All money collected by the council, 
  5.34  including rental income, shall be deposited in the account.  
  5.35  Money in the account, including interest earned, is appropriated 
  5.36  to the council for the operation of its services and programs. 
  6.1      Subd. 4.  [APPEAL.] A parent who disagrees with a council 
  6.2   action that adversely affects the academic program of an 
  6.3   enrolled pupil may appeal the council's action to the 
  6.4   commissioner of children, families, and learning within 30 days 
  6.5   of the council's action.  The decision of the commissioner shall 
  6.6   be binding on the council.  The council shall inform each pupil 
  6.7   and parent at the time of enrolling of a parent's right to 
  6.8   appeal a council action affecting the pupil's academic program. 
  6.9      Subd. 5.  [EMPLOYEES.] (a) The council shall employ persons 
  6.10  who shall serve in the unclassified service. 
  6.11     (b) The employees hired under this subdivision and any 
  6.12  other necessary employees hired by the council shall be state 
  6.13  employees in the executive branch. 
  6.14     Subd. 6.  [ADMISSION AND CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS 
  6.15  GENERALLY.] The council may adopt rules for admission and rules 
  6.16  regarding the operation of the center, including transportation 
  6.17  of its pupils.  Rules covering admission are governed by chapter 
  6.18  14. 
  6.19     Subd. 7.  [PUBLIC POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS; PROVIDING 
  6.20  SPACE.] Public post-secondary institutions shall provide space 
  6.21  for programs offered by the Minnesota center for agriculture 
  6.22  education at no cost or reasonable cost to the center to the 
  6.23  extent that space is available at the public post-secondary 
  6.24  institutions. 
  6.25     Subd. 8.  [PURCHASING INSTRUCTIONAL ITEMS.] Technical 
  6.26  educational equipment may be procured for programs of the 
  6.27  Minnesota center for agriculture education by the council either 
  6.28  by brand designation or in accordance with standards and 
  6.29  specifications the council may adopt, notwithstanding chapter 
  6.30  16B. 
  6.31     Sec. 4.  [41D.15] [RESOURCE, MAGNET, AND OUTREACH 
  6.32  PROGRAMS.] 
  6.33     Subdivision 1.  [RESOURCE AND OUTREACH.] The center shall 
  6.34  offer resource and outreach programs and services statewide 
  6.35  aimed at the enhancement of agriculture education opportunities 
  6.36  for pupils in elementary and secondary school. 
  7.1      Subd. 2.  [MAGNET PROGRAM.] The center shall identify at 
  7.2   least one school in the seven-county metropolitan area to use 
  7.3   the curriculum developed by the Minnesota center for agriculture 
  7.4   education. 
  7.5      Subd. 3.  [CENTER RESPONSIBILITIES.] The center shall: 
  7.6      (1) provide information and technical services to 
  7.7   agriculture teachers, professional agriculture organizations, 
  7.8   school districts, and the department of children, families, and 
  7.9   learning; 
  7.10     (2) gather and conduct research in agriculture education; 
  7.11     (3) design and promote agriculture education opportunities 
  7.12  for all Minnesota pupils in elementary and secondary schools; 
  7.13  and 
  7.14     (4) serve as liaison for the department of children, 
  7.15  families, and learning to national organizations for agriculture 
  7.16  education. 
  7.17     Sec. 5.  [REPEALER.] 
  7.18     Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 126.113, is repealed. 
  7.19     Sec. 6.  [APPROPRIATIONS.] 
  7.20     $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 1998 and $....... 
  7.21  is appropriated in fiscal year 1999 from the general fund to the 
  7.22  Minnesota agriculture education leadership council.  Of this 
  7.23  appropriation: 
  7.24     (1) $....... each year is for secondary student 
  7.25  organization executive directors; 
  7.26     (2) $....... each year is for planning for secondary 
  7.27  agriculture education programs, including the development of an 
  7.28  agriculture education magnet school in the seven-county 
  7.29  metropolitan area; 
  7.30     (3) $....... each year is for grants for new secondary 
  7.31  instructional and communication technologies and curriculum 
  7.32  updates; 
  7.33     (4) $....... each year is for a grant to the University of 
  7.34  Minnesota for an agriculture education faculty position in the 
  7.35  college of agriculture; 
  7.36     (5) $....... each year is for grants for new small business 
  8.1   management and farm business management programs; 
  8.2      (6) $....... each year is for grants for post-secondary 
  8.3   instructional and communication technologies and curriculum 
  8.4   updates; and 
  8.5      (7) $....... each year is for a grant to the commissioner 
  8.6   of agriculture for the agriculture in the classroom program.