SF 9

as introduced - 89th Legislature, 2015 1st Special Session (2015 - 2015) Posted on 06/15/2015 09:28am

A bill for an act
relating to capital investment; transportation; railroads; authorizing spending to
acquire and better public land and buildings and other improvements of a capital
nature with certain conditions; authorizing the sale and issuance of state bonds;
appropriating money; providing for highway-rail grade crossing improvements;
providing for a railroad assessment; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapter 219.

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

Section 1. new text begin CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT APPROPRIATIONS. new text end

new text begin The sums shown in the column under "Appropriations" are appropriated from the
bond proceeds fund, or another named fund, to the state agencies or officials indicated,
to be spent for public purposes. Appropriations of bond proceeds must be spent as
authorized by the Minnesota Constitution, article XI, section 5, paragraph (a), to acquire
and better public land and buildings and other public improvements of a capital nature, or
as authorized by the Minnesota Constitution, article XI, section 5, paragraphs (b) to (j),
or article XIV. Unless otherwise specified, money appropriated in this act for a capital
program or project may be used to pay state agency staff costs that are attributed directly
to the capital program or project in accordance with accounting policies adopted by the
commissioner of management and budget. Unless otherwise specified, the appropriations
in this act are available until the project is completed or abandoned subject to Minnesota
Statutes, section 16A.642. Unless otherwise specified in this act, money appropriated in
this act for activities under Minnesota Statutes, sections 16B.307, 84.946, and 135A.046,
should not be used for projects that can be financed within a reasonable time frame under
Minnesota Statutes, section 16B.322 or 16C.144.
new text end

new text begin APPROPRIATIONS new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin TRANSPORTATION new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 64,617,000 new text end

new text begin To the commissioner of transportation
to construct rail grade separations at
high-priority sites to improve safety at rail
crossings on active crude oil routes. Of this
appropriation:
new text end

new text begin (1) $34,500,000 is for a grant to the city
of Moorhead to construct and complete the
grade-separated rail crossing project in the
vicinity of 21st Street South in the city of
Moorhead;
new text end

new text begin (2) $3,770,000 is for a grant to the city of
Willmar to construct grade separations at
U.S. Highway 12 and Minnesota Highway
40 as part of the Willmar Wye project;
new text end

new text begin (3) $14,762,000 is for a grant to the city
of Red Wing to construct and complete
the grade-separated rail crossing project at
Sturgeon Lake Road; and
new text end

new text begin (4) $11,585,000 is for a grant to Anoka
County for environmental analysis, design,
engineering, and construction of a rail
grade crossing separation at Anoka County
State-Aid Highway 78, known as Hanson
Boulevard, in Coon Rapids.
new text end

new text begin The appropriations in this section are
not available until the commissioner of
management and budget determines that an
amount sufficient to complete the project is
committed from nonstate sources.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin BOND SALE EXPENSES new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 65,000 new text end

new text begin To the commissioner of management
and budget for bond sale expenses under
Minnesota Statutes, section 16A.641,
subdivision 8.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin BOND SALE AUTHORIZATION.
new text end

new text begin To provide the money appropriated in this act from the bond proceeds fund, the
commissioner of management and budget shall sell and issue bonds of the state in an
amount up to $64,682,000 in the manner, upon the terms, and with the effect prescribed by
Minnesota Statutes, sections 16A.631 to 16A.675, and by the Minnesota Constitution,
article XI, sections 4 to 7.
new text end

Sec. 5.

new text begin [219.016] RAILROAD COMPANY ASSESSMENT; ACCOUNT;
APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin (a) As provided in this section, the commissioner shall annually assess railroad
companies that are (1) defined as common carriers under section 218.011; (2) classified by
federal law or regulation as Class I Railroads or Class I Rail Carriers; and (3) operating in
this state. The total assessment amount may not exceed $32,500,000 annually.
new text end

new text begin (b) The assessment must be by a division of the annual appropriation to the grade
crossing safety improvement account in equal proportion between carriers based on route
miles operated in Minnesota, assessed in equal amounts for 365 days of the calendar year.
new text end

new text begin (c) The assessments must be deposited in the rail grade crossing safety improvement
account, which is created in the special revenue fund. Money in the account is
appropriated to the commissioner for the development, administration, and construction of
highway-rail grade crossing improvements on rail corridors transporting crude oil, and
other selected routes, including those carrying hazardous materials. Improvements may
include upgrades to existing protection systems, the closing of crossings and necessary
roadwork, and reconstruction of at-grade crossings to full grade separations. Funds in
the account are available until expended.
new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE.
new text end

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