1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; changing the membership and 
  1.3             duties of the University of Minnesota regent candidate 
  1.4             advisory council; repealing requirements that one 
  1.5             member of the board of regents be a student and that 
  1.6             at least one regent be a resident of each 
  1.7             congressional district; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.8             1996, section 137.0245; repealing Minnesota Statutes 
  1.9             1996, sections 137.023; and 137.024. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 137.0245, is 
  1.12  amended to read: 
  1.13     137.0245 [REGENT CANDIDATE CITIZENS' ADVISORY COUNCIL ON 
  1.14  ELECTION OF REGENTS.] 
  1.15     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A regent candidate 
  1.16  citizens' advisory council on election of regents is established 
  1.17  to assist the legislature in determining criteria for, and 
  1.18  identifying and recruiting qualified candidates for membership 
  1.19  on the board of regents.  The council is expected to have a 
  1.20  thorough appreciation and understanding of the university's 
  1.21  role, the tradition of shared governance, and the state's higher 
  1.22  education enterprise. 
  1.23     Subd. 2.  [MEMBERSHIP.] The regent candidate advisory 
  1.24  council shall consist of 24 members.  Twelve Eight members shall 
  1.25  be appointed by the governor.  Eight members shall be appointed 
  1.26  by the combined boards of the University of Minnesota alumni 
  1.27  association and the University of Minnesota foundation.  Four 
  2.1   members shall be appointed by the subcommittee on committees of 
  2.2   the committee on rules and administration of the senate.  Twelve 
  2.3   Four members shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of 
  2.4   representatives.  No more than one-third of the members 
  2.5   appointed by each appointing authority may be current or former 
  2.6   legislators.  No more than two-thirds of the members appointed 
  2.7   by each appointing authority may belong to the same political 
  2.8   party; however, political activity or affiliation is not 
  2.9   required for the appointment of any member.  Geographical 
  2.10  representation must be taken into consideration when making 
  2.11  appointments.  Section 15.0575 shall govern the advisory 
  2.12  council, except that the members shall be appointed to six-year 
  2.13  terms with one-third appointed each even-numbered year.  
  2.14     Subd. 3.  [DUTIES.] The advisory council shall: 
  2.15     (1) develop, in consultation with current and former 
  2.16  regents and the administration of the University of Minnesota, a 
  2.17  statement of the selection qualification criteria to be applied 
  2.18  and a clear description of the responsibilities and duties of a 
  2.19  regent, including the skill set necessary for effective 
  2.20  policymaking, and shall distribute this to potential candidates; 
  2.21  and 
  2.22     (2) for each position on the board, identify and recruit 
  2.23  qualified candidates for the board of regents, based on the 
  2.24  background and experience of the candidates, and their potential 
  2.25  for discharging the responsibilities of a member of the board of 
  2.26  regents; and 
  2.27     (3) plan for the professional development of regents. 
  2.28     Subd. 4.  [RECOMMENDATIONS.] The advisory council shall 
  2.29  recommend at least two and not more than four candidates.  By 
  2.30  March 15 of each odd-numbered year, the advisory council shall 
  2.31  submit its recommendations one candidate to the governor for 
  2.32  each available regent seat.  The governor, within 15 days of the 
  2.33  council recommendation, shall forward the name of the candidate 
  2.34  to the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of 
  2.35  representatives for consideration or ask the council for another 
  2.36  name.  The legislature shall not be bound by these the 
  3.1   recommendations. 
  3.2      Subd. 5.  [SUPPORT SERVICES.] The legislative coordinating 
  3.3   commission shall provide administrative and support services for 
  3.4   the advisory council. 
  3.5      Sec. 2.  [TRANSITION OF COUNCIL MEMBERS.] 
  3.6      Terms of all current members of the regent candidate 
  3.7   advisory council are terminated.  By July 1, 1997, the 
  3.8   appointing authorities shall make their appointments to the 
  3.9   citizens' advisory council for election of regents.  The 
  3.10  appointments may include current council members. 
  3.11     Sec. 3.  [REPEALER.] 
  3.12     Minnesota Statutes 1996, sections 137.023; and 137.024, are 
  3.13  repealed. 
  3.14     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.15     This act is effective the day following final enactment.