1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to transportation; requiring the commissioner of transportation to develop 
1.3 	a policy for evaluating, ranking, and selecting projects; requiring a report to the 
1.4 	legislature;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 174.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [174.95] PROJECT SELECTION REQUIREMENTS.
1.7 	(a) The commissioner, after consultation with the Federal Highway Administration, 
1.8 	metropolitan planning organizations, regional development commissions, area transportation 
1.9 	partnerships, local governments, the Metropolitan Council, and transportation stakeholders, 
1.10 	must develop, adopt, and implement a project evaluation and selection policy to apply to 
1.11 	the standard project selection process. The commissioner may update the policy only after 
1.12 	consultation with the Federal Highway Administration, metropolitan planning organizations, 
1.13 	regional development commissions, area transportation partnerships, local governments, 
1.14 	the Metropolitan Council, and transportation stakeholders. The commissioner must publicize 
1.15 	the policy and updates on the department's Web site and through other effective means 
1.16 	selected by the commissioner.
1.17 	(b) The policy adopted under this section must include:
1.18 	(1) a ranking system that assigns scores to each project, the criteria that will be considered, 
1.19 	and the weight of each criterion; the ranking system may consider project readiness as a 
1.20 	criterion for evaluation, but project readiness must not be a major factor in determining the 
1.21 	final score;
1.22 	(2) a process to inform the stakeholders and the general public of the score for each 
1.23 	project considered, which projects were selected, and which projects were not selected; and
2.1 	(3) a process that requires the involvement of area transportation partnerships and other 
2.2 	local authorities in the process of ranking and scoring projects.
2.3 	(c) The projects in the state transportation improvement program must include the score 
2.4 	assigned to the project under this section. The projects must be prioritized based on the 
2.5 	score assigned and executed in that priority order.
2.6 	(d) The policy required by this section must be adopted by October 1, 2018, and must 
2.7 	be applied to project evaluation and selection that occurs on or after that date. The assigned 
2.8 	scores must first appear in the first state transportation improvement program update that 
2.9 	is completed on or after October 1, 2018.

2.10 	Sec. 2. REPORT TO LEGISLATURE.
 2.11 	By February 15, 2018, the commissioner must report to the chairs and ranking minority 
2.12 	members of the senate and house of representatives committees having jurisdiction over 
2.13 	transportation policy and finance concerning the adopted policy and how the policy is 
2.14 	anticipated to improve the consistency, objectivity, and transparency of the selection process. 
2.15 	The report must include information on input from members of the public and the 
2.16 	organizations identified in Minnesota Statutes, section 174.95, paragraph (a). The report 
2.17 	must also include proposed legislation to codify the ranking system established in the policy.

2.18 	Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 2.19 	This act is effective the day following final enactment.