Requirements for expenditures from emerging issues account modified.

A bill for an act

relating to environment; modifying requirements for expenditures from emerging

issues account; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 116P.08, subdivision

4.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 116P.08, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Legislative recommendations.

(a) Funding may be provided only for those

projects that meet the categories established in subdivision 1.

(b) The commission must recommend an annual or biennial legislative bill to make

appropriations from the trust fund for the purposes provided in subdivision 1. The

recommendations must be submitted to the governor for inclusion in the biennial budget

and supplemental budget submitted to the legislature.

(c) The commission may recommend regional block grants for a portion of trust fund

expenditures to partner with existing regional organizations that have strong citizen

involvement, to address unique local needs and capacity, and to leverage all available funding

sources for projects.

(d) The commission may recommend the establishment of an emerging issues account

in its legislative bill for funding emerging issues, which come up unexpectedly, but which

still adhere to the commission's strategic plan
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, to be
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. Expenditures from the emerging issues

account must be
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approved by the governor
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and the chairs and ranking minority members

of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over environment and natural resources

finance
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after initiation and recommendation by the commission.
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Recommendations by the

commission for an expenditure from the emerging issues account require an affirmative

vote of at least 15 members of the commission.
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(e) Money in the trust fund may not be spent except under an appropriation by law.