Purpose

This bill changes how Explore Minnesota operates by updating its mission, structure, and funding/contracting powers. It aims to expand promotion of travel, livability, workforce development, and economic opportunity in Minnesota, and to broaden partnerships with other government entities, private partners, and international offices.

Key Provisions

• Establishment and structure

  • Confirms Explore Minnesota as an executive-branch office with a director appointed by the governor.
  • The director works under the supervision of the commissioner of Employment and Economic Development.
  • Divisions include Explore Minnesota Tourism, Explore Minnesota for Business, and Explore Minnesota Film.

• Mission and goals

  • The mission is to promote and facilitate travel to and within Minnesota, promote livability, and promote workforce and economic opportunity.
  • Goals include expanding public/private partnerships, increasing productivity, and using innovative fiscal and human resources practices to run the office efficiently.
  • The director must report on performance in the biennial budget to the legislature.

• Director duties and authority (Section 116U.30)

  • Publish and distribute informational and promotional materials.
  • Coordinate travel/tourism, livability, and workforce/economic development promotion with other state agencies; develop multiagency marketing strategies.
  • Promote international travel and livability marketing programs; advertise information about travel, tourism, workforce, and economic development.
  • Provide local communities with support to improve travel, tourism, and livability marketing.
  • Implement comprehensive state travel, tourism, workforce, economic development, and livability marketing programs; consider public/private interests in planning.
  • Hire or contract for services when agency staff cannot perform the work; gather and share statistical information; access data from other state agencies.
  • Apply for and spend funds from other agencies and grants; enter into cooperative agreements with federal and state agencies, local units, regional development bodies, universities, and other states/canadian provinces; share net revenues and provide grants.
  • Conduct market research, monitor industry trends, and convene conferences of Minnesota providers to coordinate efforts.
  • Enter into promotion contracts or agreements with private or public entities, including foreign offices, to promote international travel and implement the office’s mission.

• Contracts and procurement

  • Contracts for goods and nonprofessional services and for professional/technical services related to tourism, talent attraction, and marketing may be negotiated directly and are not always subject to standard competitive bidding rules.
  • Professional technical service contracts promoting Minnesota as a tourism or talent-attraction destination may be exempt from certain competitive bidding requirements.

• Promotional expenses and policies

  • The director can spend legislature-appropriated funds for travel, lodging, and related promotional activities aligned with Explore Minnesota’s mission.
  • Policies on promotional expenses must be approved by the commissioner of administration.
  • A separate policy for expenses on food, lodging, and travel must be approved by the commissioner of management and budget.
  • Money cannot be spent to feature an elected public official in radio or television broadcasts.

• Advisory and program guidance

  • The bill references advisory councils focused on tourism and talent attraction and business marketing to help guide the office’s work (notably in the mission section).

Significant Changes to Law

• Expanded authority to partner and contract:

  • Allows broader interagency, intergovernmental, and private partnerships, including international offices and joint agreements with universities and other states/Canadian provinces.
  • Enables more flexible revenue-sharing and grant-making arrangements.

• Expanded promotional reach and methods:

  • Explicit focus on international tourism promotion and foreign country representation.
  • Stronger emphasis on multiagency marketing strategies and coordinated travel, livability, and workforce/economic development efforts.

• Procurement and contracting flexibility:

  • Revisions to allow negotiated professional/technical services and other contracts to proceed outside some standard competitive-bidding requirements.

• Reporting and accountability:

  • Requires ongoing performance reporting to the legislature via the biennial budget, tying funding to demonstrated outcomes.

• Oversight on public appearances:

  • Prohibits expenditure of funds for elected officials’ appearance in radio or TV broadcasts.

Relevant Terms - Explore Minnesota; Explore Minnesota Tourism; Explore Minnesota for Business; Explore Minnesota Film - Livability; Workforce; Economic development; Tourism - International tourism; International travel; promotion contracts - Director; Unclassified service; Governor; Commissioner of Employment and Economic Development - Advisory councils; Talent attraction; Business marketing - Multiagency marketing; Interagency agreements; Joint powers; Cooperative agreements - Grants; Revenue sharing; Public/private partnerships - Market research; Data/statistics; Conferences - Professional services; Technical services; Competitive bidding exemptions - Promotional expenses; Policies; Administration and Budget (policy approvals) - Local communities; Public/private partnerships; Foreign offices

Note: The summary above references the bill’s explicit terms (Explore Minnesota divisions, mission areas, director responsibilities, contract/partnership provisions, and promotional/administrative policies) as described in the text provided.