1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to transportation; creating a major 
  1.3             transportation projects fund; prescribing eligibility 
  1.4             of projects for the fund; proposing coding for new law 
  1.5             in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 161. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [161.042] [MAJOR PROJECTS FUND.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [FUND CREATED.] A major transportation 
  1.9   projects fund is created in the state treasury.  
  1.10     Subd. 2.  [EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.] Money in the major 
  1.11  transportation projects fund may be spent only for costs related 
  1.12  to the final engineering, real property acquisition, and 
  1.13  construction of major transportation projects. 
  1.14     Subd. 3.  [ELIGIBILITY.] (a) To be eligible for funding 
  1.15  from the major transportation projects fund: 
  1.16     (1) a highway project must be a part of the national 
  1.17  highway system and have a total cost of at least $100,000,000; 
  1.18     (2) a bridge project must have a total cost of at least 
  1.19  $10,000,000; and 
  1.20     (3) a transit project must be on a transit way as 
  1.21  determined by the metropolitan council. 
  1.22     (b) In order to be eligible for funding from the major 
  1.23  transportation projects fund a highway or transit project must: 
  1.24     (1) be approved by the area transportation partnership for 
  1.25  the area in which the project is located; 
  2.1      (2) be a critical element of the transportation system of 
  2.2   its region and the state; 
  2.3      (3) have completed all environmental and other review 
  2.4   documents and all preliminary engineering; and 
  2.5      (4) be in a stage of development where the letting of 
  2.6   construction contracts is reasonably expected within two years 
  2.7   of the effective date of an appropriation from the major 
  2.8   transportation projects fund for the project. 
  2.9      Subd. 4.  [SUBMISSION OF BUDGET.] The commissioner shall 
  2.10  submit to the legislature a plan of expenditures from the major 
  2.11  transportation projects fund, with costs and sources of funding 
  2.12  identified for each project included in the plan, as part of the 
  2.13  department's biennial budget.  The plan of expenditures must 
  2.14  include an anticipated completion schedule for each project.  No 
  2.15  money may be spent from the fund except as a result of specific 
  2.16  appropriation for that project.  
  2.17     Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.18     Section 1 is effective July 1, 1997.