HF3664

Purpose

The bill updates when and how the Minnesota Compensation Council must set or propose salaries and daily pay for certain state officials and board members, and when those pay changes can take effect. It also clarifies that pay changes require legislative funding (appropriation) to actually become law.

Main Provisions

• Subdivision 3 (Judges and Justices)

  • By September 1 in every even-numbered year, the Compensation Council must submit salary recommendations for:
  • Justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court
  • Judges of the Court of Appeals and District Court
  • These recommended salaries take effect on July 1 of the next year and on July 1 of the following even-numbered year, unless the Legislature provides otherwise.
  • The recommendations take effect only if the Legislature enacts an appropriation to pay the salaries after the recommendations are submitted and before their effective date.
  • The Legislature can expressly modify or reject the recommendations.

• Subdivision 3 (Constitutional Officers and Agency Heads)

  • By April–May in each odd-numbered year, the Council must prescribe salaries for constitutional officers and for the agency and metropolitan agency heads identified in a specified section.
  • These prescribed salaries take effect on July 1 of that year and July 1 of the subsequent even-numbered year, and then at whatever intervals the Council determines, unless the Legislature provides otherwise.
  • An appropriation by the Legislature to fund these offices, branches, or agencies in an amount sufficient to pay the prescribed salaries constitutes a prescription by law (per the Minnesota Constitution).

• Subdivision 3 (Direct Care and Treatment Executive Board)

  • By April 1 in each odd-numbered year, the Council must prescribe daily compensation for voting members of the Direct Care and Treatment executive board.
  • The daily compensation takes effect on July 1 of that year and July 1 of the subsequent even-numbered year, and then at the intervals the Council recommends thereafter, unless the Legislature provides otherwise.

How it Changes Existing Law

• Adds clear deadlines for when the Compensation Council must act:
  • Even-numbered years: salary recommendations for judges and justices due by Sept 1.
  • Odd-numbered years: salaries for constitutional officers, agency heads, and daily board compensation due by April–May (or April 1 for daily compensation).
• Ties the effectiveness of any salary changes to funding:
  • Salaries only take effect if there is an enacted appropriation to pay them.
  • Appropriations to fund these salaries are described as “prescription by law,” aligning with constitutional language.
• Confirms that the Legislature can modify or reject the Council’s recommendations.
• Applies the same structured schedule to:
  • Judicial salaries
  • Constitutional officers and agency/metropolitan agency heads
  • Daily pay for Direct Care and Treatment executive board members

Notable Terms and Concepts

• Compensation Council
• Salary recommendations
• Justices of the Supreme Court
• Judges of the Court of Appeals
• District Court judges
• Constitutional officers
• Agency heads
• Metropolitan agency heads (identified in section 15A.0815)
• Direct Care and Treatment executive board
• Daily compensation
• Prescription by law
• Appropriation
• Minnesota Constitution article V sections 4 and 5
• Section 15A.0815

Practical Impact

• State budgeting and compensation decisions become more date-driven, with explicit submission deadlines.
• Salary changes cannot become effective without a legislative appropriation, potentially slowing or blocking changes if funding isn’t approved.
• The Legislature retains authority to modify or reject the Compensation Council’s recommendations.
• The bill creates a predictable cycle for adjusting compensation for judges, constitutional officers, agency leaders, and the Direct Care and Treatment board.

Relevant Terms Compensation Council; salary recommendations; justices of the supreme court; judges of the Court of Appeals; district court judges; constitutional officers; agency heads; metropolitan agency heads; Direct Care and Treatment executive board; daily compensation; prescription by law; appropriation; Minnesota Constitution article V sections 4 and 5; section 15A.0815.