HF 2560

as introduced - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to highways; requiring commissioner of 
  1.3             transportation to allocate certain spending for 
  1.4             highway improvements equally between metropolitan 
  1.5             district and remainder of state; amending Laws 2003, 
  1.6             First Special Session chapter 19, article 3, section 
  1.7             1, subdivisions 1, 2; Laws 2003, First Special Session 
  1.8             chapter 19, article 3, section 3. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Laws 2003, First Special Session chapter 19, 
  1.11  article 3, section 1, subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [TRUNK HIGHWAY PROJECTS FINANCED BY STATE 
  1.13  BONDS.] (a) $400,000,000 is appropriated from the bond proceeds 
  1.14  account in the trunk highway fund to the commissioner of 
  1.15  transportation for trunk highway improvements.  This 
  1.16  appropriation is for: 
  1.17     (1) trunk highway improvements within the seven-county 
  1.18  metropolitan area primarily for improving traffic flow and 
  1.19  expanding highway capacity by eliminating traffic bottlenecks 
  1.20  and improving segments of at-risk interregional corridors within 
  1.21  the seven-county area; and 
  1.22     (2) trunk highway improvements on at-risk interregional 
  1.23  corridors located outside the seven-county metropolitan area. 
  1.24  These appropriations include the cost of actual payment to 
  1.25  landowners for lands acquired for highway right-of-way, payment 
  1.26  to lessees, interest subsidies, and relocation expenses.  Within 
  1.27  each category in clauses (1) and (2), the commissioner shall 
  2.1   spend not less than $25,000,000 on highway safety and capacity 
  2.2   improvement projects including but not limited to the addition 
  2.3   of lanes on trunk highway corridors with known safety problems.  
  2.4      (b) In spending the appropriation under paragraph (a), the 
  2.5   commissioner shall, to the maximum feasible extent, seek to 
  2.6   allocate spending allocate unencumbered trunk highway bond 
  2.7   proceeds so that the entire appropriation will have been 
  2.8   allocated equally between the department of transportation 
  2.9   metropolitan district and the remainder of the state. 
  2.10     (c) The commissioner of transportation may use up to 
  2.11  $68,500,000 of this appropriation for program delivery. 
  2.12     (d) The commissioner shall use at least $36,000,000 of this 
  2.13  appropriation for accelerating transit capital improvements on 
  2.14  trunk highways such as shoulder bus lanes, bus park-and-ride 
  2.15  facilities, and ramp meter-bypass facilities. 
  2.16     Sec. 2.  Laws 2003, First Special Session chapter 19, 
  2.17  article 3, section 1, subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.18     Subd. 2.  [REPORT.] The commissioner shall report to the 
  2.19  committees having jurisdiction over transportation finance in 
  2.20  the house of representatives and senate, no later than January 
  2.21  15 of each year through 2007, on projects selected to be funded 
  2.22  by this appropriation.  The report must include the geographic 
  2.23  distribution of the selected projects and their adherence to the 
  2.24  criteria and spending allocation goals requirements listed in 
  2.25  subdivision 1, and the location and cost of each project.  The 
  2.26  physical location of the projects funded must be used to 
  2.27  determine allocation between the metropolitan district and the 
  2.28  remainder of the state. 
  2.29     Sec. 3.  Laws 2003, First Special Session chapter 19, 
  2.30  article 3, section 3, is amended to read: 
  2.31     Sec. 3.  [ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION.] 
  2.32     (a) Through June 30, 2009, the commissioner of 
  2.33  transportation may spend up to $400,000,000 on trunk highway 
  2.34  improvements from funds approved for expenditure by the Federal 
  2.35  Highway Administration and designated as advance construction 
  2.36  funds. 
  3.1      (b) Any additional advance construction expenditures by the 
  3.2   commissioner approved by the Federal Highway Administration 
  3.3   through June 30, 2009, may be added to the amount in paragraph 
  3.4   (a). 
  3.5      (c) In spending federal funds under paragraphs (a) and (b), 
  3.6   the commissioner shall, to the maximum feasible extent, seek to 
  3.7   allocate spending allocate unencumbered advance construction 
  3.8   funds so that the entire amount of advance construction 
  3.9   expenditures will have been allocated equally between the 
  3.10  department of transportation metropolitan district and the 
  3.11  remainder of the state. 
  3.12     (d) The commissioner shall report to the chairs of the 
  3.13  senate and house of representatives committees with jurisdiction 
  3.14  over transportation policy and finance by January 15 each year 
  3.15  regarding the use of advance construction funding in the 
  3.16  previous and current fiscal year.  The report must include: 
  3.17     (1) an analysis of the impact of the use of advance 
  3.18  construction funding on the trunk highway fund balance and cash 
  3.19  flow; 
  3.20     (2) an estimate of the amount of additional advance 
  3.21  construction funding that is available for use in future fiscal 
  3.22  years and the impact on the department's total road construction 
  3.23  program; and 
  3.24     (3) geographic distribution of spending and compliance with 
  3.25  the spending goal requirements in paragraph (c).  The physical 
  3.26  location of the projects funded must be used to determine 
  3.27  allocation between the metropolitan district and the remainder 
  3.28  of the state. 
  3.29     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.30     Sections 1 to 3 are effective the day following final 
  3.31  enactment.