1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to transportation; requiring the commissioner of transportation to 
1.3 	consult, develop, adopt, and publicize best practices to improve objectivity and 
1.4 	transparency in project selection processes; requiring a report.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. TRANSPORTATION PROJECT SELECTION PROCESS.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Adoption of best practices. (a) The commissioner of transportation, 
1.8 	after consultation with the Federal Highway Administration, metropolitan planning 
1.9 	organizations, regional development commissions, area transportation partnerships, 
1.10 	local governments, the Metropolitan Council, and transportation stakeholders, shall 
1.11 	develop, adopt, and implement best practices for project evaluation and selection to 
1.12 	apply to the standard process and to special programs, such as corridors of commerce. 
1.13 	The commissioner must adopt and begin implementing the best practices no later than 
1.14 	....... and may update the best practices as appropriate. The commissioner shall publicize 
1.15 	the best practices and updates on the department's Web site and through other effective 
1.16 	means selected by the commissioner.
1.17 	(b) The best practices adopted under this section must include:
1.18 	(1) identification of ranking criteria and weight of each criterion with respect to each 
1.19 	selection process;
1.20 	(2) identification and application of all relevant criteria contained in enacted 
1.21 	Minnesota or federal law, or added by the commissioner;
1.22 	(3) identification to the stakeholders and general public of each candidate project 
1.23 	under consideration, including projects that are not selected;
2.1 	(4) involvement in the process of scoring and ranking candidate projects of area 
2.2 	transportation partnerships and other local authorities as appropriate for the projects under 
2.3 	consideration; and
2.4 	(5) means of publicizing scoring, ranking, and decision outcomes concerning each 
2.5 	candidate project, including the projects that were and were not selected.
2.6 		Subd. 2.Report to legislature. By January 4, 2017, the commissioner shall report 
2.7 	to the chairs and ranking minority members of the senate and house of representatives 
2.8 	committees having jurisdiction over transportation policy and finance concerning the 
2.9 	adopted best practices and how these best practices are anticipated to improve the 
2.10 	consistency, objectivity, and transparency of the selection process. The report must 
2.11 	include information on input from members of the public and the organizations identified 
2.12 	in subdivision 1.

2.13 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.