1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to local government; providing for 
  1.3             publication of public notices on Web sites of local 
  1.4             public corporations and municipalities; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 2000, sections 331A.01, by adding a 
  1.6             subdivision; and 331A.03, subdivision 1, and by adding 
  1.7             a subdivision. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 331A.01, is 
  1.10  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 11.  [WEB SITE.] "Web site" means a server containing 
  1.12  Web pages and other files that is generally accessible on the 
  1.13  Internet 24 hours a day and that has been designated by the 
  1.14  local public corporation or municipality as a medium of 
  1.15  publication for public notices. 
  1.16     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 331A.03, 
  1.17  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.18     Subdivision 1.  [GENERALLY.] Except as provided in 
  1.19  ~~subdivision~~ subdivisions 2 and 3, a public notice shall be 
  1.20  published in a qualified newspaper, and except as otherwise 
  1.21  provided by law, in one that is likely to give notice in the 
  1.22  affected area or to whom it is directed.  When a statute or 
  1.23  other law requires publication in a newspaper located in a 
  1.24  designated municipality or area and no qualified newspaper is 
  1.25  located there, publication shall be made in a qualified 
  1.26  newspaper likely to give notice unless the particular statute or 
  2.1   law expressly provides otherwise.  If no qualified newspaper 
  2.2   exists, then publication is not required.  
  2.3      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 331A.03, is 
  2.4   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.5      Subd. 3.  [EXCEPTION; WEB SITES.] A public notice required 
  2.6   to be published by a local public corporation or municipality 
  2.7   located within Hennepin county or Ramsey county is not required 
  2.8   to be published in a qualified newspaper if the public notice is 
  2.9   published on a Web site of the local public corporation or 
  2.10  municipality. 
  2.11     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.12     Sections 1 to 3 are effective the day following final 
  2.13  enactment.