1.1 A bill for an act 1.2 relating to education finance; authorizing school districts to cooperate and share 1.3 expenses to operate and maintain an ice arena; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, 1.4 section 126C.45. 1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 126C.45, is amended to read: 1.7 126C.45 ICE ARENA LEVY. 1.8 (a) Each year, an independent school district operating and maintaining an ice arena, 1.9may levy for the net operational costs of the ice arena. The levy may not exceed the net 1.10actual costs of operation of the arena for the previous year. Net actual costs are defined as 1.11operating costs less any operating revenues. 1.12 (b) Two or more school districts may enter into a cooperation agreement to operate and 1.13maintain an ice arena. A district with a cooperation agreement must apportion the qualifying 1.14costs and annual levy amount among each cooperating district as specified in the cooperation 1.15agreement. Cooperating districts must report the apportionment of the costs and levy to the 1.16Department of Education in the form and manner specified by the commissioner. 1.17 (b) (c) Any district operating and maintaining an ice arena must demonstrate to the 1.18satisfaction of the Office of Monitoring in the department that the district will offer equal 1.19sports opportunities for male and female students to use its ice arena, particularly in areas 1.20of access to prime practice time, team support, and providing junior varsity and younger 1.21level teams for girls' ice sports and ice sports offerings. 1.22 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for taxes payable in 2026 and later. 1Section 1. REVISOR CR/ES 25-0384102/13/25 State of Minnesota This Document can be made available in alternative formats upon request HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H. F. No. 1258 NINETY-FOURTH SESSION Authored by Dotseth and Zeleznikar02/20/2025 The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Education Finance