S.F. No. 3708 Summary

• Requires the state commissioner to petition the Minnesota Supreme Court within 20 days after legislative adjournment in odd-numbered years if critical functions lack appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year, or allows the Legislative Coordinating Commission to petition if the commissioner fails to do so.

• Limits court-ordered funding to amounts not exceeding prior year spending for the same function, except for specifically enumerated critical functions including emergency assistance, debt service, constitutional operations, education, and federal mandate programs that must be fully funded.

• Identifies 17 categories of critical functions eligible for court-ordered funding, including legislative and judicial operations, public safety, child support services, custodial care facilities, and administrative support necessary to perform these functions.

• Allows the Supreme Court to appoint a special master to hold hearings and advise on issues related to court orders, and suspends other statutory appropriations while court-ordered funding is in effect.

• Appropriates sufficient funds from relevant state treasury accounts to execute court orders and appropriates reasonable fees and expenses of any special master from the general fund to the chief justice.