1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to civil actions; providing that a nonprofit 
  1.3             organization operating an environmental learning 
  1.4             center is a municipality for purposes of tort claims; 
  1.5             amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 84.0875. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 84.0875, is 
  1.8   amended to read: 
  1.9      84.0875 [ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTERS.] 
  1.10     (a) The commissioner may acquire and better, or make grants 
  1.11  to counties, home rule charter or statutory cities, or school 
  1.12  districts to acquire and better, residential environmental 
  1.13  learning centers where students may learn how to use, preserve, 
  1.14  and renew the natural resources of this state.  A facility and 
  1.15  reasonable access to it must be owned by the state or a 
  1.16  political subdivision but may be leased to or managed by a 
  1.17  nonprofit organization to carry out an environmental learning 
  1.18  program established by the commissioner.  The lease or 
  1.19  management agreement must comply with the requirements of 
  1.20  section 16A.695. 
  1.21     (b) A nonprofit organization that is operating an 
  1.22  environmental learning center under this section is a 
  1.23  municipality for purposes of chapter 466 while acting within the 
  1.24  scope of these activities. 
  1.25     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.1      Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.