1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; changing the method for
1.3 	recommending regent candidates to the legislature;
1.4 	amending Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 137.0245;
1.5 	proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
1.6 	chapter 137.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 137.0245, is
1.9 	amended to read:
1.10 	137.0245 REGENT CANDIDATE ADVISORY COUNCIL AND
1.11 	RECOMMENDATION PROCESS.
1.12 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. A Regent Candidate
1.13 	Advisory Council is established to assist the legislature and
1.14 	governor in determining criteria for, and identifying and
1.15 	recruiting qualified candidates for membership on the Board of
1.16 	Regents.
1.17 		Subd. 2.Membership. The Regent Candidate Advisory
1.18 	Council shall consist of 24 members.  Twelve members shall be
1.19 	appointed by the Subcommittee on Committees of the Committee on
1.20 	Rules and Administration of the senate.  Twelve members shall be
1.21 	appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.  Each
1.22 	appointing authority must appoint one member who is a student
1.23 	enrolled in a degree program at the University of Minnesota at
1.24 	the time of appointment.  No more than one-third of the members
1.25 	appointed by each appointing authority may be current or former
1.26 	legislators.  No more than two-thirds of the members appointed
2.1 	by each appointing authority may belong to the same political
2.2 	party; however, political activity or affiliation is not
2.3 	required for the appointment of any member.  Geographical
2.4 	representation must be taken into consideration when making
2.5 	appointments.  Section 15.0575 shall govern the advisory
2.6 	council, except that:
2.7 	(1) the members shall be appointed to six-year terms with
2.8 	one-third appointed each even-numbered year; and
2.9 	(2) student members are appointed to two-year terms with
2.10 	two students appointed each even-numbered year.
2.11 		Subd. 3.Duties. (a) The advisory council shall:
2.12 	(1) develop, in consultation with current and former
2.13 	regents and the administration of the University of Minnesota, a
2.14 	statement of the selection criteria to be applied and a
2.15 	description of the responsibilities and duties of a regent, and
2.16 	shall distribute this to potential candidates; and 
2.17 	(2) for each position on the board, identify and recruit
2.18 	qualified candidates for the Board of Regents, based on the
2.19 	background and experience of the candidates, and their potential
2.20 	for discharging the responsibilities of a member of the Board of
2.21 	Regents. The selection criteria must not include a limitation
2.22 	on the number of terms an individual may serve on the Board of
2.23 	Regents; and 
2.24 	(3) report to the joint committee established under section
2.25 	137.0246 on the membership needs of the board in terms of
2.26 	individual skills and characteristics.  Individual skills relate
2.27 	to training and experience in fields such as finance, higher
2.28 	education, labor, and management.  Individual characteristics
2.29 	relate to qualities such as gender, race, and geographic
2.30 	location of residence.
2.31 	(b) The guidelines developed under paragraph (a), clause
2.32 	(1), must include a guide that regents represent diversity in
2.33 	geography; gender; race; occupation, including business and
2.34 	labor; and experience.
2.35 		Subd. 4.Recommendations. The advisory council shall
2.36 	recommend at least two and not more than four candidates.  By
3.1 	March 15 of each odd-numbered year, the advisory council shall
3.2 	submit its recommendations to the president of the senate and
3.3 	the speaker of the house of representatives.  The legislature
3.4 	shall not be bound by these recommendations.
3.5 		Subd. 5.Support services. The Legislative Coordinating
3.6 	Commission shall provide administrative and support services for
3.7 	the advisory council.

3.8 	Sec. 2. [137.0246] REGENT SELECTION; LEGISLATURE.
3.9 	(a) By February 15 of each odd-numbered year, or at a date
3.10 	agreed to by concurrent resolution, a joint legislative
3.11 	committee shall meet to recommend nominees for regent of the
3.12 	University of Minnesota to be presented to a joint convention of
3.13 	the legislature.  The joint legislative committee consists of 20
3.14 	legislator members.  Ten members shall be appointed by the
3.15 	speaker of the house.  Ten members shall be appointed by the
3.16 	Subcommittee on Committees of the Committee on Rules and
3.17 	Administration from the senate.  An equal number of members from
3.18 	the majority and minority party shall be appointed from each
3.19 	house.  The members appointed from the minority party must be
3.20 	appointed from among those recommended by the minority leader.
3.21 	The chairs of the education policy committees and of the higher
3.22 	education budget divisions and the ranking minority member of
3.23 	those committees and divisions must be appointed.  A majority of
3.24 	the members from each house is a quorum of the joint committee.
3.25 	(b) The joint committee shall determine the number of
3.26 	persons, and the person or persons to be recommended for each
3.27 	open seat.
3.28 	(c) The joint convention must meet on or before March 7 of
3.29 	that same odd-numbered year.