SF 1159

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 04/09/2021 02:06pm

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; making technical changes to remove certain obsolete
dates; amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, sections 174.185, subdivision 3; 174.24,
subdivision 7; 174.285, subdivision 5; 174.40, subdivision 5; 174.56, subdivision
1.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 174.185, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Report.

The commissioner shall report annually to the chairs and ranking
minority members of the senate and house of representatives committees with jurisdiction
over transportation finance deleted text begin beginning deleted text end on deleted text begin January 1, 2012, deleted text end the results of the analyses required
in subdivision 2.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 174.24, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Transit service for disabled veterans.

deleted text begin On and after July 1, 2009, deleted text end An eligible
recipient of operating assistance under this section, who contracts or has contracted to
provide fixed route public transit, shall provide fixed route public transit service free of
charge for veterans, as defined in section 197.447, certified as disabled. For purposes of
this section, "certified as disabled" means certified in writing by the United States Department
of Veterans Affairs or the state commissioner of veterans affairs as having a permanent
service-connected disability.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 174.285, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

Report.

By January 15 of each year, deleted text begin beginning in 2012, deleted text end the council shall report
its findings, recommendations, and activities to the governor's office and to the chairs and
ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over transportation,
health, and human services, and to the legislature as provided under section 3.195.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 174.40, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

Program administration.

(a) The commissioner shall establish general program
requirements and a competitive process for financial assistance, including but not limited
to eligibility requirements for grant recipients and projects; procedures for solicitation of
grants; application requirements; procedures for payment of financial assistance awards;
and a schedule for application, evaluation, and award of financial assistance.

(b) An application must include:

(1) a detailed and specific description of the project;

(2) an estimate, along with necessary supporting evidence, of the total costs for the
project and the allocation of identified and proposed funding sources for the project;

(3) an assessment of the need for and benefits of the project;

(4) a resolution adopted by the governing body of the school for which a safe routes to
school grant is requested, certifying that: (i) the governing body of the school supports the
project; and (ii) funds, if any, required to be supplied by the school to complete the project
are available and committed;

(5) a timeline indicating the major milestones of the project and their anticipated
completion dates; and

(6) any additional information or material the commissioner prescribes.

(c) The commissioner shall make reasonable efforts to (1) publicize each solicitation
for applications among all eligible recipients, and (2) provide technical and informational
assistance in creating and submitting applications.

(d) deleted text begin By January 1, 2013, deleted text end The commissioner of transportation shall publish and maintain
a manual on the safe routes to school program that assists applicants for and recipients of
financial assistance. The manual must include a list of eligibility and general program
requirements, an explanation of the application process, and a review of the criteria used
to evaluate projects.

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 174.56, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Report required.

(a) The commissioner of transportation shall submit
a report by December 15 of each year on (1) the status of major highway projects completed
during the previous two years or under construction or planned during the year of the report
and for the ensuing 15 years, (2) trunk highway fund expenditures, and (3) deleted text begin beginning with
the report due in 2016, deleted text end efficiencies achieved during the previous two fiscal years.

(b) For purposes of this section, a "major highway project" is a highway project that has
a total cost for all segments that the commissioner estimates at the time of the report to be
at least (1) $15,000,000 in the metropolitan highway construction district, or (2) $5,000,000
in any nonmetropolitan highway construction district.