1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to poverty; creating a legislative commission to end poverty by 2020; 
1.3 	appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO END POVERTY BY 2020.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Membership. The Legislative Commission to End Poverty by 2020 
1.7 	consists of nine members of the senate appointed by the Subcommittee on Committees of 
1.8 	the Committee on Rules and Administration, including four members of the minority, and 
1.9 	nine members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker, including four 
1.10 	members of the minority. Appointments must be made by members elected to the 85th 
1.11 	session of the legislature and no later than February 15, 2007. The governor may appoint 
1.12 	two nonvoting members to sit with the commission.
1.13 		Subd. 2.Guiding principles. In preparing recommendations on how to end poverty 
1.14 	by 2020, the commission must be guided by the following principles:
1.15 	(a) There should be a consistent and persistent approach that includes participation 
1.16 	of people of faith, nonprofit agencies, government, and business.
1.17 	(b) All people should be provided with those things that protect human dignity 
1.18 	and make for a health life, including adequate food and shelter, meaningful work, safe 
1.19 	communities, health care, and education.
1.20 	(c) All people are intended to live well together as a whole community, seeking the 
1.21 	common good, avoiding wide disparities between those who have too little to live on and 
1.22 	those who have a disproportionate share of the nation's goods.
2.1 	(d) All people need to work together to overcome poverty, and this work transcends 
2.2 	both any particular political theory or party and any particular economic theory or 
2.3 	structure. Overcoming poverty requires the use of private and public resources.
2.4 	(e) Alliances are needed between the faith community, nonprofit agencies, 
2.5 	government, business, and others with a commitment to overcoming poverty.
2.6 	(f) Overcoming poverty involves both acts of direct service to alleviate the outcomes 
2.7 	of poverty and advocacy to change those structures that result in people living in poverty.
2.8 	(g) Government is neither solely responsible for alleviating poverty nor removed 
2.9 	from that responsibility. Government is the vehicle by which people order their lives 
2.10 	based on their shared vision. Society is well served when people bring their values into 
2.11 	the public arena. This convergence around issues of poverty and the common good 
2.12 	leads people of varying traditions to call on government to make a critical commitment 
2.13 	to overcoming poverty.
2.14 		Subd. 3.Report. The commission shall report its recommendations on how to end 
2.15 	poverty by 2020 to the legislature by December 15, 2008.
2.16 		Subd. 4.Expiration. The commission expires December 31, 2008.

2.17 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 2.18 	$1,000,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the Legislative Commission 
2.19 	to End Poverty by 2020. $250,000 is available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007; 
2.20 	$500,000 is available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008; and $250,000 is available 
2.21 	for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009.