1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to economic development; authorizing an early
1.3 	separation incentive program for employees of the Iron
1.4 	Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board; proposing
1.5 	coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 354B.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [354B.33] IRON RANGE RESOURCES AND
1.8 	REHABILITATION; EARLY SEPARATION INCENTIVE PROGRAM
1.9 	AUTHORIZATION.
1.10 	(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the
1.11 	commissioner of Iron Range resources and rehabilitation, in
1.12 	consultation with the commissioner of employee relations, may
1.13 	offer a targeted early separation incentive program for
1.14 	employees of the commissioner who have attained the age of 55
1.15 	years, or who have received credit for at least 30 years of
1.16 	allowable service under the provisions of chapter 352.
1.17 	(b) The early separation incentive program may include one
1.18 	or more of the following:
1.19 	(1) employer-paid postseparation health, medical, and
1.20 	dental insurance; and 
1.21 	(2) cash incentives that may, but are not required to be,
1.22 	used to purchase additional years of service credit through the
1.23 	Minnesota State Retirement System, to the extent that the
1.24 	purchases are otherwise authorized by law.
1.25 	(c) The commissioner of Iron Range resources and
2.1 	rehabilitation shall establish eligibility requirements for
2.2 	employees to receive an incentive.
2.3 	(d) The commissioner of Iron Range Resources and
2.4 	Rehabilitation, consistent with the established program
2.5 	provisions under paragraph (b), and with the eligibility
2.6 	requirements under paragraph (c), may designate specific
2.7 	programs or employees as eligible to be offered the incentive
2.8 	program.
2.9 	(e) Acceptance of the offered incentive must be voluntary
2.10 	on the part of the employee and must be in writing.  The
2.11 	incentive may only be offered at the sole discretion of the
2.12 	commissioner of Iron Range resources and rehabilitation.
2.13 	(f) The cost of the incentive is payable solely by funds
2.14 	made available to the commissioner of Iron Range resources and
2.15 	rehabilitation by law, but only on prior approval of the
2.16 	expenditures by a majority of the Iron Range Resources and
2.17 	Rehabilitation Board.

2.18 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
2.19 	following final enactment.

2.20 	Sec. 2. [354B.34] APPLICATION OF OTHER LAWS.
2.21 	(a) Unilateral implementation of section 354B.33 by the
2.22 	commissioner of Iron Range resources and rehabilitation is not
2.23 	an unfair labor practice under chapter 179A.
2.24 	(b) The authority in section 354B.33 for the commissioner
2.25 	of Iron Range resources and rehabilitation or the Iron Range
2.26 	Resources and Rehabilitation Board to pay health, medical, and
2.27 	dental insurance premiums for former employees granted an early
2.28 	separation incentive is not subject to the limits of section
2.29 	179A.20, subdivision 2a.

2.30 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
2.31 	following final enactment.