1.1                                        A bill for an act&#10;1.2     relating to constitutional amendments; proposing an amendment to the Minnesota &#10;1.3     Constitution by adding a section to article XI; dedicating sales and use tax receipts &#10;1.4     equal to a rate of 3/16 of one percent on taxable sales and uses to provide angler &#10;1.5     and hunter access and to improve, enhance, or protect game and fish habitat, &#10;1.6     lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and groundwater, parks and trails, and arts and &#10;1.7     public broadcasting; creating a game and fish preservation fund; providing for an &#10;1.8     outdoor walk-in public access plan;amending Minnesota Statutes 2004, section &#10;1.9     297A.94; Minnesota Statutes 2005 Supplement, section 97A.055, subdivision &#10;1.10    4b; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 84.&#10;1.11    BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:&#10;&#10;<a id="go.1.0.0"></a>1.12                                           <b>ARTICLE 1</b>&#10;1.13                                   <b> CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT</b>&#10;&#10;<a id="go.1.1.0"></a>1.14        Section 1. <ins><b>CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.</b></ins>&#10;1.15    <ins>An amendment to the Minnesota Constitution is proposed to  the people.  If the </ins>&#10;1.16    <ins>amendment is adopted, a section will be added to article XI, to read: </ins>&#10;1.17     <ins>Sec. 15.</ins><ins>Beginning July 1, 2009, the sales and use tax receipts equal to the state sales </ins>&#10;1.18    <ins>and use tax of 3/16 of one percent on sales and uses taxable under the general state sales </ins>&#10;1.19    <ins>and use tax law, plus penalties and interest and reduced by any refunds, are dedicated as </ins>&#10;1.20    <ins>follows: 60 percent of the receipts shall be deposited in the game and fish preservation </ins>&#10;1.21    <ins>fund and may be spent only to provide hunter and angler access and for conservation to </ins>&#10;1.22    <ins>improve, enhance, or protect game and fish habitat; 30 percent of the receipts shall be </ins>&#10;1.23    <ins>deposited in the clean water fund and may be spent only on protection and restoration </ins>&#10;1.24    <ins>of the state's lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and groundwater; five percent of the </ins>&#10;1.25    <ins>receipts shall be deposited in the parks and trails fund and may be spent only on parks </ins>&#10;1.26    <ins>and trails in the state; and five percent of the receipts shall be deposited in the arts and </ins>&#10;2.1     <ins>public broadcasting fund and may be spent only on arts and public broadcasting in the </ins>&#10;2.2     <ins>state. A game and fish preservation fund, a parks and trails fund, a clean water fund, and </ins>&#10;2.3     <ins>an arts and public broadcasting fund  are created in the state treasury. No noncommercial </ins>&#10;2.4     <ins>radio station eligible for grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 129D.14, who holds </ins>&#10;2.5     <ins>more than ten licenses to operate a noncommercial radio station issued by the Federal </ins>&#10;2.6     <ins>Communications Commission is eligible for funding under this section. The money </ins>&#10;2.7     <ins>dedicated under this section shall be appropriated by law. The money dedicated under this </ins>&#10;2.8     <ins>section shall not be used as a substitute for traditional funding sources for the purposes </ins>&#10;2.9     <ins>specified, but the dedicated money shall supplement traditional sources of funding for </ins>&#10;2.10    <ins>those purposes without increasing any taxes or fees or imposing any new taxes or fees for </ins>&#10;2.11    <ins>a period of seven years following adoption of the constitutional amendment. Easements </ins>&#10;2.12    <ins>in land acquired with money deposited in the game and fish preservation fund under this </ins>&#10;2.13    <ins>section must be open to public taking of fish and game during the open season unless </ins>&#10;2.14    <ins>otherwise provided by law.</ins>&#10;&#10;<a id="go.1.2.0"></a>2.15        Sec. 2. <ins><b>SUBMISSION TO VOTERS.</b></ins>&#10;2.16    <ins>The proposed amendment shall be submitted to the people at the 2006 general </ins>&#10;2.17    <ins>election. The question submitted shall be:</ins>&#10;2.18    <ins>"Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide funding beginning July 1, </ins>&#10;2.19    <ins>2009, for hunter and angler access; for conservation to improve, enhance, or protect the </ins>&#10;2.20    <ins>state's game and fish habitat, its lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and groundwater, and its </ins>&#10;2.21    <ins>parks and trails; and for arts and public broadcasting by dedicating the sales and use tax </ins>&#10;2.22    <ins>receipts equal to the state sales and use tax of 3/16 of one percent on taxable sales?</ins>&#10;<rs_table>2.23    <ins>Yes .......</ins>                                                                      &#10;2.24    <ins>No ......."</ins>                                                                      &#10;</rs_table>&#10;<a id="go.1.3.0"></a>2.25        Sec. 3. <ins><b>EFFECTIVE DATE.</b></ins>&#10;2.26    <ins>Sections 1 and 2 apply to sales and uses occurring after June 30, 2009.</ins>&#10;&#10;<a id="go.2.0.0"></a>2.27                                           <b>ARTICLE 2</b>&#10;2.28                                      <b> CONFORMING CHANGES</b>&#10;&#10;<a id="go.2.1.0"></a>2.29        Section 1. <ins><b>[84.946] GAME AND FISH PRESERVATION FUND.</b></ins>&#10;2.30    <ins>The commissioner of finance shall create a game and fish preservation fund upon the </ins>&#10;2.31    <ins>effective date of article 1, section 3. The fund shall consist of revenue deposited under the </ins>&#10;2.32    <ins>Minnesota Constitution, article XI, section 15. </ins>&#10;&#10;<a id="go.2.2.0"></a>3.1         Sec. 2. <ins><b>[84.947] GAME AND FISH PRESERVATION FUND; EXPENDITURE </b></ins>&#10;3.2     <ins><b>ALLOCATION.</b></ins>&#10;3.3     <ins>The commissioner of natural resources Budgetary Oversight Committee, under </ins>&#10;3.4     <ins>Minnesota Statutes, section </ins><ins>97A.055</ins><ins>, subdivision 4b, shall allocate expenditures from the </ins>&#10;3.5     <ins>game and fish preservation fund.  The recommendations must be for projects that provide </ins>&#10;3.6     <ins>hunter and angler access and to improve, enhance, or protect game and fish habitat.</ins>&#10;&#10;<a id="go.2.3.0"></a>3.7         Sec. 3. <ins><b>[84.992] ACCESS TO MINNESOTA OUTDOORS.</b></ins>&#10;3.8         <ins>Subdivision 1.</ins> <ins><b>Walk-in access plan.</b></ins> <ins>(a) The commissioner shall create a walk-in </ins>&#10;3.9     <ins>public access plan under which the commissioner may encourage owners and operators of </ins>&#10;3.10    <ins>privately held land to voluntarily make that land available for walk-in access by the public </ins>&#10;3.11    <ins>for hunting and fishing under programs administered by the commissioner and funded by </ins>&#10;3.12    <ins>revenue created under the Minnesota Constitution, article XI, section 15.</ins>&#10;3.13    <ins>(b) As part of the plan, the commissioner shall explore entering into contracts with </ins>&#10;3.14    <ins>the owners or lessees of land for the establishment of voluntary walk-in public access for </ins>&#10;3.15    <ins>the purposes of hunting, fishing, or other wildlife-dependent recreational activities.</ins>&#10;3.16    <ins>(c) In the plan, the commissioner must describe:</ins>&#10;3.17    <ins>(1) the benefits that private land will provide the public, such as hunting, fishing, </ins>&#10;3.18    <ins>bird watching, and related outdoor activities; and </ins>&#10;3.19    <ins>(2) the types of game, fish, and wildlife habitat improvements made to the land that </ins>&#10;3.20    <ins>will enhance public uses.</ins>&#10;3.21    <ins>(d) The commissioner shall explore walk-in access programs in other states and to </ins>&#10;3.22    <ins>develop a walk-in program for public access to private lands for hunting, fishing, and </ins>&#10;3.23    <ins>related recreational activities.  </ins>&#10;3.24        <ins>Subd. 2.</ins> <ins><b>Preemption.</b></ins> <ins>Nothing in this section is intended to preempt other state </ins>&#10;3.25    <ins>laws, including trespass and liability laws.</ins>&#10;3.26        <ins>Subd. 3.</ins> <ins><b>Report.</b></ins> <ins>Before implementation, the commissioner must present the </ins>&#10;3.27    <ins>walk-in plan to the house and senate committees with jurisdiction over natural resources </ins>&#10;3.28    <ins>policy and finance, with recommendations on program implementation, by December </ins>&#10;3.29    <ins>31, 2008. </ins>&#10;&#10;<a id="go.2.4.0"></a>3.30        Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2005 Supplement, section 97A.055, subdivision 4b, is &#10;3.31    amended to read:&#10;3.32         Subd. 4b. <b>Citizen oversight subcommittees.</b> (a) The commissioner shall appoint &#10;3.33    subcommittees of affected persons to review the reports prepared under subdivision 4; &#10;3.34    review the proposed work plans and budgets for the coming year; propose changes &#10;4.1     in policies, activities, and revenue enhancements or reductions; review other relevant &#10;4.2     information; and make recommendations to the legislature and the commissioner for &#10;4.3     improvements in the management and use of money in the game and fish fund.&#10;4.4      (b) The commissioner shall appoint the following subcommittees, each comprised &#10;4.5     of at least three affected persons:&#10;4.6      (1) a Fisheries Operations Subcommittee to review fisheries funding, excluding &#10;4.7     activities related to trout and salmon stamp funding;&#10;4.8      (2) a Wildlife Operations Subcommittee to review wildlife funding, excluding &#10;4.9     activities related to migratory waterfowl, pheasant, and turkey stamp funding and &#10;4.10    excluding review of the amounts available under section 97A.075, subdivision 1, &#10;4.11    paragraphs (b) and (c);&#10;4.12     (3) a Big Game Subcommittee to review the report required in subdivision 4, &#10;4.13    paragraph (a), clause (2);&#10;4.14     (4) an Ecological Services Operations Subcommittee to review ecological services &#10;4.15    funding;&#10;4.16     (5) a subcommittee to review game and fish fund funding of enforcement, support &#10;4.17    services, and Department of Natural Resources administration;&#10;4.18     (6) a subcommittee to review the trout and salmon stamp report and address funding &#10;4.19    issues related to trout and salmon;&#10;4.20     (7) a subcommittee to review the report on the migratory waterfowl stamp and &#10;4.21    address funding issues related to migratory waterfowl;&#10;4.22     (8) a subcommittee to review the report on the pheasant stamp and address funding &#10;4.23    issues related to pheasants; and&#10;4.24     (9) a subcommittee to review the report on the turkey stamp and address funding &#10;4.25    issues related to wild turkeys.&#10;4.26     (c) The chairs of each of the subcommittees shall form a Budgetary Oversight &#10;4.27    Committee to coordinate the integration of the subcommittee reports into an annual &#10;4.28    report to the legislature; recommend changes on a broad level in policies, activities, and &#10;4.29    revenue enhancements or reductions; provide a forum to address issues that transcend the &#10;4.30    subcommittees; and submit a report for any subcommittee that fails to submit its report &#10;4.31    in a timely manner.&#10;4.32     (d) The Budgetary Oversight Committee shall develop recommendations for a &#10;4.33    biennial budget plan and report for expenditures on game and fish activities.  By August 15 &#10;4.34    of each even-numbered year, the committee shall submit the budget plan recommendations &#10;4.35    to the commissioner and to the senate and house committees with jurisdiction over natural &#10;5.1     resources finance. <ins>In addition, the committee must review and decide on recommended </ins>&#10;5.2     <ins>expenditures from the game and fish preservation fund under section </ins><ins>84.946</ins><ins>.</ins>&#10;5.3      (e) Each subcommittee shall choose its own chair, except that the chair of the &#10;5.4     Budgetary Oversight Committee shall be appointed by the commissioner and may not &#10;5.5     be the chair of any of the subcommittees.&#10;5.6      (f) The Budgetary Oversight Committee must make recommendations to the &#10;5.7     commissioner and to the senate and house committees with jurisdiction over natural &#10;5.8     resources finance for outcome goals from expenditures.&#10;5.9      (g) Notwithstanding section 15.059, subdivision 5, or other law to the contrary, the &#10;5.10    Budgetary Oversight Committee and subcommittees do not expire until June 30, 2010.<ins> </ins>&#10;5.11    <ins>Expenses for performing their duties under this section are governed by section 15.059, </ins>&#10;5.12    <ins>subdivision 6. </ins>&#10;&#10;<a id="go.2.5.0"></a>5.13        Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 297A.94, is amended to read:&#10;5.14    <b> 297A.94 DEPOSIT OF REVENUES.</b>&#10;5.15     (a) Except as provided in this section <ins>and the Minnesota Constitution, article XI, </ins>&#10;5.16    <ins>section 15</ins>, the commissioner shall deposit the revenues, including interest and penalties, &#10;5.17    derived from the taxes imposed by this chapter in the state treasury and credit them to the &#10;5.18    general fund.&#10;5.19     (b) The commissioner shall deposit taxes in the Minnesota agricultural and economic &#10;5.20    account in the special revenue fund if:&#10;5.21     (1) the taxes are derived from sales and use of property and services purchased for &#10;5.22    the construction and operation of an agricultural resource project; and&#10;5.23     (2) the purchase was made on or after the date on which a conditional commitment &#10;5.24    was made for a loan guaranty for the project under section 41A.04, subdivision 3.&#10;5.25     The commissioner of finance shall certify to the commissioner the date on which the &#10;5.26    project received the conditional commitment.  The amount deposited in the loan guaranty &#10;5.27    account must be reduced by any refunds and by the costs incurred by the Department of &#10;5.28    Revenue to administer and enforce the assessment and collection of the taxes.&#10;5.29     (c) The commissioner shall deposit the revenues, including interest and penalties, &#10;5.30    derived from the taxes imposed on sales and purchases included in section 297A.61, &#10;5.31    subdivision 3, paragraph (g), clauses (1) and (4), in the state treasury, and credit them &#10;5.32    as follows:&#10;5.33     (1) first to the general obligation special tax bond debt service account in each fiscal &#10;5.34    year the amount required by section 16A.661, subdivision 3, paragraph (b); and&#10;6.1      (2) after the requirements of clause (1) have been met, the balance to the general &#10;6.2     fund.&#10;6.3      (d) The commissioner shall deposit the revenues, including interest and penalties, &#10;6.4     collected under section 297A.64, subdivision 5, in the state treasury and credit them to the &#10;6.5     general fund.  By July 15 of each year the commissioner shall transfer to the highway user &#10;6.6     tax distribution fund an amount equal to the excess fees collected under section 297A.64, &#10;6.7     subdivision 5, for the previous calendar year.&#10;6.8      (e) For fiscal year 2001, 97 percent; for fiscal years 2002 and 2003, 87 percent; and &#10;6.9     for fiscal year 2004 and thereafter, 72.43 percent of the revenues, including interest and &#10;6.10    penalties, transmitted to the commissioner under section 297A.65, must be deposited by &#10;6.11    the commissioner in the state treasury as follows:&#10;6.12     (1) 50 percent of the receipts must be deposited in the heritage enhancement account &#10;6.13    in the game and fish fund, and may be spent only on activities that improve, enhance, or &#10;6.14    protect fish and wildlife resources, including conservation, restoration, and enhancement &#10;6.15    of land, water, and other natural resources of the state;&#10;6.16     (2) 22.5 percent of the receipts must be deposited in the natural resources fund, and &#10;6.17    may be spent only for state parks and trails;&#10;6.18     (3) 22.5 percent of the receipts must be deposited in the natural resources fund, and &#10;6.19    may be spent only on metropolitan park and trail grants;&#10;6.20     (4) three percent of the receipts must be deposited in the natural resources fund, and &#10;6.21    may be spent only on local trail grants; and&#10;6.22     (5) two percent of the receipts must be deposited in the natural resources fund, &#10;6.23    and may be spent only for the Minnesota Zoological Garden, the Como Park Zoo and &#10;6.24    Conservatory, and the Duluth Zoo.&#10;6.25     (f) The revenue dedicated under paragraph (e) may not be used as a substitute &#10;6.26    for traditional sources of funding for the purposes specified, but the dedicated revenue &#10;6.27    shall supplement traditional sources of funding for those purposes.  Land acquired with &#10;6.28    money deposited in the game and fish fund under paragraph (e) must be open to public &#10;6.29    hunting and fishing during the open season, except that in aquatic management areas or &#10;6.30    on lands where angling easements have been acquired, fishing may be prohibited during &#10;6.31    certain times of the year and hunting may be prohibited.  At least 87 percent of the money &#10;6.32    deposited in the game and fish fund for improvement, enhancement, or protection of fish &#10;6.33    and wildlife resources under paragraph (e) must be allocated for field operations.&#10;&#10;<a id="go.2.6.0"></a>6.34        Sec. 6. <ins><b>EFFECTIVE DATE.</b></ins>&#10;7.1     <ins>Sections 1, 2, 4, and 5 are effective July 1, 2009, if the constitutional amendment </ins>&#10;7.2     <ins>proposed in article 1 is adopted by the voters. Section 3 is effective the day following </ins>&#10;7.3     <ins>final enactment.</ins>&#10;