OVERVIEW

 This bill provides the 2015 deficiency funding for three state agencies and the Zoological Board in a total amount of $15,452,000 of onetime appropriations, including $14,953,000 of general fund appropriations.  This bill also contains changes to the process for establishing salaries for agency heads appointed by the governor.  After July 2, 2015, all changes to these salaries must be approved by the Legislative Coordinating Commission and the legislature.

SECTION-BY-SECTION SUMMARY

Section 1 [Other Salaries and Compensation Plans] provides a technical change to reflect the authority given to the legislature in this legislation to review and approve compensation plans submitted by the governor for agency head positions.

Sections 2 and 3 [Salary Limits; Determining Individual Salaries] Effective July 2, 2015, requires salary rates for agency head positions approved by the governor to be approved by the Legislative Coordinating Commission and the legislature. 

Section 4 [Agency Head Salary Freeze] prohibits the governor from using the authority provided under existing law to adjust salaries for agency heads in excess of the salaries provided for agency heads in the previous calendar year.  The effective date provided in section 10 makes this section effective the day following final enactment, and leaves it in effect until June 30, 2015.  The net affect of sections 1 to 4 is to leave one day this year (July 1, 2015) for any salary changes to be made by the governor under existing law (without legislative approval) to take effect.

Section 5 [Department of Human Services; Appropriation] appropriates $10,683,000 from the general fund to the Commissioner of Human Services in the current fiscal year as follows: $246,000 for the benefit of the food assistance program and $10,437,000 for the Minnesota Security Hospital.  This is a onetime appropriation.

Section 6 [Department of Natural Resources; Appropriation] appropriates $568,000 in fiscal years 2015 to the Commissioner of Natural Resources for enforcement activities as follows: $69,000 from the general fund; $128,000 from the natural resources fund; and $371,000 from the game and fish fund.  This is a onetime appropriation.

Section 7 [Department of Health; Appropriation] appropriates $891,000 in fiscal year 2015 from the general fund to the Commissioner of Health for cost of planning, coordination, and preparation and response activities related to Ebola.  Paragraph (b) appropriates $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2015 from the general fund to the Commissioner of Health for grants to four medical facilities for their Ebola-related expenditures, and also includes $148,000 of this appropriation to the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board for grants to emergency medical service providers demonstrating extraordinary costs related to Ebola readiness.  All of the appropriations in this section are subject to a requirement that the Commissioner of Health may not make any grants for expenses that are reimbursable with federal funds.

Section 8 [Zoological Board; Appropriation] appropriates $1,350,000 from the general fund to the Zoological Board in fiscal year 2015 on a onetime basis to supplement the existing appropriation due to a revenue shortfall experienced by the Zoo.  Also requires the Zoological Board to submit the reports to the legislature detailing the Zoo’s financial plan to ensure its long-term financial stability and success.

Section 9 [Budget Reductions] makes onetime budget reductions to the Departments of Health, Human Services, and Natural Resources as follows:  $16,000 for the Department of Health; $6,000 for the Department of Human Services; and $18,000 for the Department of Natural Resources. Instructs the Commissioner of Management and Budget to allocate the reduction to the appropriation that supports the commissioners’ salary for each of the agencies.

Section 10 [Effective Date] supplies the effective dates that are referenced elsewhere in this summary.