Purpose

This bill makes changes to how and when the state Compensation Council determines and implements salaries for judges, constitutional officers, agency heads, and the Direct Care and Treatment executive board. It ties salary actions to legislative appropriations and adjusts the timing of when recommendations and prescribed salaries take effect.

Main Provisions

• Subdivision 3 updates: By September 1 of each even-numbered year, the Compensation Council must submit salary recommendations for the judiciary (justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court, judges of the Court of Appeals, and district court) to the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate. These recommended salaries take effect on July 1 of the next year and July 1 of the following even-numbered year unless the legislature provides otherwise. The salaries only take effect if the legislature enacts an appropriation to pay them after the recommendations are submitted and before their effective date. The legislature may expressly modify or reject the recommendations.
• For constitutional officers and agency/metropolitan agency heads: By April-May 1 of each odd-numbered year, the Compensation Council must prescribe salaries for these offices (as identified in section 15A.0815). The prescribed salaries take effect on July 1 of that year and July 1 of the subsequent even-numbered year, and then at intervals chosen by the council unless the legislature provides otherwise. An appropriation by the legislature to fund the relevant office, branch, or agency that pays the prescribed salaries constitutes a prescription by law under the Minnesota Constitution (article V, sections 4 and 5).
• Daily compensation for Direct Care and Treatment: By April 1 of each odd-numbered year, the Compensation Council must prescribe daily compensation for voting members of the Direct Care and Treatment executive board. These daily compensation amounts take effect on July 1 of that year and July 1 of the subsequent even-numbered year, and then at intervals determined by the council unless the legislature provides otherwise.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Timing changes: Replaces or modifies previous deadlines for submitting recommendations (Sept. 1 of even-numbered years) and for prescribing salaries (April 1 for odd-numbered years) and when those salaries become effective (tied to July 1 of specified years).
• Appropriation dependency: Explicitly links the effectiveness of recommended salaries to legislative appropriations, making funding a prerequisite for implementation.
• Prescription by law clarified: Confirms that an appropriation to fund the salaries constitutes a prescription by law under the Minnesota Constitution.
• New item for daily compensation: Establishes a process to set daily pay for voting members of the Direct Care and Treatment executive board on a regular cycle.

Terminology Inclusion

• Compensation Council
• salary recommendations
• justices of the supreme court
• judges of the court of appeals
• district court
• constitutional officers
• agency heads
• metropolitan agency heads
• section 15A.0815
• prescription by law
• Minnesota Constitution article V sections 4 and 5
• appropriation
• Direct Care and Treatment executive board
• daily compensation
• July 1
• September 1
• April 1
• April-May 1
• odd-numbered year
• even-numbered year

Relevant Terms compensation council, salary recommendations, justices, Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, district court, constitutional officers, agency heads, metropolitan agency heads, Direct Care and Treatment, daily compensation, appropriation, prescription by law, Minnesota Constitution, article V, sections 4 and 5, 15A.0815, July 1, odd-numbered year, even-numbered year, September 1, April 1, April-May 1.