1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to economic development; appropriating money 
  1.3             to the commissioner of trade and economic development 
  1.4             for a grant for a public-private nonprofit partnership 
  1.5             to integrate telecommunication services in and around 
  1.6             the city of Little Falls; exempting state and local 
  1.7             agencies participating in the partnership from certain 
  1.8             laws and rules. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  [APPROPRIATION; LITTLE FALLS TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
  1.11  PARTNERSHIP.] 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [APPROPRIATION.] $1,620,000 is appropriated 
  1.13  from the general fund to the commissioner of trade and economic 
  1.14  development.  This appropriation is available until June 30, 
  1.15  1999.  The commissioner shall spend this appropriation as a 
  1.16  grant to Commtech, a public-private nonprofit partnership which 
  1.17  is integrating telecommunication services in and around the city 
  1.18  of Little Falls to leverage current public and private 
  1.19  telecommunications investments.  The purpose of this grant is to 
  1.20  demonstrate the feasibility of developing a new regulatory 
  1.21  relationship with public and private providers of 
  1.22  telecommunications services by building, equipping, and 
  1.23  operating a community telecenter. 
  1.24     Subd. 2.  [GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION.] A state or local 
  1.25  agency may participate in the Commtech partnership.  Until June 
  1.26  30, 1999, all state and local agencies that participate in 
  1.27  Commtech are exempt from any provision of law or rule that 
  2.1   prohibits or restricts their ability to make their 
  2.2   telecommunications facilities, resources, or access available to 
  2.3   nongovernmental entities. 
  2.4      Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.5      Section 1 is effective July 1, 1997.