Relating to the organization, operation and financing of state +government, appropriating money for transportation, public safety and other +purposes ARTICLE 1 � TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONSAppropriating money to the commissioner of transportation (DOT) for +multimodal systems including aeronautics, transit, freight and commercial +vehicles, for state and local roads including flood rehabilitation and general +support and services, to the metropolitan council for bus transit and rail +operations and to the commissioner of public safety for administration and related +services including public safety officer survivor benefits, for driver and +vehicle services and for traffic and pipeline safety; requiring the +commissioner of transportation and the metropolitan council to continue operation of +the Northstar commuter coach bus service in the trunk highway #10 +corridor without additional state subsidy; setting the base budget of the metropolitan+ council for fiscal years 2006 and 2007; providing for certain fund transfers,+ for extended availability of certain appropriations, for general +contingent accounts and for the payment of tort claims ARTICLE 2 � OTHER CHANGES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC SAFETYProhibiting the commissioner of transportation (DOT) from awarding +highway construction or engineering services contracts through a reverse +auction process; authorizing the commissioner to allow two way operation of +snowmobiles on either side of trunk highway rights-of-way under certain safety determination conditions; specifying certain appraisal and +negotiation requirements for the acquisition of property for highway or +transportation facilities or purposes; providing for the involvement of the state archaeologist with public highway projects with suspected or known archaeological or historic site interest; authorizing and providing +for the commissioner to enter into lease agreements with private entities for+ the use of highway rest areas and to charge varying user fees to single +occupant vehicle owners using designated highway high occupancy vehicle lanes,+ requiring use for transportation capital improvements and for expansion and +improvement of bus transit services in the metropolitan area; requiring the +commissioner to biennially report to the legislature on total expenditures from the +trunk highway fund during the previous biennium in certain categories; +eliminating the prohibition on payment of sales tax expenses from the trunk +highway fund; providing for mediation or arbitration in the settlement of disputes +between adjoining towns over the division of responsibilities for +establishing, altering, vacating or maintaining town line roads; expanding the +definition of special mobile equipment for motor vehicle registration purposes to +truck mounted log loaders; modifying certain provisions regulating gross +vehicle weights on interstate highways and certain winter season increase +amounts, increasing the weight limit for nine ton county roads and exempting +vehicles transporting propane from certain seasonal load restrictions; +imposing mandatory fees for license plate manufacture and validation sticker +issuance by the commissioner of public safety; establishing procedures for +authorization and issuance of new special motor vehicle license plates to certain +requesting entities and providing for the issuance of special rotary member +license plates; increasing the motor vehicle transfer and certificate of +title issuance fees; requiring the commissioner of transportation to increase the +speed limit for a certain section of I-35E in St. Paul; modifying the maximum +highway speed limit in school zones; imposing a surcharge on the fine for failure +to move vehicles to a lane safely away from emergency vehicles parked or +stopped on or next to streets or highways; authorizing and providing for the +commissioner of public safety to implement a periodic sampling program to verify +automobile insurance coverage; requiring the commissioner to include in the +drivers manual published after a certain date a section relating to the +responsibilities of drivers to drive at an appropriate reduced speed when approaching +emergency vehicles stopped on a highway and to move vehicles to a lane safely +away from the stopped vehicles; increasing the reinstatement fee for revoked +drivers licenses and modifying the distribution of the fee; providing for bus+ operator duty to passengers; providing for the commissioner of transportation +to use the greater Minnesota transit fund for transit operating assistance and +reducing the assistance percentages; specifying an expiration date for the +major transportation projects commission; including public safety radio communications operators in the definition of essential employee for +public employment labor relations (PELRA) purposes and adding a public +safety radio communications operator unit to the unclassified state employees +classification list; modifying the amount of revenue from the sales tax on motor +vehicles required to be deposited in the metropolitan area transit fund; +modifying certain conditions for reimbursement to public employers for the +costs of complying with certain health insurance continuation coverage +requirements for certain retired or separated peace officers and firefighters +suffering disabling injuries in the line of duty; granting the commissioner +certain administrative and enforcement powers relating to motor vehicle +registration and drivers license issuance, creating an education and compliance +account for the deposit of administrative penalty order receipts; requiring the +capitol complex security division to conform to certain towing policies; +sunsetting the capitol complex security oversight committee; providing for web site publication of local transportation project requests for proposals; +exempting counties reconstructing or maintaining county highways within +existing rights-of-way from permit requirements; abolishing regional rail +authorities in the metropolitan area and transferring property owned by the +authorities to the counties originally establishing the authorities; providing for the +effect of annexation on township roads and easements; authorizing court award +of attorney fees to unsuccessful bidders in actions challenging the validity of +municipal contracts under the uniform municipal contracting law upon a court +finding of invalidity due to unlawful bidding practices; modifying the authority+ of the metropolitan council to levy a metropolitan area transit tax; +providing for local approval of certain metropolitan council capital improvement +projects requiring the acquisition of easements by eminent domain; extending +the availability of certain prior appropriations to the commissioner of transportation for airport development and assistance; eliminating +the expiration date for a certain provision exempting certain utility +and recycling vehicles from certain highway weight restrictions; +requiring the commissioner of finance to transfer certain funds from the +transportation loan fund to the general fund; requiring the metropolitan council +transportation advisory board to annually allocate a certain percentage of federal +congestion mitigation and air quality funds to highway projects; requiring the commissioner of transportation to study the highway rest area program+ and to report findings and recommendations and to report on rest area lease +agreements to the legislature by certain dates; restoring the cash balance of +the state airports fund; requiring the commissioner of the bureau of mediation +services to assign the job classification and positions for public safety +radio communications operators to a certain state employee bargaining unit, specifying terms and conditions of employment and providing for +exclusive representation; requiring and providing for the commissioner of +transportation to study the feasibility of implementing a bus rapid transit system +in the I-35W corridor from downtown Minneapolis through the cities of +Richfield, Bloomington, Burnsville and Lakeville and requiring a BRT report to +the legislature by a certain date; requiring the metropolitan council to +construct and maintain a transit center in the city of Brooklyn Center by a +certain date; requiring the commissioner to study the feasibility of using +centerline rumble strips in trunk highway construction or resurfacing projects; +prohibiting the commissioner, the metropolitan council or the Hennepin county +regional rail authority from taking action or spending money preliminary +engineering, final design or construction of light or commuter rail transit in the +southwest transit way corridor between the cities of Minneapolis and Eden +Prairie; declaring the entire interstate highway 35W/trunk highway #62 +interchange improvement project to be within the interstate highway system for +municipal approval purposes, specifying certain project boundary limits; +prohibiting state agencies or water conservation districts from requiring the +planting of native grass seeds or wildflowers as a condition for the issuance of +permits to local government units, exempting replacement wetland acres; +requiring the commissioner of finance to transfer the remaining balances in the +alcohol impaired driver education account in the special revenue fund and in +the greater Minnesota transit fund to the general fund; prohibiting the metropolitan council from denying bus riders using the Hubbard +marketplace transit facility in Robbinsdale the right to use hub toilet +facilities; requiring the commissioner of transportation to allow and determine +the fee for use of freeway high HOV lanes in the metropolitan area by certain +vehicles without regard to the number of occupants; requiring the metropolitan+ council to prepare a request for proposals to operate the Hiawatha LRT line, +specifying certain timetable and decision requirements; repealing the +metropolitan area transit appropriation account in the general fund, certain notice and information requirements relating to the lapse of automobile +insurance and property tax replacement aid ARTICLE 3 � TRUNK HIGHWAY BONDINGAppropriating money to the commissioner of transportation (DOT) and +authorizing the issuance for state bonds for certain trunk highway improvements, +requiring a commissioner to report to the legislature by a certain date on +selected projects, prohibiting the awarding of construction contracts until a +certain number of days after submission of the report; authorizing the +commissioner to spend certain amounts of certain federal funds on trunk highway +improvements and on capital assistance for greater Minnesota transit systems; +requiring the commissioner to annually report to the legislature on trunk highway +improvement expenditures ARTICLE 4 � DRIVERS LICENSE LAWRequiring and providing for proof of identity and residency in +applying for drivers licenses, permits or identification cards; making permanent +certain rules adopted by the commissioner of public safety relating to the +presentation of primary and secondary documents in applying for drivers licenses +or identification cards, authorizing subsequent amendment and +incorporation by reference of certain federal regulations by the commissioner for +administration purposes; requiring documents submitted to the department of public +safety in a foreign language to be accompanied by a translation; requiring proof +of residency at the time of application and at renewal and certain +evidence in cases of name change; providing for lawful short term admission +status and prohibiting license or identification card issuance to individuals +without lawful admission status; requiring indication of a status check date +coinciding with the federal lawful admission period on the license or ID card, +providing for extension and requiring reissuance without a status check date +under certain conditions; specifying certain applicant or licensee physical description content requirements; further restricting the issuance of identification cards; specifying certain applicant image +requirements, restricting the use of previous images on file with the department; +requiring commissioner cancellation of drivers licenses, permits or ID cards +under certain conditions relating to status check dates and deportation, +specifying certain notice requirements and providing for administrative review; +regulating the charging or payment of certain fees; strengthening the penalty +provision; requiring applicant compliance with incorporated federal regulations +in the issuance of drivers licenses with a hazardous materials endorsement, authorizing commissioner rules for implementation purposes; +designating the division of driver and vehicle services in the department as an +appropriate agency and expanding the definition of designated offense to the use +of forged documents in applying for a drivers license for criminal forfeiture +purposes(ra)