1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to telecommunications; establishing a 
  1.3             statewide comprehensive telecommunication 
  1.4             infrastructure strategy; imposing a fee; appropriating 
  1.5             money; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, sections 
  1.6             237.50, subdivision 6; 237.52, as amended; 237.69, 
  1.7             subdivision 10; and 237.701, as amended; Minnesota 
  1.8             Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 237.51, subdivision 
  1.9             5; proposing coding for new law as Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.10            chapter 237A. 
  1.11  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.12                             ARTICLE 1 
  1.13     Section 1.  [237A.01] [DEFINITIONS.] 
  1.14     Subdivision 1.  [GENERALLY.] The definitions contained in 
  1.15  chapters 237 and 238 apply to this chapter. 
  1.16     Subd. 2.  [WIDEBAND COMMUNICATION NETWORK.] "Wideband 
  1.17  communication network" means a network of equipment and services 
  1.18  that allows simultaneous transmission and integration of voice, 
  1.19  data, and video over multiple communications channels at speeds 
  1.20  equal to or greater than 128 kilobits per second. 
  1.21     Subd. 3.  [COMMON CARRIER SERVICE PROVIDER.] "Common 
  1.22  carrier service provider" means a person that holds out to the 
  1.23  public as willing, for hire, to provide telecommunication or 
  1.24  information services without discrimination as to the content of 
  1.25  those services or as to access by content providers to 
  1.26  infrastructure owned or controlled by the service provider. 
  1.27     Subd. 4.  [INTERACTIVE FULL-MOTION VIDEO.] "Interactive 
  1.28  full-motion video" means a service that allows users at two or 
  2.1   more locations to communicate by both sound and sight, provides 
  2.2   for smooth and continuous video, and allows users to control 
  2.3   program delivery as it is delivered. 
  2.4      Sec. 2.  [237A.02] [FINDINGS; PURPOSE.] 
  2.5      (a) The legislature finds that access to the broad range of 
  2.6   telecommunication and information services can provide 
  2.7   extraordinary benefits to the citizens of the state, 
  2.8   particularly in the areas of education, health care, and 
  2.9   economic development.  The legislature further finds that it is 
  2.10  necessary to develop goals and implement programs to facilitate 
  2.11  the construction of essential infrastructure in order to provide 
  2.12  access to these services in an orderly and deliberate manner 
  2.13  that ensures universal physical and economic access to the 
  2.14  services and minimizes the financial impact of development and 
  2.15  implementation on those least able to pay.  Additionally, the 
  2.16  legislature finds that entities with oversight over 
  2.17  telecommunication and information services could improve access 
  2.18  to these services through enhanced coordination among themselves.
  2.19     (b) The purpose of this act is to ensure that citizens in 
  2.20  all areas of the state have access to the broad array of 
  2.21  telecommunications services at reasonable prices.  This act does 
  2.22  not, and should not be construed to, impose additional statutory 
  2.23  or regulatory mandates on local telephone companies or other 
  2.24  service providers. 
  2.25     Sec. 3.  [237A.03] [TELECOMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE; 
  2.26  GOALS.] 
  2.27     The department of public service shall monitor and actively 
  2.28  encourage the progress of service providers in meeting the 
  2.29  following goals in every service area in the state: 
  2.30     (a) By December 31, 1998, every resident or business in the 
  2.31  state should have local call access to the internet available 
  2.32  from a common carrier service provider, or the functional 
  2.33  equivalent of that access as determined by the commissioner. 
  2.34     (b) By December 31, 2000, every resident and business in 
  2.35  the state should have access to wideband communication network 
  2.36  services or comparable voice and data services, or the 
  3.1   functional equivalent of those services as determined by the 
  3.2   commissioner.  These services should be available from a common 
  3.3   carrier service provider. 
  3.4      (c) By December 31, 2005, every resident and business in 
  3.5   the state should have access from a common carrier service 
  3.6   provider to either interactive data transmission of at least 1.5 
  3.7   megabits per second or service speeds that permit interactive 
  3.8   full-motion video, or the functional equivalent of interactive 
  3.9   full-motion video as determined by the commissioner. 
  3.10     Sec. 4.  [237A.04] [TELECOMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE ACCESS 
  3.11  ASSURANCE.] 
  3.12     Subdivision 1.  [LEGISLATIVE REPORT.] By November 1 of each 
  3.13  even-numbered year, the commissioner of public service shall 
  3.14  report to the chairs of the legislative committees of the house 
  3.15  and senate with jurisdiction over telecommunication issues on 
  3.16  the progress of service providers in meeting the goals described 
  3.17  in section 237A.03, as well as the department's activities under 
  3.18  this section. 
  3.19     Subd. 2.  [COMMISSION AND DEPARTMENT DUTIES, 
  3.20  GENERALLY.] The commissioner and the public utilities commission 
  3.21  shall adopt policies, make decisions, and engage in practices to 
  3.22  encourage and enable existing and potential service providers to 
  3.23  meet the goals provided in section 237A.03. 
  3.24     Subd. 3.  [SERVICE AREAS; ACCESS PROCEDURES.] (a) The 
  3.25  commissioner may define the appropriate geographic boundary of a 
  3.26  service area.  If the commissioner determines that a service 
  3.27  area within the state will not have access at reasonably 
  3.28  affordable rates to the services described in section 237A.03 by 
  3.29  the dates provided in that section, the commissioner shall 
  3.30  institute procedures developed by the department to ensure 
  3.31  access is provided.  These access assurance procedures may 
  3.32  include a competitive bidding procedure that consists of: 
  3.33     (1) determining the terms, conditions, and price for the 
  3.34  services that may be lacking in the service area that would make 
  3.35  those services reasonably affordable; 
  3.36     (2) determining by competitive bid, the lowest reasonable 
  4.1   service subsidy at which a service provider would provide the 
  4.2   services on a common carrier basis at the reasonably affordable 
  4.3   rates determined under clause (1); and 
  4.4      (3) awarding a contract to a service provider to provide 
  4.5   the services on a common carrier basis with a service subsidy 
  4.6   consistent with that determined under clause (2). 
  4.7      (b) Local government units in a service area may apply to 
  4.8   the department to accelerate application of the procedures in 
  4.9   paragraph (a), if one or more of the local government units 
  4.10  within the service area commits to contribute at least 50 
  4.11  percent of the subsidy as determined through the competitive 
  4.12  bidding procedure described in that paragraph.  Upon receiving 
  4.13  an application from one or more local government units within a 
  4.14  service area committing to such a contribution, the commissioner 
  4.15  shall begin applying the procedures described in paragraph (a).  
  4.16  The contribution from local government units may include funds 
  4.17  from nongovernmental persons or entities. 
  4.18     Sec. 5.  [237A.05] [TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACCESS ASSURANCE 
  4.19  ACCOUNT; APPROPRIATION.] 
  4.20     A telecommunications access assurance account is created 
  4.21  within the universal service fund established in section 237A.08.
  4.22  Money in the account is appropriated to the department of public 
  4.23  service only for the purpose of implementing the access 
  4.24  assurance procedures developed under section 237A.04, 
  4.25  subdivision 3. 
  4.26     Sec. 6.  [237A.06] [TELECOMMUNICATION RATE EQUALIZATION.] 
  4.27     It is a goal of this state that rates for telecommunication 
  4.28  services should not vary more than 15 percent across the state 
  4.29  and that the affordability of residential service should be 
  4.30  maintained as the market for telecommunication services evolves. 
  4.31  By January 1, 1998, the commissioner of the department of public 
  4.32  service shall develop and present to the legislature 
  4.33  recommendations regarding the most efficient and effective 
  4.34  methods to meet these goals. 
  4.35     Sec. 7.  [237A.07] [COMMISSION EVALUATION; LEGISLATIVE 
  4.36  REPORT.] 
  5.1      By November 1 of each even-numbered year, the chair of the 
  5.2   public utilities commission shall report to the chairs of the 
  5.3   legislative committees of the house and senate with jurisdiction 
  5.4   over telecommunication issues.  The chair shall include in this 
  5.5   report: 
  5.6      (1) an evaluation of the means of achieving the goals 
  5.7   created in section 237A.03, designed to determine the best means 
  5.8   to achieve those goals and achieve universal access to 
  5.9   telecommunication and information services, while minimizing 
  5.10  rate increases; 
  5.11     (2) a description of statutory, regulatory, and operational 
  5.12  barriers to achieving the goals of section 237A.03, as well as 
  5.13  recommendations of measures to eliminate or minimize those 
  5.14  barriers; and 
  5.15     (3) any other recommendations of the commission to help 
  5.16  ensure that residents and businesses in the state have 
  5.17  sufficient access to telecommunication and information services. 
  5.18     Sec. 8.  [237A.08] [UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND.] 
  5.19     A universal service fund is established as a separate 
  5.20  account in the state treasury, consisting of amounts received by 
  5.21  the department of administration representing the fee authorized 
  5.22  by section 237A.10 and amounts earned on the fund assets.  The 
  5.23  fund consists of the following three accounts: 
  5.24     (1) the telecommunications access for 
  5.25  communications-impaired persons account, to be used for the 
  5.26  purposes described in section 237.52, subdivision 5; 
  5.27     (2) the telephone assistance account, to be used for the 
  5.28  purposes described in section 237.701, subdivision 1; and 
  5.29     (3) the telecommunications access assurance account, to be 
  5.30  used for the purposes described in section 237A.05. 
  5.31     Sec. 9.  [237A.09] [BUDGET; ASSESSMENT.] 
  5.32     (a) The department of public service shall annually 
  5.33  recommend to the public utilities commission an adequate and 
  5.34  appropriate budget to implement sections 237.50 to 237.56, and 
  5.35  237A.05. 
  5.36     (b) The commission shall annually develop an adequate and 
  6.1   appropriate budget to implement sections 237.69 to 237.711. 
  6.2      (c) The commission shall: 
  6.3      (1) consolidate the budgets described in paragraphs (a) and 
  6.4   (b); 
  6.5      (2) review the consolidated budget for reasonableness; and 
  6.6      (3) modify the budget to the extent that it is unreasonable.
  6.7      Sec. 10.  [237A.10] [FUNDING FOR ACCESS ASSURANCE; FEE.] 
  6.8      Subdivision 1.  [ACCESS ASSURANCE FEE.] In order to provide 
  6.9   funding for access assurance, the commissioner of revenue shall 
  6.10  collect a fee of one percent on the gross receipts of sales of 
  6.11  telecommunication and information services to customers or 
  6.12  subscribers where access to the service originates in the state. 
  6.13     Subd. 2.  [DEFINITIONS.] For purposes of this section the 
  6.14  following words and terms shall have the meaning ascribed in 
  6.15  this subdivision unless otherwise indicated. 
  6.16     (a) "Telecommunication and information services" means the 
  6.17  provision of wired and wireless telephone, cable television 
  6.18  services, and any other similar television services including 
  6.19  direct broadcast and other multichannel video providers, and 
  6.20  on-line computer services including access to electronic 
  6.21  bulletin boards and to the internet. 
  6.22     (b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of revenue. 
  6.23     Subd. 3.  [EXEMPTIONS.] The fee in subdivision 1 shall not 
  6.24  apply to the following sales: 
  6.25     (a) wholesale transactions between telecommunication and 
  6.26  information service providers when the sale is a component part 
  6.27  of a service provided to an end user; and 
  6.28     (b) sales of telecommunication and information services 
  6.29  when provided by a nonprofit organization. 
  6.30     Subd. 4.  [TAX PAID IN OTHER STATES; CREDIT.] If the sale 
  6.31  of the telecommunication or information service is subject to a 
  6.32  fee or tax for similar purposes in another state, a taxpayer, 
  6.33  upon proof that the taxpayer has paid the fee or tax in the 
  6.34  other state, shall be allowed a credit against the tax imposed 
  6.35  in this section. 
  6.36     Subd. 5.  [PAYMENT; ADMINISTRATION.] Liability for the fee 
  7.1   imposed by this section is on the user of the telecommunication 
  7.2   or information service.  Liability for the collection of the fee 
  7.3   is imposed on the telecommunication or information service 
  7.4   provider.  The fee imposed in this section shall be reported and 
  7.5   paid to the commissioner of revenue with taxes imposed under 
  7.6   chapter 297A.  It is subject to the same interest, penalties, 
  7.7   and administrative provisions provided for sales and use tax 
  7.8   under chapters 289A and 297A.  The commissioner has the same 
  7.9   powers to assess and collect the fee that are given to the 
  7.10  commissioner in chapters 270, 287A, and 297A to assess and 
  7.11  collect sales and use tax. 
  7.12     Subd. 6.  [DEPOSIT OF REVENUES; COSTS OF 
  7.13  ADMINISTRATION.] All revenues, including interests and 
  7.14  penalties, derived from the fee imposed under this section shall 
  7.15  be deposited by the commissioner in the telecommunications 
  7.16  access assurance account described in section 237A.05.  The 
  7.17  amount deposited in the telecommunications access assurance 
  7.18  account shall be reduced by any refunds and by the costs 
  7.19  incurred by the department of revenue to administer and enforce 
  7.20  the assessment and collection of the fee. 
  7.21     Sec. 11.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  7.22     Section 10 is effective for sales made after December 31, 
  7.23  1996. 
  7.24                             ARTICLE 2 
  7.25     Section 1.  [237A.11] [DEVELOPMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATION 
  7.26  INFRASTRUCTURE; GENERAL PRINCIPLES.] 
  7.27     Subdivision 1.  [PUBLIC ENTITY PURCHASE OF 
  7.28  TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES.] (a) State agencies and other public 
  7.29  entities, acting as purchasers of telecommunication and 
  7.30  information services, should review and revise purchasing 
  7.31  policies and procedures to utilize their purchasing power for 
  7.32  improving the availability of telecommunication and information 
  7.33  services infrastructure for all citizens. 
  7.34     (b) By December 31 of each even-numbered year, the 
  7.35  commissioner of administration shall report to the legislature: 
  7.36     (1) the measures the department has taken to ensure the 
  8.1   implementation of the goal described in paragraph (a); 
  8.2      (2) examples the department has identified of public 
  8.3   entities at all levels of government acting to implement the 
  8.4   goal described in paragraph (a); and 
  8.5      (3) recommendations of policies, programs, or legislation 
  8.6   to further increase the impact of the government as a purchaser 
  8.7   of telecommunication services on the development of 
  8.8   telecommunication infrastructure. 
  8.9      The commissioner shall include in this report a summary of 
  8.10  the reports issued to the commissioner under sections 237A.12 
  8.11  and 237A.13. 
  8.12     (c) For the purposes of this subdivision, "public entity" 
  8.13  means the state; an office, agency, or institution of the state; 
  8.14  the metropolitan council; a metropolitan agency; the 
  8.15  metropolitan mosquito control district; the legislature; the 
  8.16  courts; a county; a statutory or home rule charter city; a town; 
  8.17  a school district; another special taxing district; or any other 
  8.18  general or special purpose unit of government in the state. 
  8.19     Subd. 2.  [STATE AGENCIES.] For the purposes of section 
  8.20  8.33 and chapter 237, the department, commission, and the 
  8.21  residential and small business utilities division of the office 
  8.22  of the attorney general shall consider the development of 
  8.23  telecommunication infrastructure to be equivalent in importance 
  8.24  with maintaining affordable rates for customers.  These entities 
  8.25  shall evaluate and develop their positions regarding 
  8.26  telecommunication providers and services, in commission 
  8.27  proceedings and otherwise, on this basis. 
  8.28     Subd. 3.  [USERS OF BASIC TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES.] 
  8.29  Because widespread access to the broad range of 
  8.30  telecommunication and information services provides benefits and 
  8.31  opportunities to all the citizens in the state, it is equitable 
  8.32  to charge users of basic telecommunication services prices that 
  8.33  reflect the cost of developing the infrastructure to provide 
  8.34  that broad range of services. 
  8.35     Sec. 2.  [237A.12] [DEVELOPMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATION 
  8.36  APPLICATIONS.] 
  9.1      Subdivision 1.  [GOALS OF STATE AGENCIES.] (a) Each state 
  9.2   agency should act to broaden the awareness of existing software 
  9.3   applications, and encourage development of new applications, 
  9.4   that will enhance the availability of telecommunication and 
  9.5   information technologies, and enhance access to and use of the 
  9.6   state's telecommunication infrastructure. 
  9.7      (b) In implementing the direction in paragraph (a), state 
  9.8   agencies shall look for opportunities to encourage the awareness 
  9.9   of and development of applications in at least the following 
  9.10  areas: 
  9.11     (1) distance learning; 
  9.12     (2) remote access to medical services; 
  9.13     (3) remote access to computer-based data; 
  9.14     (4) regional interconnection of local area computer 
  9.15  networks; 
  9.16     (5) the exchange of commercial information by 
  9.17  telecommunication infrastructure; and 
  9.18     (6) telecommunication access to government information and 
  9.19  services. 
  9.20     (c) Each state agency shall endeavor to develop 
  9.21  relationships with public, private, and nonprofit entities to 
  9.22  implement the goals of this subdivision. 
  9.23     Subd. 2.  [REPORTS TO COMMISSIONER OF ADMINISTRATION.] By 
  9.24  November 1 of each even-numbered year, the commissioner of each 
  9.25  department shall report to the commissioner of administration on 
  9.26  that department's efforts to implement the goals of this 
  9.27  subdivision. 
  9.28     Sec. 3.  [237A.13] [DEVELOPMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATION 
  9.29  TRAINING INITIATIVES.] 
  9.30     Each state agency should develop and fund initiatives to 
  9.31  increase access to training programs to utilize the 
  9.32  telecommunication infrastructure in the state.  Each agency 
  9.33  shall endeavor to develop relationships with public, private, or 
  9.34  nonprofit entities to implement the goal of this section.  By 
  9.35  November 1 of each even-numbered year, the commissioner of each 
  9.36  department shall report to the commissioner of administration on 
 10.1   that department's efforts to implement this goal. 
 10.2                              ARTICLE 3 
 10.3      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 237.50, 
 10.4   subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
 10.5      Subd. 6.  [FUND ACCOUNT.] "Fund" "Account" means the 
 10.6   telecommunication access for communication-impaired persons fund 
 10.7   account within the universal service fund established in section 
 10.8   237.52 237A.08. 
 10.9      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
 10.10  237.51, subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
 10.11     Subd. 5.  [DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE DUTIES.] In 
 10.12  addition to any duties specified elsewhere in sections 237.51 to 
 10.13  237.56, the department of public service shall: 
 10.14     (1) prepare the reports required by section 237.55; 
 10.15     (2) administer the fund account created in section 237.52; 
 10.16  and 
 10.17     (3) adopt rules under chapter 14 to implement the 
 10.18  provisions of sections 237.50 to 237.56. 
 10.19     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 237.52, as 
 10.20  amended by Laws 1995, chapters 190, sections 5, 6, and 7; and 
 10.21  201, section 1, is amended to read: 
 10.22     237.52 [FUND ACCOUNT; ASSESSMENT.] 
 10.23     Subdivision 1.  [FUND ACCOUNT.] A telecommunication access 
 10.24  for communication-impaired persons fund account is established 
 10.25  as an account in the state treasury.  Earnings, such as 
 10.26  interest, dividends, and any other earnings arising from fund 
 10.27  assets, must be credited to the fund universal service fund 
 10.28  established in section 237A.08. 
 10.29     Subd. 2.  [ASSESSMENT.] The department of public service 
 10.30  shall annually recommend to the commission an adequate and 
 10.31  appropriate surcharge and budget to implement sections 237.50 to 
 10.32  237.56.  The public utilities commission shall review the budget 
 10.33  for reasonableness and may modify the budget to the extent it is 
 10.34  unreasonable.  The commission shall annually determine the 
 10.35  funding mechanism to be used within 60 days of receipt of the 
 10.36  recommendation of the department and shall order the imposition 
 11.1   of surcharges effective on the earliest practicable date.  The 
 11.2   commission shall establish a monthly charge no greater than 20 
 11.3   cents for each customer access line, including trunk equivalents 
 11.4   as designated by the commission pursuant to section 403.11, 
 11.5   subdivision 1. 
 11.6      Subd. 3.  [COLLECTION.] Every telephone company or 
 11.7   communications carrier that provides service capable of 
 11.8   originating a telecommunications relay call, including cellular 
 11.9   communications and other nonwire access services, in this state 
 11.10  shall collect the charges established by the commission under 
 11.11  subdivision 2 and transfer amounts collected to the commissioner 
 11.12  of administration in the same manner as provided in section 
 11.13  403.11, subdivision 1, paragraph (c).  The commissioner of 
 11.14  administration must deposit the receipts in the fund established 
 11.15  in subdivision 1. 
 11.16     Subd. 4.  [APPROPRIATION.] Money in the fund account is 
 11.17  appropriated to the department of public service to implement 
 11.18  sections 237.51 to 237.56. 
 11.19     Subd. 5.  [EXPENDITURES.] Money in the fund account may 
 11.20  only be used for: 
 11.21     (1) expenses of the department of public service, including 
 11.22  personnel cost, public relations, advisory board members' 
 11.23  expenses, preparation of reports, and other reasonable expenses 
 11.24  not to exceed ten percent of total program expenditures; 
 11.25     (2) reimbursing the commissioner of human services for 
 11.26  purchases made or services provided pursuant to section 237.53; 
 11.27     (3) reimbursing telephone companies for purchases made or 
 11.28  services provided under section 237.53, subdivision 5; and 
 11.29     (4) contracting for establishment and operation of the 
 11.30  telecommunication relay service required by section 237.54. 
 11.31     All costs directly associated with the establishment of the 
 11.32  program, the purchase and distribution of communication devices, 
 11.33  and the establishment and operation of the telecommunication 
 11.34  relay service are either reimbursable or directly payable from 
 11.35  the fund after authorization by the department of public 
 11.36  service.  The department of public service shall contract with 
 12.1   the message relay service operator to indemnify the local 
 12.2   exchange carriers of the relay service for any fines imposed by 
 12.3   the Federal Communications Commission related to the failure of 
 12.4   the relay service to comply with federal service standards.  
 12.5   Notwithstanding section 16A.41, the department of public service 
 12.6   may advance money to the contractor of the telecommunication 
 12.7   relay service if the contractor establishes to the department's 
 12.8   satisfaction that the advance payment is necessary for the 
 12.9   operation of the service.  The advance payment may be used only 
 12.10  for working capital reserve for the operation of the service.  
 12.11  The advance payment must be offset or repaid by the end of the 
 12.12  contract fiscal year together with interest accrued from the 
 12.13  date of payment.  
 12.14     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 237.69, 
 12.15  subdivision 10, is amended to read: 
 12.16     Subd. 10.  [FUND ACCOUNT.] "Fund" "Account" means the 
 12.17  telephone assistance fund account within the universal service 
 12.18  fund established in section 237.701 237A.08. 
 12.19     Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 237.701, as 
 12.20  amended by Laws 1995, chapter 224, section 78, is amended to 
 12.21  read: 
 12.22     237.701 [TELEPHONE ASSISTANCE FUND ACCOUNT; APPROPRIATION.] 
 12.23     Subdivision 1.  [FUND ACCOUNT CREATED; AUTHORIZED 
 12.24  EXPENDITURES.] The telephone assistance fund account is created 
 12.25  as a separate account in the state treasury universal service 
 12.26  fund established in section 237A.08 to consist of amounts 
 12.27  received by the department of administration representing the 
 12.28  surcharge authorized by section 237.70, subdivision 6, and 
 12.29  amounts earned on the fund assets.  Money in the fund account 
 12.30  may be used only for: 
 12.31     (1) reimbursement to telephone companies for expenses and 
 12.32  credits allowed in section 237.70, subdivision 7, paragraph (d), 
 12.33  clause (5); 
 12.34     (2) reimbursement of the administrative expenses of the 
 12.35  department of human services to implement sections 237.69 to 
 12.36  237.71, not to exceed $314,000 annually; 
 13.1      (3) reimbursement of the administrative expenses of the 
 13.2   commission not to exceed $25,000 annually; and 
 13.3      (4) reimbursement of the statewide indirect cost of the 
 13.4   commission. 
 13.5      Subd. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] Money in the fund account is 
 13.6   appropriated to the commission to be disbursed pursuant to 
 13.7   section 237.70, subdivision 7.