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NEW LAWS <br /> This section provides a summary of new laws passed in the 2015 Regular Session and 2015 <br /> Special Session that impact MMUA members. Italicized text notes when a provision was <br /> originally included in another bill. A(*) signifies the bill number that was the vehicle for the <br /> new law's passage. <br /> OMNIBUS EMPLOYMENT,ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,JOBS,AND ENERGY BILL <br /> 2015 First Special Session Laws Chapter 1 <br /> *HF 3 Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-Farmington) <br /> SF 2 Sen. David Tomassoni (DFL-Chisholm) <br /> This bill includes the biennial budget appropriations (FY 2016-17) for the following state <br /> agencies: Department of Employment and Economic Development(DEED), Department of <br /> Labor and Industry(DOLL), Department of Commerce, Housing Finance Agency, Explore MN <br /> Tourism, Bureau of Mediation Services,Workers' Compensation Court of Appeals, and Public <br /> Utilities Commission. Several policy items related to these areas of the state budget are also <br /> included. <br /> Appropriations of interest to MMUA: <br /> • $250,000/year to DEED for the Office of Broadband Development <br /> • $10,588,000 for the Border-to-Border Broadband Fund <br /> • $525,000/year in increased funding for additional staff at the Public Utilities Commission <br /> • $5 million/year for the Department of Commerce for the propane prepurchase program <br /> (Similar appropriation found in HF 550-Baker/SF 925-Koenen) <br /> • $150,000/year for grants to low-income weatherization service providers for the <br /> installation of renewable energy equipment <br /> • $424,000 in FY 2016 and$430,000 in FY 2017 for the costs associated with competitive <br /> rates for energy-intensive,trade-exposed electric utility customers (recovered through <br /> assessments on eligible utilities: Minnesota Power and Otter Tail Power) <br /> • $92,000 in FY 2016 to study the potential cost savings and program efficiencies that may <br /> result from transferring certain functions and staff from the Division of Energy Resources <br /> to the Public Utilities Commission. The study must be submitted by January 1, 2016 to <br /> the legislative committees with jurisdiction over energy policy and state government <br /> operations. (Similar provisions found in HF 2033-Newberger/SF 2073-Osmek) <br /> Policy provisions of interest to MMUA: <br /> Disaster Relief. State disaster relief may be used for the non-federal matching share of <br /> cooperative electric association projects. (Municipal utilities already qualify.) <br /> (HF 484-Urdahl/SF 599-Newman) <br /> 121 <br />