HF 3689

1st Engrossment - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 04/06/2016 12:36pm

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; requiring the commissioner of transportation to
consult, develop, adopt, and publicize best practices to improve objectivity and
transparency in project selection processes; requiring a report.

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

Section 1. new text begin TRANSPORTATION PROJECT SELECTION PROCESS.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Adoption of best practices. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of transportation,
after consultation with the Federal Highway Administration, metropolitan planning
organizations, regional development commissions, area transportation partnerships,
local governments, the Metropolitan Council, and transportation stakeholders, shall
develop, adopt, and implement best practices for project evaluation and selection to
apply to the standard process and to special programs, such as corridors of commerce.
The commissioner must adopt and begin implementing the best practices no later than
October 1, 2017, and may update the best practices as appropriate. The commissioner
shall publicize the best practices and updates on the department's Web site and through
other effective means selected by the commissioner.
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new text begin (b) The best practices adopted under this section must include:
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new text begin (1) a description of each selection process and identification of any ranking criteria
and weight of each criterion with respect to each selection process;
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new text begin (2) identification and application of all relevant criteria contained in enacted
Minnesota or federal law, or added by the commissioner;
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new text begin (3) identification to the stakeholders and general public of each candidate project
selected under each selection process, including identification of all of the projects
considered that were not selected;
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new text begin (4) involvement in the process of scoring and ranking candidate projects by area
transportation partnerships and other local authorities as appropriate for the projects under
consideration; and
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new text begin (5) means of publicizing scoring, ranking, and decision outcomes concerning each
candidate project, including the projects that were considered and were not selected.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Report to legislature. new text end

new text begin By March 1, 2018, the commissioner shall report
to the chairs and ranking minority members of the senate and house of representatives
committees having jurisdiction over transportation policy and finance concerning the
adopted best practices and how these best practices are anticipated to improve the
consistency, objectivity, and transparency of the selection process. The report must
include information on: (1) input from members of the public and the organizations
identified in subdivision 1; (2) any processes adopted or under development in planning
for new trunk highway infrastructure, including capacity expansion; and (3) procedures
for tracking expenditures on the trunk highway system by local units of government.
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new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

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