1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to transportation; authorizing issuance of 
  1.3             $20,000,000 in state trunk highway bonds for 
  1.4             improvement of certain state trunk highways to 
  1.5             year-round ten-ton status; authorizing issuance of 
  1.6             $80,000,000 in general obligation bonds for 
  1.7             improvement of certain county state-aid highways to 
  1.8             year-round ten-ton status; appropriating money.  
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  [APPROPRIATION; IMPROVEMENTS TO TRUNK 
  1.11  HIGHWAYS.] 
  1.12     $20,000,000 is appropriated from the bond proceeds account 
  1.13  in the trunk highway fund to the commissioner of transportation 
  1.14  for construction and reconstruction projects on trunk highways 
  1.15  or trunk highway segments outside the seven-county metropolitan 
  1.16  area on which gross axle weights are restricted, either 
  1.17  seasonally or year-round, to less than 20,000 pounds, for the 
  1.18  purpose of improving them to permit gross axle weights of 20,000 
  1.19  pounds year-round.  In spending this appropriation the 
  1.20  commissioner shall give first priority to improvements on those 
  1.21  trunk highways or trunk highway segments on which gross axle 
  1.22  weights are restricted to 10,000 pounds or less, and shall give 
  1.23  second-highest priority to improvements on those trunk highways 
  1.24  or trunk highway segments on which gross axle weights are 
  1.25  restricted to 14,000 pounds or less.  This appropriation is 
  1.26  available until spent. 
  1.27     Sec. 2.  [GRANTS; IMPROVEMENTS TO COUNTY STATE-AID 
  2.1   HIGHWAYS.] 
  2.2      Subdivision 1.  [APPROPRIATION.] $80,000,000 is 
  2.3   appropriated from the bond proceeds fund to the commissioner of 
  2.4   transportation for grants to counties for construction and 
  2.5   reconstruction projects on county state-aid highways or highway 
  2.6   segments outside the seven-county metropolitan area on which 
  2.7   gross axle weights are restricted, either seasonally or 
  2.8   year-round, to less than 20,000 pounds, for the purpose of 
  2.9   improving them to permit gross axle weights of 20,000 
  2.10  year-round.  This appropriation is available until spent. 
  2.11     Subd. 2.  [GRANTS.] Applications for grants under 
  2.12  subdivision 1 must be made by resolution of the county board.  
  2.13  The commissioner shall by order prescribe a process for grant 
  2.14  applications, application evaluation, and awarding of grants 
  2.15  under subdivision 1.  The application evaluation process must 
  2.16  provide that applications are evaluated on the basis of, among 
  2.17  other things, (1) commercial vehicle traffic volume on the 
  2.18  highway, (2) the importance of the highway to the state and 
  2.19  regional highway system, and (3) the contribution of the 
  2.20  improvement project to economic development in the county and 
  2.21  region.  Grants under this section may not be used to pay more 
  2.22  than 80 percent of the cost of the project. 
  2.23     Sec. 3.  [BOND AUTHORIZATION.] 
  2.24     Subdivision 1.  [TRUNK HIGHWAY FUND.] To provide the money 
  2.25  appropriated in this act from the bond proceeds account in the 
  2.26  trunk highway fund, the commissioner of finance shall sell and 
  2.27  issue bonds of the state in an amount up to $20,000,000 in the 
  2.28  manner, upon the terms, and with the effect prescribed by 
  2.29  Minnesota Statutes, sections 167.50 to 167.52, and by the 
  2.30  Minnesota Constitution, article XIV, section 11, at the times 
  2.31  and in the amounts requested by the commissioner of 
  2.32  transportation.  The proceeds of the bonds, except accrued 
  2.33  interest and any premium received on the sale of the bonds, must 
  2.34  be credited to the bond proceeds account in the trunk highway 
  2.35  fund. 
  2.36     Subd. 2.  [BOND PROCEEDS FUND.] To provide the money 
  3.1   appropriated in section 2 from the bond proceeds fund, the 
  3.2   commissioner of finance, on request of the governor, shall sell 
  3.3   and issue bonds of the state in an amount up to $80,000,000 in 
  3.4   the manner, upon the terms, and with the effect prescribed by 
  3.5   Minnesota Statutes, sections 16A.631 to 16A.675, and by the 
  3.6   Minnesota Constitution, article XI, sections 4 to 7.