HF 3080

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 04/03/2025 02:40 p.m.

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; modifying certain trunk highway project development
transparency requirements, including to require a transportation project activity
portal; modifying certain legislative reports; appropriating money; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 161.178, subdivision 1; 174.03, subdivision 12;
174.07, subdivision 3; 174.56; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
chapter 174.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 161.178, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Definitions.

(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have
the meanings given.

(b) "Applicable entity" means the commissioner with respect to a project or portfolio
for inclusion in the state transportation improvement program or a metropolitan planning
organization with respect to a project or portfolio for inclusion in the appropriate metropolitan
transportation improvement program.

(c) "Assessment" means the impact assessment under this section.

(d) "Capacity expansion project" means a project for trunk highway construction or
reconstruction that:

(1) is a major highway project, as defined in section deleted text begin 174.56 deleted text end new text begin 174.034 new text end , subdivision 1,
paragraph deleted text begin (b) deleted text end new text begin (c) new text end ; and

(2) adds highway traffic capacity or provides for grade separation of motor vehicle traffic
at an intersection, excluding auxiliary lanes with a length of less than 2,500 feet.

(e) "Greenhouse gas emissions" includes those emissions described in section 216H.01,
subdivision 2.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 174.03, subdivision 12, is amended to read:

Subd. 12.

Trunk highway performance, resiliency, and sustainability.

(a) The
commissioner must implement performance measures and targets for the trunk highway
system in order to construct resilient infrastructure, enhance the project selection for all
transportation modes, improve economic security, and achieve the state transportation goals
established in section 174.01.

(b) At a minimum, the transportation planning process must include:

(1) an inventory of transportation assets, including but not limited to bridge, pavement,
geotechnical, pedestrian, bicycle, and transit asset categories;

(2) establishment of statewide performance measures and targets, reporting of
performance measure results, and where possible, performance forecasts that are:

(i) statewide and, where data allow, district-specific;

(ii) for assets in each asset category specified in clause (1); and

(iii) identified in collaboration with the public;

(3) gap identification and an explanation of the difference between performance targets
and current status; and

(4) life cycle assessment and corridor risk assessment as part of asset management
programs in each district of the department.

(c) At a minimum, the ten-year capital highway investment plan in each district of the
department must:

(1) be based on expected funding during the plan period and, to the extent feasible,
maximize long-term benefits;

(2) estimate the funding necessary to make optimal life cycle investments;

(3) identify investments within each of the asset categories specified in paragraph (b),
clause (1), that are funded through the trunk highway capital program;

(4) identify specific trunk highway segments programmed to be removed from the trunk
highway system; and

(5) deliver annual progress toward achieving the state transportation goals established
in section 174.01.

deleted text begin (d) Annually by December 15, the commissioner must report trunk highway performance
measures and targets and identify gaps, including information detailing the department's
progress on achieving the state transportation goals, to the chairs and ranking minority
members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over transportation policy and
finance. The report must be signed by the commissioner.
deleted text end

Sec. 3.

new text begin [174.034] TRANSPORTATION PROJECT ACTIVITY PORTAL.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have
the meanings given.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Analysis activity" means an undertaking to analyze or study a highway or a corridor
prior to project identification or as part of project development. Analysis activity includes
but is not limited to: (1) planning, assessment, project scoping, project development, land
acquisition, environmental review, and project-related public engagement; and (2) a safety
study or audit, a corridor analysis or study, a planning study, a feasibility analysis, a purpose
and need assessment, or similar assessment or analysis.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Major highway project" means a highway project that has a total cost for all segments
that the commissioner most recently estimates to be at least (1) $15,000,000 in the
metropolitan highway construction district, or (2) $5,000,000 in any nonmetropolitan
highway construction district.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Portal establishment. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must maintain a centralized portal
on the department's website that provides comprehensive information on highway projects,
project development, studies and assessments, and related activity.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Portal design. new text end

new text begin The portal must:
new text end

new text begin (1) provide a geographic information system interface that allows for identification of
projects and analysis activity through interactive mapping;
new text end

new text begin (2) identify:
new text end

new text begin (i) each trunk highway project that is specified in the state transportation improvement
program, excluding general or maintenance set-asides; the statewide multimodal
transportation plan; the Minnesota state highway investment plan; or a ten-year capital
highway investment plan in a district;
new text end

new text begin (ii) each trunk highway project that reached substantial completion in the current or
previous two calendar years;
new text end

new text begin (iii) each trunk highway project that is planned for the ensuing 15 years; and
new text end

new text begin (iv) each trunk highway segment or corridor for which the commissioner: (A) is
undertaking analysis activity; or (B) has completed an analysis activity under subitem (A)
within the previous five years;
new text end

new text begin (3) identify department districts, jurisdictions of local units of government, state and
local road systems, major geographic features, and relevant local landmarks;
new text end

new text begin (4) provide the ability to search, filter, and apply mapping layer visibility based on
location, dates, status, and common transportation categories;
new text end

new text begin (5) present information in a manner that is readily understood by the general public;
new text end

new text begin (6) allow for future extension to incorporate local road projects; and
new text end

new text begin (7) provide access to the information required under subdivision 4 and the dashboard
required under subdivision 5.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Information contents. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner must provide information on the
department's website for each project or analysis activity identified under subdivision 3,
clause (2). At a minimum, the information must include:
new text end

new text begin (1) a plain language description of the nature and scope of the project or analysis activity;
new text end

new text begin (2) as appropriate, the state project number and bridge number;
new text end

new text begin (3) as appropriate, an explanation of the project purpose and need;
new text end

new text begin (4) at least one map that identifies the project limits, corridor, or general location;
new text end

new text begin (5) a timeline that provides any key milestones;
new text end

new text begin (6) the primary documentation for the project or analysis activity, including but not
limited to project layout and design plans, data and results from relevant modeling, and any
studies or reports;
new text end

new text begin (7) a fiscal overview that includes project or analysis activity cost and funding sources;
new text end

new text begin (8) notice of any scheduled public meetings, and if testimony is being taken, the ability
for an individual to arrange to testify;
new text end

new text begin (9) details on each previous public meeting, including but not limited to meeting minutes,
presentations, associated documents, and recordings;
new text end

new text begin (10) identification of a project or analysis activity contact; and
new text end

new text begin (11) for each major highway project, project details that at a minimum include:
new text end

new text begin (i) project purposes relative to objectives in the statewide multimodal transportation
plan and investment priority areas established in the Minnesota state highway investment
plan;
new text end

new text begin (ii) a history of the project, including but not limited to previous official actions by the
department or the appropriate area transportation partnership, or both; the date on which
the project was first included in the state transportation improvement plan; the cost of the
project at that time; the planning estimate for the project; the engineer's estimate; the award
price; the final cost as of six months after substantial completion, including any supplemental
agreements and cost overruns or cost savings; the dates of environmental approval; the dates
of municipal approval; the date of final geometric layout; and the date of establishment of
any construction limits;
new text end

new text begin (iii) the project's priority listing or rank within its construction district, if any, as well
as the reasons for that listing or rank, the criteria used in prioritization or rank, any changes
in that prioritization or rank since the project was first included in a department work plan,
and the reasons for those changes; and
new text end

new text begin (iv) past and potential future reasons for delay in letting or completing the project, details
of all project cost changes that exceed $500,000, and specific modifications to the overall
program that are made as a result of delays and project cost changes.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner must maintain and revise the information required under this
subdivision in a timely manner, and must publish the public meeting information required
under paragraph (a), clause (8), within two weeks of the meeting.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Fiscal transparency dashboard. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must provide a fiscal
transparency dashboard on the department's website that summarizes fiscal information for
the current fiscal year and each year in the state transportation improvement program. At a
minimum, the dashboard must include:
new text end

new text begin (1) a summary of total amounts by funding source and for projects;
new text end

new text begin (2) identification of total expenditures associated with each objective in the statewide
multimodal transportation plan under section 174.03, subdivision 1a, and resulting impacts
on associated performance targets; and
new text end

new text begin (3) an overview of expenditures by investment priority area established in the Minnesota
state highway investment plan under section 174.03, subdivision 1c.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Implementation. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must implement the requirements of this
section by the earlier of January 1, 2027, or completion of necessary information technology
changes.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 174.07, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Exceptions.

This section does not apply to:

(1) a law that establishes a requirement with general applicability for an agency or
agencies to submit a report, including but not limited to reports and information under
sections 14.05, subdivision 5, and 14.116;

(2) a law that specifies a reporting expiration date or a date for the submission of a final
report;

(3) information required by law to be included in a budget submission to the legislature
under section 16A.11;

(4) the plans required under section 174.03, subdivisions 1a, 1b, and 1c;

(5) the forecast information requirements under section 174.03, subdivision 9; and

(6) the reports required under sections 161.088, subdivision 7; 161.089; 161.3203,
subdivision 4; 165.03, subdivision 8; deleted text begin 174.03, subdivision 12; deleted text end 174.185, subdivision 3;
174.247; 174.56, subdivisions 1 and 2; and 174.75, subdivision 3.

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 174.56, is amended to read:

174.56 REPORT ON deleted text begin MAJOR HIGHWAY PROJECTS, deleted text end TRUNK HIGHWAY
deleted text begin FUND deleted text end new text begin PERFORMANCE, new text end EXPENDITURES, AND EFFICIENCIES.

Subdivision 1.

Report required.

deleted text begin (a) deleted text end The commissioner of transportation deleted text begin shall deleted text end new text begin must new text end
submit a report by December 15 of each year on deleted text begin (1) the status of major highway projects
completed during the previous two years or under construction or planned during the year
of the report and for the ensuing 15 years, (2) trunk highway fund expenditures, and (3)
efficiencies achieved during the previous two fiscal years deleted text end new text begin trunk highway system performance
and department activity new text end .

deleted text begin (b) For purposes of this section, a "major highway project" is a highway project that has
a total cost for all segments that the commissioner estimates at the time of the report to be
at least (1) $15,000,000 in the metropolitan highway construction district, or (2) $5,000,000
in any nonmetropolitan highway construction district.
deleted text end

deleted text begin Subd. 2. deleted text end

deleted text begin Report contents; major highway projects. deleted text end

deleted text begin For each major highway project
the report must include:
deleted text end

deleted text begin (1) a description of the project sufficient to specify its scope and location;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (2) a history of the project, including, but not limited to, previous official actions by the
department or the appropriate area transportation partnership, or both, the date on which
the project was first included in the state transportation improvement plan, the cost of the
project at that time, the planning estimate for the project, the engineer's estimate, the award
price, the final cost as of six months after substantial completion, including any supplemental
agreements and cost overruns or cost savings, the dates of environmental approval, the dates
of municipal approval, the date of final geometric layout, and the date of establishment of
any construction limits;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (3) the project's priority listing or rank within its construction district, if any, as well as
the reasons for that listing or rank, the criteria used in prioritization or rank, any changes
in that prioritization or rank since the project was first included in a department work plan,
and the reasons for those changes;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (4) past and potential future reasons for delay in letting or completing the project, details
of all project cost changes that exceed $500,000, and specific modifications to the overall
program that are made as a result of delays and project cost changes;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (5) two representative trunk highway construction projects, one each from the
department's metropolitan district and from greater Minnesota, and for each project report
the cost of environmental mitigation and compliance; and
deleted text end

deleted text begin (6) the annual budget for products and services for each Department of Transportation
district and office, with comparison to actual spending and including measures of productivity
for the previous fiscal year.
deleted text end

Subd. 2a.

Report contents deleted text begin ; trunk highway fund expenditures deleted text end .

The commissioner
deleted text begin shall deleted text end new text begin must new text end include in the report new text begin :
new text end

new text begin (1) a review of trunk highway performance measures and targets under section 174.03,
subdivisions 1c and 12, including identification of gaps;
new text end

new text begin (2) details on the department's progress on achieving the state transportation goals under
section 174.01;
new text end

new text begin (3) the annual budget for products and services for each Department of Transportation
district and office, including a comparison to actual spending and measures of productivity
for the previous fiscal year;
new text end

new text begin (4) new text end information on the total expenditures from the trunk highway fund during the previous
fiscal year, new text begin which must include:
new text end

new text begin (i) a breakout new text end for each Department of Transportation district deleted text begin , deleted text end in the following categories:
road construction; planning; design and engineering; labor; compliance with environmental
regulations; administration; acquisition of right-of-way, including costs for attorney fees
and other compensation for property owners; litigation costs, including payment of claims,
settlements, and judgments; maintenance; and road operations deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (ii) any other categories or information identified by the commissioner to provide for
expenditure overlap across the categories under item (i) and comparison to other fiscal
reporting; and
new text end

new text begin (5) efficiencies achieved during the previous two fiscal years.
new text end

Subd. 3.

Department resources.

The commissioner deleted text begin shall deleted text end new text begin must new text end prepare and submit the
report with existing department staff and resources.

deleted text begin Subd. 4. deleted text end

deleted text begin Availability of information. deleted text end

deleted text begin The commissioner must maintain an Internet
website that displays information for each major highway project. At a minimum, the
information must include the report contents identified in subdivision 2.
deleted text end

Sec. 6. new text begin APPROPRIATION; PROJECT ACTIVITY PORTAL.
new text end

new text begin $....... in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the trunk highway fund to the commissioner
of transportation to implement the requirements under Minnesota Statutes, section 174.034.
new text end