Subd. 8.

Review and comment.

A school district, a special education cooperative, or
a cooperative unit of government, as defined in section 123A.24, subdivision 2, must not
deleted text begin initiatedeleted text end new text begin enter intonew text end an installment contract for purchase or a lease agreement, hold a referendum
for bonds, nor solicit bids for new construction, expansion, or remodeling of an educational
facility that requires an expenditure in excess of $500,000 per school site if it has a capital
loan outstanding, or $2,000,000 per school site if it does not have a capital loan outstanding,
prior to review and comment by the commissioner. deleted text begin A facility addition, maintenance project,
or remodeling projectdeleted text end new text begin New construction, expansion, or remodeling of an educational facilitynew text end
funded only with general education revenue, lease levy proceedsnew text begin from an additional capital
expenditure levy under section 126C.40, subdivision 1new text end , capital facilities bond proceeds, or
long-term facilities maintenance revenue is exempt from this provision. A capital project
under section 123B.63 addressing only technology is exempt from this provision if the
district submits a school board resolution stating that funds approved by the voters will be
used only as authorized in section 126C.10, subdivision 14. A school board shall not separate
portions of a single project into components to avoid the requirements of this subdivision.

Subd. 12.

Publication.

(a) At least 48 days but not more than deleted text begin 60deleted text end new text begin 88new text end days before a
referendum for bondsnew text begin under chapter 475new text end or solicitation of bids for a project that has received
a positive or unfavorable review and comment under section 123B.70, the school board
shall publish a summary of the commissioner's review and comment of that project in the
legal newspaper of the district. The school board must hold a public meeting to discuss the
commissioner's review and comment before deleted text begin thedeleted text end new text begin such anew text end referendum for bonds. Supplementary
information shall be available to the public.new text begin Where no such referendum for bonds is required,
the publication and public meeting requirements of this subdivision shall not apply.
new text end

(b) The publication requirement in paragraph (a) does not apply to alternative facilities
projects approved under section 123B.595.

Subd. 6.

Lease purchase; installment buys.

(a) Upon application to, and approval by,
the commissioner in accordance with the procedures and limits in subdivision 1, paragraphs
(a) and (b), a district, as defined in this subdivision, may:

(1) purchase real or personal property under an installment contract or may lease real
or personal property with an option to purchase under a lease purchase agreement, by which
installment contract or lease purchase agreement title is kept by the seller or vendor or
assigned to a third party as security for the purchase price, including interest, if any; and

(2) annually levy the amounts necessary to pay the district's obligations under the
installment contract or lease purchase agreement.

(b) The obligation created by the installment contract or the lease purchase agreement
must not be included in the calculation of net debt for purposes of section 475.53, and does
not constitute debt under other law. An election is not required in connection with the
execution of the installment contract or the lease purchase agreement.

(c) The proceeds of the levy authorized by this subdivision must not be used to acquire
a facility to be primarily used for athletic or school administration purposes.

(d) For the purposes of this subdivision, "district" means:

(1) Special School District No. 1, Minneapolis, Independent School District No. 625,
St. Paul, Independent School District No. 709, Duluth, or Independent School District No.
535, Rochester, if the district's desegregation plan has been determined by the commissioner
to be in compliance with Department of Education rules relating to equality of educational
opportunity and where the acquisition of property under this subdivision is determined by
the commissioner to contribute to the implementation of the desegregation plan; or

(2) other districts eligible for revenue under section 124D.862 if the facility acquired
under this subdivision is to be primarily used for a joint program for interdistrict
desegregation and the commissioner determines that the joint programs are being undertaken
to implement the districts' desegregation plan.

(e) Notwithstanding subdivision 1, the prohibition against a levy by a district to lease
or rent a district-owned building to itself does not apply to levies otherwise authorized by
this subdivision.

(f) For the purposes of this subdivision, any references in subdivision 1 to building or
land shall include personal property.

(g) Projects funded under this subdivisionnew text begin that require an expenditure in excess of
$500,000 per school site if the school district has a capital loan outstanding, or $2,000,000
per school site if the school district does not have a capital loan outstanding,new text end are subject to
review and comment under section 123B.71, subdivision 8, in the same manner as other
school construction projects.

Subdivision 1.

Definitions.

(a) As used in this section, the following terms have the
meanings given.

(b) "Authority" means the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority.

(c) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of management and budget.

(d) "Debt obligation" means:

(1) a general obligation bond or note issued by a county, a bond or note to which the
general obligation of a county is pledged under section 469.034, subdivision 2, or a bond
or note payable from a county lease obligation under section 641.24, to provide funds for
the construction of:

(i) jails;

(ii) correctional facilities;

(iii) law enforcement facilities;

new text begin (iv) a court house or justice center, if connected to a jail, correctional facility, or other
law enforcement facility;
new text end

deleted text begin (iv)deleted text end new text begin (v)new text end social services and human services facilities;

deleted text begin (v)deleted text end new text begin (vi)new text end solid waste facilities; or

deleted text begin (vi)deleted text end new text begin (vii)new text end qualified housing development projects as defined in section 469.034,
subdivision 2; or

(2) a general obligation bond or note issued by a governmental unit to provide funds for
the construction, improvement, or rehabilitation of:

(i) wastewater facilities;

(ii) drinking water facilities;

(iii) stormwater facilities; or

(iv) any publicly owned building or infrastructure improvement that has received partial
funding from grants awarded by the commissioner of employment and economic development
related to redevelopment, contaminated site cleanup, bioscience, small cities development
programs, and rural business infrastructure programs, for which bonds are issued by the
authority under section 446A.087.

(e) "Governmental unit" means a county or a statutory or home rule charter city.