1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to government operations; appropriating money for the general legislative 
1.3 	and administrative expenses of state government; amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections 15B.17, subdivision 1; 16A.1286, subdivision 2; 16B.03; 43A.02, by adding a subdivision; 43A.03, subdivision 3; 43A.24, subdivision 1; 270B.14, by adding a subdivision; repealing Laws 2006, chapter 253, section 22.1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	ARTICLE 1
1.9 	STATE GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS

1.10	Section 1.  SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATIONS.
 	
1.11 	The amounts shown in this section summarize direct appropriations, by fund, made 
1.12 	in this article.

1.13			2008
		2009
		Total
	
1.14	General
	$
	298,493,000
	$
	306,401,000 
	$
	604,894,000
	
1.15	Health Care Access  
		1,825,000  
		1,869,000  
		3,694,000
	
1.16
1.17	State Government Special 
Revenue
		 2,119,000 
		2,124,000
		4,234,000
	
1.18	Environmental 
		443,000
		 450,000
		893,000
	
1.19	Remediation
		  250,000  
		 250,000 
		500,000
	
1.20	Special Revenue  
		4,005,000
		3,851,000 
		7,856,000
	
1.21
1.22	Highway User Tax 
Distribution
		2,143,000
		  2,190,000
		4,333,000
	
1.23	Workers' Compensation   
		7,640,000
		7,350,000
		14,990,000
	
1.24	Total
	$
	316,918,000
	$
	324,485,000
	$
	641,403,000

1.25	Sec. 2. STATE GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS.
 	
2.1 	The sums shown in the columns marked "Appropriations" are appropriated to the 
2.2 	agencies and for the purposes specified in this article.  The appropriations are from the 
2.3 	general fund, or another named fund, and are available for the fiscal years indicated 
2.4 	for each purpose.  The figures "2008" and "2009" used in this article mean that the 
2.5 	appropriations listed under them are available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, or 
2.6 	June 30, 2009, respectively. "The first year" is fiscal year 2008. "The second year" is fiscal 
2.7 	year 2009. "The biennium" is fiscal years 2008 and 2009.  Appropriations for the fiscal 
2.8 	year ending June 30, 2007, are effective the day following final enactment.

2.9				APPROPRIATIONS
	
2.10				Available for the Year
	
2.11				Ending June 30
	
2.12					2008
		2009

2.13	Sec. 3. LEGISLATURE

2.14	Subdivision 1. Total Appropriation
 	$
	65,793,000
	$
	67,352,000

2.15	Appropriations by Fund
	
2.16		2008
	2009
	
2.17	General
	65,665,000 
	67,224,000
	
2.18	Health Care Access 
	128,000 
	128,000
	
2.19 	The amounts that may be spent for each 
2.20 	purpose are specified in the following 
2.21 	subdivisions.

2.22	Subd. 2.Senate
 		23,158,000
		23,677,000

2.23	Subd. 3.House of Representatives
 		28,467,000 
		29,167,000
	
2.24 	During the biennium ending June 30, 2009, 
2.25 	any revenues received by the house of 
2.26 	representatives from sponsorship notices in 
2.27 	broadcast or print media are appropriated to 
2.28 	the house of representatives.

2.29	Subd. 4.Legislative Coordinating Commission
 		14,168,000 
		14,508,000

2.30	Appropriations by Fund
	
2.31	General
	14,040,000 
	14,380,000
	
2.32	Health Care Access 
	128,000
	128,000
	
2.33 	$360,000 the first year and $360,000 the 
2.34 	second year are for public information 
3.1 	television, Internet, Intranet, and other 
3.2 	transmission of legislative activities. At 
3.3 	least one-half of those amounts must go for 
3.4 	programming to be broadcast and transmitted 
3.5 	to rural Minnesota.
3.6 	$5,188,000 the first year and $5,316,000 the 
3.7 	second year are for the Office of the Revisor 
3.8 	of Statutes.
3.9 	$1,182,000 the first year and $1,211,000 the 
3.10 	second year are for the Legislative Reference 
3.11 	Library.
3.12 	$5,587,000 the first year and $5,721,000 
3.13 	the second year are for the Office of the 
3.14 	Legislative Auditor.

3.15
3.16	Sec. 4. GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT 
GOVERNOR
 	$
	3,687,000
	$
	3,793,000
	
3.17 	This appropriation is to fund the offices of 
3.18 	the governor and lieutenant governor.
3.19 	$19,000 the first year and $19,000 the 
3.20 	second year are for necessary expenses in 
3.21 	the normal performance of the governor's 
3.22 	and lieutenant governor's duties for which no 
3.23 	other reimbursement is provided.
3.24 	By September 1 of each year, the 
3.25 	commissioner of finance shall report to 
3.26 	the chairs of the senate Governmental 
3.27 	Operations Budget Division and the house 
3.28 	State Government Finance Division any 
3.29 	personnel costs incurred by the Office of 
3.30 	the Governor and Lieutenant Governor that 
3.31 	were supported by appropriations to other 
3.32 	agencies during the previous fiscal year. 
3.33 	The Office of the Governor shall inform the 
3.34 	chairs of the divisions before initiating any 
3.35 	interagency agreements.

4.1	Sec. 5. STATE AUDITOR   
 	$
	9,024,000 
	$
	9,060,000
	
4.2 	$484,000 the first year and $244,000 the 
4.3 	second year are for staff retention.

4.4	Sec. 6. ATTORNEY GENERAL 
 	$
	25,857,000
	$
	26,867,000

4.5	Appropriations by Fund
	
4.6		2008
	2009
	
4.7	General
	23,743,000 
	24,748,000
	
4.8
4.9	State Government 
Special Revenue 
	1,719,000 
	1,724,000
	
4.10	Environmental 
	145,000
	145,000
	
4.11	Remediation
	250,000
	250,000

4.12	Sec. 7. SECRETARY OF STATE  
 	$
	6,046,000  
	$
	6,340,000

4.13
4.14	Sec. 8. CAMPAIGN FINANCE AND PUBLIC 
DISCLOSURE BOARD
 	$
	714,000
	$
	734,000

4.15	Sec. 9. INVESTMENT BOARD  
 	$
	151,000 
	$
	 151,000 

4.16
4.17	Sec. 10. OFFICE OF ENTERPRISE 
TECHNOLOGY   
 	$
	6,680,000 
	$
	6,755,000 
	
4.18 	$2,910,000 the first year and $2,915,000 
4.19 	the second year are for information 
4.20 	technology security. The base appropriation 
4.21 	is $3,675,000 in fiscal year 2010 and 
4.22 	$3,675,000 in fiscal year 2011.

4.23	Sec. 11. ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS
 	$
	7,810,000
	$
	7,528,000

4.24	Appropriations by Fund
	
4.25		2008
	2009
	
4.26	General
	270,000
	278,000
	
4.27
4.28	Workers' 
Compensation 
	7,540,000
	7,250,000

4.29	Sec. 12. ADMINISTRATION

4.30	Subdivision 1. Total Appropriation
 	$
	20,594,000
	$
	21,065,000
	
5.1 	The amounts that may be spent for each 
5.2 	purpose are specified in the following 
5.3 	subdivisions.

5.4	Subd. 2.State Facilities Services
 		11,176,000
		 11,412,000
	
5.5 	$7,888,000 the first year and $7,888,000 the 
5.6 	second year are for office space costs of the 
5.7 	legislature and veterans organizations, for 
5.8 	ceremonial space, and for statutorily free 
5.9 	space.

5.10	Subd. 3.State and Community Services
 		3,072,000
		3,252,000
	
5.11 	(a) $60,000 the first year and $240,000 the 
5.12 	second year are to fund activities to prepare 
5.13 	for and promote the 2010 census. Base 
5.14 	funding for this activity is $260,000 in fiscal 
5.15 	year 2010 and $180,000 in fiscal year 2011.
5.16 	(b) $805,000 the first year and $805,000 the 
5.17 	second year are for the Land Management 
5.18 	Information Center.
5.19 	(c) $196,000 the first year and $196,000 the 
5.20 	second year are for the Office of the State 
5.21 	Archaeologist.

5.22	Subd.  4.Administrative Management Services
 		4,491,000 
		4,546,000
	
5.23 	$74,000 the first year and $74,000 the second 
5.24 	year are for the Developmental Disabilities 
5.25 	Council.

5.26	Subd.  5.Public Broadcasting
 		1,855,000 
		1,855,000
	
5.27 	$1,161,000 the first year and $1,161,000 
5.28 	the second year are for matching grants for 
5.29 	public television.
5.30 	$200,000 the first year and $200,000 
5.31 	the second year are for public television 
5.32 	equipment grants.
6.1 	Equipment or matching grant allocations 
6.2 	shall be made after considering the 
6.3 	recommendations of the Minnesota Public 
6.4 	Television Association.
6.5 	$17,000 the first year and $17,000 the second 
6.6 	year are for grants to the Twin Cities regional 
6.7 	cable channel.
6.8 	$287,000 the first year and $287,000 the 
6.9 	second year are for community service grants 
6.10 	to public educational radio stations. The 
6.11 	grants must be allocated after considering 
6.12 	the recommendations of the Association of 
6.13 	Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations 
6.14 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 129D.14.
6.15 	$190,000 the first year and $190,000 the 
6.16 	second year are for equipment grants to 
6.17 	Minnesota Public Radio, Inc. 
6.18 	Any unencumbered balance remaining the 
6.19 	first year for grants to public television or 
6.20 	radio stations does not cancel and is available 
6.21 	for the second year.

6.22
6.23
6.24	Sec. 13. CAPITOL AREA 
ARCHITECTURAL AND PLANNING 
BOARD
 	$
	307,000
	$
	319,000

6.25	Sec. 14. FINANCE

6.26	Subdivision 1. Total Appropriation
 	$
	 15,229,000 
	$
	15,664,000
	
6.27 	The amounts that may be spent for each 
6.28 	purpose are specified in the following 
6.29 	subdivisions.

6.30	Subd. 2.State Financial Management
 		8,692,000 
		8,945,000 

6.31
6.32	Subd.  3.Information and Management 
Services
 		6,537,000
		6,719,000

6.33	Sec. 15. EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
 	$
	5,657,000
	$
	5,613,000

7.1	Sec. 16. REVENUE

7.2	Subdivision 1. Total Appropriation
 	$
	 113,231,000
	$
	117,686,000

7.3	Appropriations by Fund
	
7.4		2008
	2009
	
7.5	General
	109,093,000
	113,450,000
	
7.6	Health Care Access
	1,697,000
	1,741,000
	
7.7
7.8	Highway User Tax 
Distribution  
	2,143,000
	2,190,000
	
7.9	Environmental 
	298,000
	305,000
	
7.10 	The amounts that may be spent for each 
7.11 	purpose are specified in the following 
7.12 	subdivisions.

7.13	Subd.  2.Tax System Management
 		93,744,000
		96,980,000

7.14	Appropriations by Fund
	
7.15	General
	89,606,000
	92,744,000
	
7.16	Health Care Access
	1,697,000
	1,741,000
	
7.17
7.18	Highway User Tax 
Distribution
	2,143,000
	2,190,000
	
7.19	Environmental
	298,000
	305,000
	
7.20 	$3,455,000 the first year and $4,352,000 
7.21 	the second year are for additional activities 
7.22 	to identify and collect tax liabilities from 
7.23 	individuals and businesses that currently do 
7.24 	not pay all taxes owed. This initiative is 
7.25 	expected to result in new general revenues of 
7.26 	$21,200,000 for the biennium ending June 
7.27 	30, 2009.
7.28 	The department must report to the chairs of 
7.29 	the house of representatives Ways and Means 
7.30 	and senate Finance Committees by March 1, 
7.31 	2008, and January 15, 2009, on the following 
7.32 	performance indicators:
7.33 	(1) the number of corporations noncompliant 
7.34 	with the corporate tax system each year and 
8.1 	the percentage and dollar amounts of valid 
8.2 	tax liabilities collected;
8.3 	(2) the number of businesses noncompliant 
8.4 	with the sales and use tax system and the 
8.5 	percentage and dollar amount of the valid tax 
8.6 	liabilities collected; and
8.7 	(3) the number of individual noncompliant 
8.8 	cases resolved and the percentage and dollar 
8.9 	amounts of valid tax liabilities collected.
8.10 	The reports must also identify base-level 
8.11 	expenditures and staff positions related to 
8.12 	compliance and audit activities, including 
8.13 	baseline information as of January 1, 2006. 
8.14 	The information must be provided at the 
8.15 	budget activity level.
8.16 	$30,000 the first year and $30,000 the second 
8.17 	year are for preparation of the income tax 
8.18 	sample.

8.19	Subd.  3.Accounts Receivable Management
 		19,487,000
		20,706,000
	
8.20 	$875,000 the first year and $1,555,000 the 
8.21 	second year are for additional activities 
8.22 	to identify and collect tax liabilities from 
8.23 	individuals and businesses that currently do 
8.24 	not pay all taxes owed. This initiative is 
8.25 	expected to result in new general revenues of 
8.26 	$30,000,000 for the biennium ending June 
8.27 	30, 2009.

8.28	Sec. 17. GAMBLING CONTROL
 	$
	2,875,000 
	$
	2,952,000
	
8.29 	These appropriations are from the lawful 
8.30 	gambling regulation account in the special 
8.31 	revenue fund.

8.32	Sec. 18. RACING COMMISSION 
 	$
	 1,130,000
	$
	899,000
	
9.1 	(a) These appropriations are from the racing 
9.2 	and card playing regulation accounts in the 
9.3 	special revenue fund.
9.4 	(b) $295,000 the first year and $64,000 the 
9.5 	second year and thereafter are for information 
9.6 	technology improvements implemented in 
9.7 	consultation with the Office of Enterprise 
9.8 	Technology.

9.9	Sec. 19. STATE LOTTERY
 					
9.10 	Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 
9.11 	349A.10, the operating budget must not 
9.12 	exceed $27,378,000 in fiscal year 2008 and 
9.13 	$28,141,000 in fiscal year 2009.

9.14	Sec. 20. TORT CLAIMS
 	$
	161,000 
	$
	161,000 
	
9.15 	To be spent by the commissioner of finance.
9.16 	If the appropriation for either year is 
9.17 	insufficient, the appropriation for the other 
9.18 	year is available for it.

9.19
9.20	Sec. 21. MINNESOTA STATE RETIREMENT 
SYSTEM

9.21	Subdivision 1. Total Appropriation
 	$
	1,608,000 
	$
	1,649,000
	
9.22 	The amounts that may be spent for each 
9.23 	purpose are specified in the following 
9.24 	subdivisions.
9.25 	If an appropriation in this section for either 
9.26 	year is insufficient, the appropriation for the 
9.27 	other year is available for it.

9.28	Subd.  2.Legislators
 		1,170,000
		1,200,000
	
9.29 	Under Minnesota Statutes, sections 3A.03, 
9.30 	subdivision 2; 3A.04, subdivisions 3 and 4; 
9.31 	and 3A.115.

10.1	Subd.  3. Constitutional Officers
 		438,000 
		449,000
	
10.2 	Under Minnesota Statutes, section 352C.001.

10.3
10.4	Sec. 22. MINNEAPOLIS EMPLOYEES 
RETIREMENT FUND
 	$
	 9,000,000 
	$
	 9,000,000 
	
10.5 	These amounts are estimated to be needed 
10.6 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 422A.101, 
10.7 	subdivision 3.

10.8
10.9	Sec. 23. TEACHERS RETIREMENT 
ASSOCIATION
 	$
	15,800,000
	$
	15,800,000
	
10.10 	The amounts estimated to be needed are as 
10.11 	follows:

10.12
10.13
10.14
10.15	(a) Special direct state aid to first class city 
teachers retirement funds authorized under 
Minnesota Statutes, section 354A.12, subdivisions 
3a and 3c.
		13,300,000
		13,300,000

10.16
10.17
10.18
10.19	(b) Special direct state matching aid to 
Minneapolis Teachers Retirement Fund 
Association authorized under Minnesota Statutes, 
section 354A.12, subdivision 3b.
		2,500,000
		2,500,000

10.20
10.21	Sec. 24. ST. PAUL TEACHERS 
RETIREMENT FUND   
 	$
	2,967,000 
	$
	2,967,000
	
10.22 	The amounts estimated to be needed for 
10.23 	special direct state aid to first class city 
10.24 	teachers retirement funds authorized under 
10.25 	Minnesota Statutes, section 354A.12, 
10.26 	subdivisions 3a and 3c.

10.27	Sec. 25. AMATEUR SPORTS COMMISSION 
 	$
	303,000
	$
	306,000
	
10.28 	The amount available for appropriation to 
10.29 	the commission under Laws 2005, chapter 
10.30 	156, article 2, section 43, is reduced in the 
10.31 	first year and the second year by the amounts 
10.32 	appropriated in this section.
10.33 	The base appropriation is $206,000 in fiscal 
10.34 	year 2010 and $206,000 in fiscal year 2011.

11.1
11.2	Sec. 26. COUNCIL ON BLACK 
MINNESOTANS  
 	$
	285,000
	$
	292,000

11.3
11.4	Sec. 27. COUNCIL ON CHICANO/LATINO 
AFFAIRS 
 	$
	277,000
	$
	283,000

11.5
11.6	Sec. 28. COUNCIL ON ASIAN-PACIFIC 
MINNESOTANS   
 	$
	247,000
	$
	254,000

11.7	Sec. 29. INDIAN AFFAIRS COUNCIL    
 	$
	485,000
	$
	495,000

11.8
11.9	Sec. 30. GENERAL CONTINGENT 
ACCOUNTS  
 	$
	1,000,000 
	$
	500,000

11.10	Appropriations by Fund
	
11.11		2008
	2009
	
11.12	General
	500,000
	 -0-
	
11.13
11.14	State Government 
Special Revenue
	400,000
	400,000
	
11.15
11.16	Workers' 
Compensation 
	100,000
	 100,000
	
11.17 	The appropriations in this section may only 
11.18 	be spent with the approval of the governor 
11.19 	after consultation with the Legislative 
11.20 	Advisory Commission under Minnesota 
11.21 	Statutes, section 3.30.
11.22 	If an appropriation in this section for either 
11.23 	year is insufficient, the appropriation for the 
11.24 	other year is available for it.
11.25 	If a contingent account appropriation is made 
11.26 	in one fiscal year, it should be considered a 
11.27 	biennial appropriation.

11.28	Sec. 31. COMPENSATION INCREASES
 					
11.29 	The appropriations in this article, and any 
11.30 	statutory appropriations from which state 
11.31 	employee compensation is paid from any 
11.32 	fund, include an amount sufficient to fund 
11.33 	compensation increases of at least 3.25 
11.34 	percent of the 2007 compensation base for 
12.1 	the first year, compounded at the rate of 3.25 
12.2 	percent for the second year. This amount 
12.3 	must be used for that purpose and no other.

12.4 	ARTICLE 2
12.5 	STATE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

12.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 15B.17, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
12.7 		Subdivision 1.Proposals. (a) Before a state agency or other public body develops, 
12.8 	to submit to the legislature and the governor, a budget proposal or plans for capital 
12.9 	improvements within the Capitol Area to submit to the legislature and the governor, 
12.10 	it must consult with the board.
12.11 	(b) The public body must provide enough money for the board's review and planning 
12.12 	if the board decides its review and planning services are necessary. Money received by the 
12.13 	board under this subdivision is deposited in the special revenue fund and appropriated to 
12.14 	the board.

12.15 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 16A.1286, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
12.16 		Subd. 2.Billing procedures. The commissioner may bill up to $7,520,000 in 
12.17 	each fiscal year for statewide systems services provided to state agencies, judicial branch 
12.18 	agencies, the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, 
12.19 	and other entities. Billing must be based only on usage of services relating to statewide 
12.20 	systems provided by the Intertechnologies Division. Each agency shall transfer from 
12.21 	agency operating appropriations to the statewide systems account the amount billed by 
12.22 	the commissioner. Billing policies and procedures related to statewide systems services 
12.23 	must be developed by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioners of 
12.24 	employee relations and administration, the University of Minnesota, and the Minnesota 
12.25 	State Colleges and Universities.

12.26 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 16B.03, is amended to read:
12.27 	16B.03 APPOINTMENTS.
12.28 	The commissioner is authorized to appoint staff, including twoone deputy 
12.29 	commissioners commissioner, in accordance with chapter 43A.

12.30 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 43A.02, is amended by adding a subdivision 
12.31 	to read:
13.1 		Subd. 18a.Domestic partner. "Domestic partner" means a person who has entered 
13.2 	into a committed interdependent relationship with another adult of the same sex, where 
13.3 	the partners:
13.4 	(1) are responsible for each other's basic common welfare;
13.5 	(2) share a common residence and intend to do so indefinitely;
13.6 	(3) are not related by blood or adoption to an extent that would prohibit marriage in 
13.7 	this state; and 
13.8 	(4) are legally competent and qualified to enter into a contract.
13.9 	For purposes of this subdivision, domestic partners may share a common residence, 
13.10 	even if:
13.11 	(1) they do not each have a legal right to possess the residence; or
13.12 	(2) one or both domestic partners possess additional real property.
13.13 	If one domestic partner temporarily leaves the common residence with the intention 
13.14 	to return, the domestic partners continue to share a common residence for the purposes 
13.15 	of this subdivision.

13.16 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 43A.03, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
13.17 		Subd. 3.Organization. The department shall be organized into two bureaus which 
13.18 	shall be designated the Personnel Bureau and the Labor Relations Bureau. Each bureau 
13.19 	shall be responsible for administering the duties and functions assigned to it by law. 
13.20 	When the duties of the bureaus are not mandated by law, the commissioner may establish 
13.21 	and revise the assignments of either bureau. Each bureau shall be under the direction of 
13.22 	a deputy commissioner.

13.23 	Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 43A.24, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
13.24 		Subdivision 1.General. Employees, including persons on layoff from a civil 
13.25 	service position, and employees who are employed less than full time, shall be eligible 
13.26 	for state paid life insurance and hospital, medical and dental benefits as provided in 
13.27 	collective bargaining agreements or plans established pursuant to section 43A.18.  If a 
13.28 	collective bargaining agreement or plan provides state paid health insurance for spouses of 
13.29 	employees, the insurance must be made available to domestic partners of state employees 
13.30 	on the same terms and conditions.

13.31 	Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 270B.14, is amended by adding a subdivision 
13.32 	to read:
14.1 		Subd. 19.Disclosure to Department of Finance. The commissioner may disclose 
14.2 	to the commissioner of finance returns or return information necessary in order to prepare 
14.3 	a revenue forecast under section 16A.103.

14.4 	Sec. 8. DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYEE RELATIONS ABOLISHED; DUTIES 
14.5 	TRANSFERRED.
 14.6 	(a) The Department of Employee Relations and the position of the commissioner 
14.7 	of employee relations are abolished as of January 1, 2008. Duties of the Department of 
14.8 	Employee Relations and the commissioner of employee relations are transferred on or 
14.9 	before January 1, 2008, to the commissioner of finance, except as follows:
14.10 	(1) duties relating to administration of the state employees workers' compensation 
14.11 	program are transferred on or before January 1, 2008, to the commissioner of 
14.12 	administration; and
14.13 	(2) duties relating to health care purchasing improvement under Minnesota Statutes, 
14.14 	section 43A.312, are transferred on or before January 1, 2008, to the commissioner 
14.15 	of health.
14.16 	(b) The commissioner of employee relations, in consultation with the commissioner 
14.17 	of finance, may specify one or more dates before January 1, 2008, on which any or all of 
14.18 	the transfers provided in paragraph (a) will occur.
14.19 	(c) The governor may, in consultation with the commissioner of employee relations, 
14.20 	the commissioner of finance, the commissioner of administration, and the director of the 
14.21 	Office of Enterprise Technology, transfer other duties of the Department of Employee 
14.22 	Relations to other state agencies in order to most effectively and efficiently accomplish the 
14.23 	reorganization required by this act.
14.24 	(d) Transfer of duties under this section is subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 
14.25 	15.039.
14.26 	(e) In addition to any other protection, no employee in the classified service shall 
14.27 	suffer job loss, have a salary reduced, or have employment benefits reduced as a result of 
14.28 	a reorganization mandated or recommended under authority of this section. No action 
14.29 	taken after January 1, 2009, shall be considered a result of reorganization for the purposes 
14.30 	of this section.

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

14.32 	Sec. 9. ELECTRONIC DATA STUDY AND REPORT.
 14.33 		Subdivision 1.Study. The chief information officer, in consultation with the 
14.34 	state archivist and the legislative reference librarian, shall study how government data 
15.1 	as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 13.02, hardware, software, and media can be 
15.2 	created, maintained, exchanged, and preserved by the state to ensure access, competition, 
15.3 	and interoperability. The evaluation must consider, but not be limited to, the policies of 
15.4 	other states and nations with regard to electronic records management guidelines for 
15.5 	state archives, including policies and procedures needed to preserve all state data no 
15.6 	matter what its medium of storage, public access to information, expected storage life of 
15.7 	electronic data, costs of implementation, and potential cost savings. The chief information 
15.8 	officer shall solicit comments from stakeholders, including, but not limited to: the 
15.9 	legislative auditor, the attorney general, records management professionals, librarians, the 
15.10 	media, and historians, including representatives of the Minnesota Historical Society. The 
15.11 	chief information officer shall also solicit comments from members of the public. The 
15.12 	chief information officer shall, in consultation with stakeholders, identify what changes, 
15.13 	if any, should be made to the government records management provisions in Minnesota 
15.14 	Statutes, sections 138.17 to 138.226.
15.15 		Subd. 2.Report. The chief information officer shall report the officer's findings 
15.16 	and recommendations to the chairs of the senate State and Local Government Operations 
15.17 	and Oversight Committee, house of representatives Governmental Operations, Reform, 
15.18 	Technology and Elections Committee, and the senate and house of representatives State 
15.19 	Government Finance Divisions by January 15, 2008.

15.20 	Sec. 10. VOLUNTARY UNPAID LEAVE OF ABSENCE.
 15.21 	(a) Appointing authorities in state government may allow each employee to take 
15.22 	unpaid leaves of absence for up to 1,040 hours between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2009. 
15.23 	Each appointing authority approving such a leave shall allow the employee to continue 
15.24 	accruing vacation and sick leave, be eligible for paid holidays and insurance benefits, 
15.25 	accrue seniority, and, if payments are made under paragraph (b), accrue service credit 
15.26 	and credited salary in the state retirement plans as if the employee had actually been 
15.27 	employed during the time of leave. An employee covered by the unclassified plan may 
15.28 	voluntarily make the employee contributions to the unclassified plan during the leave of 
15.29 	absence. If the employee makes these contributions, the appointing authority must make 
15.30 	the employer contribution. If the leave of absence is for one full pay period or longer, 
15.31 	any holiday pay shall be included in the first payroll warrant after return from the leave of 
15.32 	absence. The appointing authority shall attempt to grant requests for the unpaid leaves of 
15.33 	absence consistent with the need to continue efficient operation of the agency. However, 
15.34 	each appointing authority shall retain discretion to grant or refuse to grant requests for 
16.1 	leaves of absence and to schedule and cancel leaves, subject to the applicable provisions 
16.2 	of collective bargaining agreements and compensation plans.
16.3 	(b) To receive eligible service credit and credited salary in a defined benefit plan, the 
16.4 	member shall pay an amount equal to the applicable employee contribution rates. If an 
16.5 	employee pays the employee contribution for the period of the leave under this section, 
16.6 	the appointing authority must pay the employer contribution. The appointing authority 
16.7 	may, at its discretion, pay the employee contributions. Contributions must be made in a 
16.8 	time and manner prescribed by the executive director of the applicable pension plan.

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

16.10 	Sec. 11. REVISOR'S INSTRUCTION.
 16.11 	In the next and subsequent editions of Minnesota Statutes and Minnesota Rules, the 
16.12 	revisor of statutes must replace references to the Department of Employee Relations and 
16.13 	commissioner of employee relations with references to the appropriate department and 
16.14 	commissioner specified in section 8. The revisor of statutes, in consultation with affected 
16.15 	commissioners of state agencies, must prepare a bill for introduction in the 2008 legislative 
16.16 	session making other statutory changes needed to implement or conform with section 8.

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

16.18 	Sec. 12.  REPEALER.
 16.19 	Laws 2006, chapter 253, section 22, is repealed.