1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to natural resources; implementing recommendations of Aggregate 
1.3 	Resources Task Force; requiring a report; appropriating money;amending 
1.4 	Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 473.859, subdivision 2.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 473.859, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
1.7 		Subd. 2.Land use plan. (a) A land use plan must include the water management plan 
1.8 	required by section 103B.235, and shall designate the existing and proposed location, 
1.9 	intensity and extent of use of land and water, including lakes, wetlands, rivers, streams, 
1.10 	natural drainage courses, and adjoining land areas that affect water natural resources, for 
1.11 	agricultural, residential, commercial, industrial and other public and private purposes, or 
1.12 	any combination of such purposes.
1.13 	(b) A land use plan must contain a protection element, as appropriate, for historic sites, 
1.14 	the matters listed in the water management plan required by section 103B.235, and an 
1.15 	element for protection and development of access to direct sunlight for solar energy systems.
1.16 	(c) A land use plan must also include a housing element containing standards, plans and 
1.17 	programs for providing adequate housing opportunities to meet existing and projected local 
1.18 	and regional housing needs, including but not limited to the use of official controls and land 
1.19 	use planning to promote the availability of land for the development of low and moderate 
1.20 	income housing.
1.21 	(d) A land use plan must also include an assessment of the impact of all land use 
1.22 	designations and easements on access to aggregate resources and the local government's 
1.23 	goals, intentions, and priorities concerning aggregate and other natural resources, 
2.1 	transportation infrastructure, land use compatibility, habitat, agricultural preservation, and 
2.2 	other planning priorities, considering information regarding supply from the Minnesota 
2.3 	Geological Survey Information Circular No. 46.
2.4 	(e) A land use plan must also include an inventory and projections pertaining to 
2.5 	greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled that are generated from activity that 
2.6 	occurs within the local government's jurisdiction. The inventory and projections must include 
2.7 	the emission sources from transportation, land use, energy use, solid waste, and, where 
2.8 	available and applicable, livestock and agriculture. The inventory and projections must 
2.9 	include the estimated impact of strategies, including efficient land use and compact growth, 
2.10 	that reduce or naturally sequester greenhouse gas emissions across sectors.

2.11 	Sec. 2. AUDIT OF AGGREGATE TAX AND THE USE OF THE REVENUES 
2.12 	COLLECTED BY COUNTIES.
 2.13 	The Office of the Legislative Auditor is directed to conduct a program audit of the 
2.14 	aggregate production tax established by Minnesota Statutes, section 298.75, to include the 
2.15 	following by individual participating county and covering all fiscal years since the county 
2.16 	established the tax:
2.17 	(1) a report on total revenues collected by fiscal year;
2.18 	(2) a report on how revenues are distributed between maintenance, construction, and 
2.19 	reconstruction of roads, highways, and bridges;
2.20 	(3) a report as to the funding priority given to roads, highways, and bridges that service 
2.21 	or are impacted by aggregate operations;
2.22 	(4) a report as to whether the county distributes aggregate tax revenues on a project or 
2.23 	formula basis;
2.24 	(5) a report as to distribution and expenditure of funds for aggregate mine reclamation 
2.25 	activities; and
2.26 	(6) a report on how tax revenue deposited in the special reserve fund established in 
2.27 	Minnesota Statutes, section 298.75, subdivision 7, paragraph (c), clause (3), has been 
2.28 	expended since each county began collecting the tax.

3.1 	Sec. 3. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT PERMITTING 
3.2 	CHANGES TO PROTECT AGGREGATE RESOURCES.
 3.3 	By February 1, 2027, the commissioner of natural resources, in consultation with the 
3.4 	Minnesota Asphalt Paving Association, the Aggregate and Ready Mix Association of 
3.5 	Minnesota, the Association of Minnesota Counties, and other interested stakeholders, must 
3.6 	make recommendations to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative 
3.7 	committees with primary jurisdiction over environment and local government for statutory 
3.8 	changes that would facilitate local government permitting processes that adequately protect 
3.9 	the state's aggregate resources and foster environmentally responsible reclamation of former 
3.10 	aggregate mining sites.

3.11 	Sec. 4. APPROPRIATION; AGGREGATE MAPPING.
 3.12 	(a) $950,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $950,000 in fiscal year 2027 are appropriated from 
3.13 	the general fund to the commissioner of natural resources to:
3.14 	(1) map the aggregate resource potential of additional counties outside the metropolitan 
3.15 	area, as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 473.121, and make the information available 
3.16 	in print and electronic format to local units of government for use in planning and zoning;
3.17 	(2) update the department's A Handbook for Reclaiming Sand and Gravel Pits in 
3.18 	Minnesota;
3.19 	(3) provide technical assistance as needed to local units of government in making sound 
3.20 	land-use decisions that preserve the availability of aggregate resources; and
3.21 	(4) develop the recommendations required by section 3.
3.22 	(b) The commissioner of natural resources, in consultation with the Minnesota Geological 
3.23 	Survey and the commissioners of transportation and employment and economic development, 
3.24 	must examine whether a regional approach to aggregate mapping could yield financial or 
3.25 	time efficiencies. If the commissioner determines that a regional approach would yield 
3.26 	efficiencies, the commissioner must complete aggregate mapping for counties that have 
3.27 	already requested aggregate mapping and then must implement a regional approach to 
3.28 	mapping the remaining counties, notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 84.94.
3.29 	(c) The base amount for this appropriation in fiscal year 2035 and thereafter is $0.

4.1 	Sec. 5. APPROPRIATION; AGGREGATE RESOURCE INVENTORY.
 4.2 	$250,000 in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner 
4.3 	of natural resources for the aggregate resource mapping program to update Information 
4.4 	Circular 46, Aggregate Resources Inventory of the Seven-County Metropolitan Area, 
4.5 	Minnesota (Minnesota Geological Survey 2000), with particular emphasis on projected 
4.6 	needs and the estimated time until the aggregate resource is exhausted, and to perform duties 
4.7 	under Minnesota Statutes, section 84.94.