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A bill for an act
relating to education finance; establishing a Permanent School Trust Lands Task
Force to address permanent school trust lands located within or near the boundaries
of Tribal lands; requiring a report; appropriating money.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
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PERMANENT SCHOOL TRUST LANDS TASK FORCE.
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Subdivision 1.
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Task force established.
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A task force is established to examine the
permanent school trust lands located within or near Tribal lands.
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Subd. 2.
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Membership qualifications and appointments.
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(a) Appointed members of
the task force must have familiarity in at least one of the following areas:
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(1) Tribal lands;
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(2) American Indian education;
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(3) state and Tribal relations;
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(4) Tribal treaties;
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(5) state land management;
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(6) forest resources management; or
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(7) permanent school trust land management policies.
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(b) The task force consists of the following members, each of whom must be appointed
by August 1, 2026:
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(1) one member appointed by each of the six Tribes with permanent school trust lands
located within that Tribe's Tribal lands boundaries;
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(2) at the discretion of each Tribe, one member appointed by each Tribe without
permanent school trust lands located within that Tribe's Tribal lands boundaries;
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(3) one member appointed by the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council;
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(4) one member appointed by the Tribal Nations Education Committee;
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(5) the commissioner of education or the commissioner's designee;
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(6) one member appointed by the commissioner of natural resources;
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(7) the director of the Office of School Trust Lands;
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(8) one member appointed by the Minnesota Forest Resources Council;
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(9) one member appointed by vote of the Legislative Permanent School Fund
Commission; and
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(10) four members appointed by the legislature, one each by the majority leader of the
senate, the minority leader of the senate, the speaker of the house, and the
Democratic-Farmer-Labor caucus leader of the house of representatives.
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(c) The first meeting of the task force must be called by the Legislative Coordinating
Commission no later than September 1, 2026. The task force must select its chair at the first
meeting.
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Subd. 3.
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Consultation and advice.
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The Departments of Natural Resources and Education
must provide advice and technical assistance as necessary to the task force.
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Subd. 4.
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Duties.
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The task force must examine policies for land exchanges of permanent
school trust lands located within the boundaries of Tribal lands, identify obstacles to land
transfers, and propose effective land transfer mechanisms. The task force must also examine
land use and land management policies for permanent school trust lands located near the
boundaries of Tribal lands. The task force must make recommendations for funding sources
to accomplish any land transfers recommended by the task force.
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Subd. 5.
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Compensation.
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Minnesota Statutes, section 15.059, subdivision 3, governs
compensation of the members of the task force.
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Subd. 6.
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Meetings and administrative support.
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The Legislative Coordinating
Commission must provide meeting space and technical, organizational, administrative, and
staff support for the task force. Meetings of the task force are subject to Minnesota Statutes,
section 3.055. The meetings may be conducted by interactive television.
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Subd. 7.
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Task force report.
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The task force must report its recommendations to the chairs
and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over the
permanent school fund by February 15, 2027. The task force report must be submitted
consistent with Minnesota Statutes, section 3.195. The task force expires on February 15,
2027, or upon submission of the report required under this subdivision, whichever occurs
earlier.
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Subd. 8.
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Appropriations.
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(a) $....... in fiscal year 2027 is appropriated from the general
fund to the Legislative Coordinating Commission to administer the permanent school trust
lands task force.
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(b) $....... in fiscal year 2027 is appropriated from the general fund to the Department of
Natural Resources for technical agency support for the task force.
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