HF 1665

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 02/27/2025 03:17 p.m.

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; authorizing public water and sewer systems to install
water and sewer pipelines in public road rights-of-way; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2024, section 222.37, subdivision 1.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 222.37, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Use requirements.

new text begin (a) new text end Any water power, telegraph, telephone, pneumatic
tube, pipeline, community antenna television, cable communications or electric light, heat,
power company, entity that receives a route permit under chapter 216E for a high-voltage
transmission line necessary to interconnect an electric power generating facility with
transmission lines or associated facilities of an entity that directly, or through its members
or agents, provides retail electric service in the state, or fire department may use public
roads for the purpose of constructing, using, operating, and maintaining lines, subways,
canals, conduits, transmission lines, hydrants, or dry hydrants, for their business, but such
lines shall be so located as in no way to interfere with the safety and convenience of ordinary
travel along or over the same; and, in the construction and maintenance of such line, subway,
canal, conduit, transmission lines, hydrants, or dry hydrants, the entity shall be subject to
all reasonable regulations imposed by the governing body of any county, town or city in
which such public road may be. If the governing body does not require the entity to obtain
a permit, an entity shall notify the governing body of any county, town, or city having
jurisdiction over a public road prior to the construction or major repair, involving extensive
excavation on the road right-of-way, of the entity's equipment along, over, or under the
public road, unless the governing body waives the notice requirement. A waiver of the
notice requirement must be renewed on an annual basis. For emergency repair an entity
shall notify the governing body as soon as practical after the repair is made. Nothing herein
shall be construed to grant to any person any rights for the maintenance of a telegraph,
telephone, pneumatic tube, community antenna television system, cable communications
system, or light, heat, power system, electric power generating system, high-voltage
transmission line, or hydrant system within the corporate limits of any city until such person
shall have obtained the right to maintain such system within such city or for a period beyond
that for which the right to operate such system is granted by such city.

new text begin (b) Any public water district, sewer district, or combination water and sewer district
established under chapter 116A may install water and sewer lines and all other ancillary
infrastructure within a public road right-of-way in accordance with paragraph (a).
new text end