Council on Central and Eastern European Affairs establishment and appropriation

A bill for an act

relating to state government; establishing the Council on Central and Eastern

European Affairs; requiring reports; appropriating money; proposing coding for

new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 15.

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

Section 1.

new text begin

[15.0148] COUNCIL ON CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN

AFFAIRS.

new text end

new text begin

Subdivision 1.

new text end

new text begin

Council established.

new text end

new text begin

The Council on Central and Eastern European

Affairs is established to provide representation for Minnesotans from Central and Eastern

Europe, some of whom have arrived in the United States as refugees or humanitarian parolees

due to war, displacement, or political upheaval. These communities face barriers to accessing

government programs and lack a specific community representative to connect citizen input

with policy makers.

new text end

new text begin

Subd. 2.

new text end

new text begin

Membership.

new text end

new text begin

(a) Members of the Council on Central and Eastern European

Affairs includes public members with ethnic heritage from countries in Central and Eastern

Europe, including but not limited to Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kosovo,

Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and

Ukraine.

new text end

new text begin

(b) The council shall have 15 voting members consisting of:

new text end

new text begin

(1) 11 public members appointed by the governor who broadly represent Minnesota's

Central and Eastern European communities. The council shall include at least five public

members who are female. The governor shall ensure the demographic composition of the

public members reflects the Central and Eastern European population of Minnesota, including

recent immigrants; and

new text end

new text begin

(2) four legislative members with one member appointed by the speaker of the house,

one member appointed by the house minority leader, and the Subcommittee on Committees

of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration shall appoint one member from the

majority caucus and one member from the minority caucus. The four legislators shall be

voting members.

new text end

new text begin

Subd. 3.

new text end

new text begin

Appointments; terms; removal.

new text end

new text begin

(a) In making appointments to the council,

the governor shall consider an appointee's proven dedication to the Central and Eastern

European community and any expertise beneficial to the council, including public policy,

legal affairs, social work, business, or management.

new text end

new text begin

(b) Terms, compensation, and filling of vacancies are as provided in section 15.059.

Removal of members is governed by section 15.059, except: (1) a member who missed

more than half of the meetings in a 12-month period is automatically removed; and (2) a

member appointed by the governor may be removed by a vote of three of the four legislative

members of the council. Legislative members serve at the pleasure of their appointing

authority.

new text end

new text begin

(c) A member appointed by the governor may serve no more than eight years. A legislator

may serve no more than eight consecutive or 12 nonconsecutive years.

new text end

new text begin

Subd. 4.

new text end

new text begin

Training; executive committee; meetings; support.

new text end

new text begin

(a) Members appointed

by the governor must attend orientation training within the first six months. The commissioner

of administration must arrange training on the legislative process, open meeting law, fiscal

management, and human resources. Members who fail to complete the training shall be

removed.

new text end

new text begin

(b) The council shall annually elect a chair and other officers from among the governor's

appointees. These officers and one legislative member selected by the council shall serve

as the executive committee.

new text end

new text begin

(c) Forty percent of voting members in attendance constitutes a quorum. A member may

not vote on any action if they have a conflict of interest under section 10A.07.

new text end

new text begin

(d) The commissioner of administration shall provide administrative support under

section 16B.371. The council may contract in its own name and apply for and expend grants

and gifts, but may not incur debt.

new text end

new text begin

(e) The attorney general shall provide legal services to the council.

new text end

new text begin

Subd. 5.

new text end

new text begin

Executive director; staff.

new text end

new text begin

(a) The Legislative Coordinating Commission (LCC)

shall appoint an executive director for the council who serves in the unclassified service at

the pleasure of the LCC.

new text end

new text begin

(b) The LCC must establish a process for recruiting and selecting applicants in

consultation with the council.

new text end

new text begin

(c) The executive director and the council shall work together on fulfilling duties.

new text end

new text begin

(d) The LCC supervises the executive director. The executive director shall appoint and

supervise staff as necessary.

new text end

new text begin

(e) The executive director shall submit the council's biennial budget request to the

commissioner of management and budget as provided under chapter 16A.

new text end

new text begin

Subd. 6.

new text end

new text begin

Duties of the council; duties of council members.

new text end

new text begin

(a) The council shall work

for the economic, social, legal, and political equality of Central and Eastern European

Minnesotans by:

new text end

new text begin

(1) advising the governor and legislature on issues confronting Central and Eastern

European communities;

new text end

new text begin

(2) recommending administrative or legislative changes;

new text end

new text begin

(3) serving as a liaison between the state government and Central and Eastern European

organizations;

new text end

new text begin

(4) performing or contracting studies on education, employment, health, housing, and

related issues; and

new text end

new text begin

(5) collaborating with other ethnic councils on issues of shared concern.

new text end

new text begin

(b) Council members shall attend meetings, maintain communication with their

communities, collaborate with the council and executive director, and participate in activities

advancing the council's duties.

new text end

new text begin

Subd. 7.

new text end

new text begin

Reports.

new text end

new text begin

The council shall report on measurable outcomes achieved in its

strategic plan along with objectives and outcome measures for the coming year. The report

shall be submitted by January 15 each year to the chairs and ranking minority members of

the legislative committees with primary jurisdiction over state government operations. The

biennial budget must be submitted to the LCC by February 1 in each odd-numbered year.

new text end

Sec. 2.
new text begin
APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin

$700,000 in fiscal year 2027 is appropriated from the general fund to the Council on

Central and Eastern European Affairs for operations, staffing, and outreach. The general

fund base for this appropriation is $700,000 in fiscal year 2028.

new text end