Purpose

This bill updates how the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council is staffed and how its executive director is hired. It makes changes to the council’s composition, appointment rules, terms, and compensation, and it adds a formal process for selecting the council’s executive director.

Key Provisions

• Creates a 12-member Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council within the legislative branch, with:
  • 2 public members appointed by the Senate Subcommittee on Committees (Rules and Administration)
  • 2 public members appointed by the Speaker of the House
  • 4 public members appointed by the Governor
  • 2 public members appointed by the Senate
  • 2 public members appointed by the Speaker of the House
• Appointees must not be registered lobbyists. Appointments should consider geographic balance, gender, age, ethnicity, and a range of interests including hunting and fishing.
• Governor appointments are subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.
• Public members must have practical experience or knowledge in restoring and protecting wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife. Legislative members must include chairs of environment-related committees and their designees, plus minority-party members from the Senate and House.
• Terms:
  • Public members serve four-year terms.
  • Legislative members serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority.
  • A staggered initial term schedule is provided to begin the council’s work (with specific term-end dates noted in the bill).
• Compensation and removal: Terms, compensation, and removal follow a specific existing statute, with a new allowance that public members may be compensated up to $125 per day. Vacancies are filled by the appointing authority for the remainder of the term.
• Leadership and operations: The council elects its own officers (chair, vice chair, secretary, etc.) and the chair can call meetings as needed.
• Administrative support: The Legislative Coordinating Commission may appoint nonpartisan staff and contract with consultants to support the council.
• Administrative funding: Up to 1% of the money from the related fund may be used for the council’s administrative expenses and for members’ compensation and expenses.
• Executive director hiring authority (new Subd.2a):
  • The Legislative Coordinating Commission can provide nonpartisan staff and contract for support, but the council has final approval over hiring the executive director.
  • An interview panel must be formed from council members and include an equal number of members from the two largest political parties to interview and recommend candidates.
  • If the panel cannot reach unanimous agreement, it must forward multiple candidates to the full council for consideration.
  • Up to 1% of fund money may be used for administrative expenses.

Significant Changes to Law

• Shifts final hiring authority for the executive director from the Legislature or other bodies to the council itself.
• Establishes a formal, bipartisan interview panel process for selecting the executive director.
• Codifies specific diversity and expertise requirements for council membership (geographic, gender, age, ethnicity, hunting/fishing interests, and relevant wetland/prairies/forest/wildlife habitat expertise).
• Tightens public-position and appointment rules, including non-lobbyist status for appointees and Senate consent for governor appointments.

Implementation Notes

• The bill adds a new subdivision to the existing statute (97A.056) and adds a new Subd.2a to define executive-director administration and hiring processes.
• It emphasizes nonpartisan support for staff while giving the council the decisive role in selecting its executive director.

Relevant Terms - Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council - executive director - Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 97A.056, subdivision 2 - Subdivision 2a (new) - Legislative Coordinating Commission - nonpartisan staff - interview panel - final approval authority - public members - legislative members - geographic balance - diversity (gender, age, ethnicity) - hunting and fishing - wetlands - prairies - forests - habitat for fish, game, and wildlife - appointments by governor, senate, and house - advice and consent of the senate - four-year terms - compensation (up to $125/day) - vacancies - rules and administration; environment and natural resources finance - fund and administrative expenses (1% cap)