1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to water; including ex officio agency members 
  1.3             as voting members of the board of water and soil 
  1.4             resources; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 
  1.5             103B.101, subdivisions 1, 2, and 5; repealing 
  1.6             Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 103B.101, 
  1.7             subdivisions 3 and 8. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 103B.101, 
  1.10  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [MEMBERSHIP.] The board of water and soil 
  1.12  resources is composed of 12 voting members knowledgeable of 
  1.13  water and soil problems and conditions within the state and four 
  1.14  five ex officio nonvoting members.  
  1.15     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 103B.101, 
  1.16  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.17     Subd. 2.  [VOTING MEMBERS.] (a) The voting members are: 
  1.18     (1) three county commissioners; 
  1.19     (2) three soil and water conservation district supervisors; 
  1.20     (3) three watershed district or watershed management 
  1.21  organization representatives; and 
  1.22     (4) three citizens who are not employed by, or the 
  1.23  appointed or elected officials of, a governmental office, board, 
  1.24  or agency; 
  1.25     (5) the commissioner of agriculture; 
  1.26     (6) the commissioner of health; 
  2.1      (7) the commissioner of natural resources; 
  2.2      (8) the commissioner of the pollution control agency; and 
  2.3      (9) the director of the University of Minnesota extension 
  2.4   service. 
  2.5      (b) Voting Members in paragraph (a), clauses (1) to (4), 
  2.6   must be distributed across the state with at least three members 
  2.7   but not more than five members from the metropolitan area, as 
  2.8   defined by section 473.121, subdivision 2; and one from each of 
  2.9   the current soil and water conservation administrative regions.  
  2.10     (c) Voting Members in paragraph (a), clauses (1) to (4), 
  2.11  are appointed by the governor.  In making the appointments, the 
  2.12  governor may consider persons recommended by the association of 
  2.13  Minnesota counties, the Minnesota association of soil and water 
  2.14  conservation districts, and the Minnesota association of 
  2.15  watershed districts.  The list submitted by an association must 
  2.16  contain at least three nominees for each position to be filled. 
  2.17     (d) The membership terms, compensation, removal of members 
  2.18  and filling of vacancies on the board for voting members in 
  2.19  paragraph (a), clauses (1) to (4), are as provided in section 
  2.20  15.0575.  
  2.21     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 103B.101, 
  2.22  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  2.23     Subd. 5.  [OFFICERS.] The governor shall appoint a chair 
  2.24  from among the voting members of the board in subdivision 2, 
  2.25  paragraph (a), clauses (1) to (4), with the advice and consent 
  2.26  of the senate.  The board shall elect a vice-chair and any other 
  2.27  officers that it considers necessary from its membership.  
  2.28     Sec. 4.  [REPEALER.] 
  2.29     Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 103B.101, subdivisions 3 
  2.30  and 8, are repealed.