HF 2119

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/06/2023 07:11pm

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; amending major local bridge requirements under the
local bridge program; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 174.50,
subdivisions 6d, 7.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 174.50, subdivision 6d, is amended to read:

Subd. 6d.

Major local bridges.

deleted text begin (a) The commissioner may make grants pursuant to this
subdivision only if an enacted appropriation specifically references this specific subdivision.
The commissioner must not make grants pursuant to this subdivision if an enacted
appropriation references this section generally.
deleted text end

deleted text begin (b) When authorized as provided in paragraph (a), deleted text end The commissioner may make a grant
to any political subdivision for replacement or rehabilitation of a major local bridge with a
total bridge cost estimate of $7,000,000 or more. If in any year money appropriated for local
bridge replacement and rehabilitation projects deleted text begin under deleted text end new text begin that references new text end this new text begin specific new text end subdivision
remains available after all identified and eligible projects under this subdivision have been
funded, the commissioner may use remaining funds to make grants under this section for
replacement or rehabilitation projects with a total bridge cost estimate of less than $7,000,000.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 174.50, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Bridge grant program; rulemaking.

(a) The commissioner of transportation
shall develop rules, procedures for application for grants, conditions of grant administration,
standards, and criteria as provided under subdivision 6, including bridge specifications, in
cooperation with road authorities of political subdivisions, for use in the administration of
funds appropriated to the commissioner and for the administration of grants to subdivisions.
The commissioner must publish all rules, procedures, conditions, standards, and criteria on
the department's website. Grants under this section are subject to the procedures and criteria
established in this subdivision and in subdivisions 5 and 6.

(b) The maximum use of standardized bridges is encouraged. Regardless of the size of
the existing bridge, a bridge or replacement bridge is eligible for assistance from the state
transportation fund if a hydrological survey indicates that the bridge or replacement bridge
must be ten feet or more in length.

(c) As part of the standards or rules, the commissioner shall, in consultation with local
road authorities, establish a minimum distance between any two bridges that cross over the
same river, stream, or waterway, so that only one of the bridges is eligible for a grant under
this section. As appropriate, the commissioner may establish exceptions from the minimum
distance requirement or procedures for obtaining a variance.

(d) Political subdivisions may use grants made under this section to construct or
reconstruct bridges, including but not limited to:

(1) matching federal aid grants to construct or reconstruct key bridges;

(2) paying the costs to abandon an existing bridge that is deficient and in need of
replacement but where no replacement will be made; and

(3) paying the costs to construct a road or street to facilitate the abandonment of an
existing bridge if the commissioner determines that the bridge is deficient, and that
construction of the road or street is more economical than replacement of the existing bridge.

(e) Funds appropriated to the commissioner from the Minnesota state transportation
fund shall be segregated from the highway tax user distribution fund and other funds created
by article XIV of the Minnesota Constitution.

(f) The commissioner must maintain a local bridge project list that includes every local
bridge replacement or rehabilitation project which has approved plans. The list must include
the total bridge cost estimate for each project. The commissioner must update this list
annually. The commissioner must publish the list on the department's website.

deleted text begin (g) The commissioner is prohibited from awarding a grant of $7,000,000 or more under
this section for a local bridge replacement or rehabilitation project, except:
deleted text end

deleted text begin (1) for major local bridges as provided in subdivision 6d; or
deleted text end

deleted text begin (2) if every other local bridge replacement or rehabilitation project with a total bridge
cost estimate of $7,000,000 or less on the local bridge project list required by paragraph (f)
has been fully funded.
deleted text end

deleted text begin (h) deleted text end new text begin (g) new text end The commissioner must publish on the department's website a list of all projects
that were considered for funding. The list must identify the projects that were selected and
the projects that were not selected. For each project that was not selected, the commissioner
must include the reason it was not selected. This paragraph does not apply when there is no
funding from any source for the program in a fiscal year.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end