1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to local government; providing for emergency 
  1.3             expenditures related to the continuing severe weather 
  1.4             conditions and their aftermath; providing a 
  1.5             contingency appropriation. 
  1.6      BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [APPROPRIATION FOR 1997 SEVERE WEATHER 
  1.8   AFFECTING PUBLIC SAFETY.] 
  1.9      A special 1997 severe weather contingent appropriation is 
  1.10  authorized.  Grants under this section must be coordinated in so 
  1.11  far as possible, and subject to immediate public safety 
  1.12  concerns, with emergency federal funding for the same or similar 
  1.13  purposes.  Some examples of needs for which grants are available 
  1.14  are:  snowplowing for emergencies because the snowplowing budget 
  1.15  or other resources are depleted; emergencies due to severe 
  1.16  weather and its aftermath, which may include flooding, and which 
  1.17  affects or threatens public safety; and required matching funds 
  1.18  under 1997 federal weather-related disaster declarations.  The 
  1.19  division of emergency management of the department of public 
  1.20  safety in cooperation with the department of transportation 
  1.21  shall devise a formula or criteria for distribution of funds.  
  1.22  To receive a grant, a county, city, or town must request the aid 
  1.23  and provide relevant information to the division of emergency 
  1.24  management. 
  1.25     (a) The commissioner of public safety may make grants up to 
  2.1   $5,000 from the appropriation to counties, cities, and towns for 
  2.2   emergency 1997 severe weather-related matters urgently affecting 
  2.3   or threatening public safety.  
  2.4      (b) The commissioner may make grants from $5,000 to and 
  2.5   including $10,000 to counties, cities, and towns for the purpose 
  2.6   in paragraph (a), with the approval of the governor. 
  2.7      (c) Grants of more than $10,000 to counties, cities, towns, 
  2.8   and the state of Minnesota for the purpose in paragraph (a) may 
  2.9   be authorized by the governor but no grant of more than $10,000 
  2.10  may be made until the governor has consulted the legislative 
  2.11  advisory commission and it has made its recommendation on the 
  2.12  grant.  Its recommendation is advisory only.  Failure or refusal 
  2.13  of the commission to make a recommendation is a negative 
  2.14  recommendation. 
  2.15     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.16     $20,000,000 in fiscal year 1997 is appropriated from the 
  2.17  general fund to the commissioner of public safety to be spent as 
  2.18  provided in section 1, except that the commissioner may use 
  2.19  necessary funds for administration of this program. 
  2.20     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.21     Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day after their final 
  2.22  enactment.