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Article 1
Transportation Appropriations
Section 1 lists the summary of all appropriations by fund. Total direct appropriations to the Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Council transit, and administration and transportation-related activities of the Department of Public Safety for the 2012-13 biennium are $4.74 billion.
Section 2 states that all appropriations in this article are from the trunk highway fund unless another fund is specified. All appropriations for FY 2011 are effective the day following final enactment.
Section 3. Department of Transportation.
Subdivision 1. Total MnDOT Appropriations. Contains the total appropriations
to the Department of Transportation by fund.
Subdivision 2. Multimodal systems.
(a) Aeronautics.
(1) Appropriates 14.3 million in FY12 and $16.1 million in FY13 from the state airports fund for airport development and assistance. States that if a fund balance remains after the appropriations, and the appropriations are insufficient for advancing airport projects, the additional amount necessary is appropriated to MnDOT if it does not exceed the fund balance. MnDOT must notify the legislature of any additional appropriations. The additional appropriations do not adjust the FY14-15 base appropriations.
(2) Appropriates $6.1 million from the state airports fund in each of FY12 and FY13 for aviation support and services. $65,000 in each year is for the Civil Air Patrol.
(b) Transit. Appropriates $15.8 million in each of FY12 and FY13 for Greater Minnesota transit. Of the appropriation, $100,000 in each year is for expenses of the Minnesota Council on Transportation Access. This appropriation includes a $1.35 million onetime reduction per year.
(c) Passenger Rail. Appropriates $500,000 from the general fund in each of FY12
and FY13 for passenger rail purposes.
(d) Freight. Appropriates $5.2 million in each of FY12 and FY13 for freight purposes.
Subdivision 3. State Roads.
(a) Operations and Maintenance. Appropriates $257.4 million in each of FY12 and FY13 for operations and maintenance.
(b) Program Planning and Delivery. Appropriates $206.9 million in FY12 and $206.7 million in FY13 for state road system investment and planning. Of these appropriations:
· $130,000 in each year is for administrative costs of a targeted group
business program for state road construction, if such a program is enacted and
effective in FYs 2012 and 2013;
· $266,000 in each year is for grants to metropolitan planning organizations
outside the seven-county metro area;
· $75,000 in each year is for a transportation research contingent account for
federally-reimbursable projects; and
· $600,000 in each year is for transportation studies grants outside the
metropolitan area.
(c) State Road Construction. Appropriates $888 million in FY12 and $595 million in
FY13 from the trunk highway fund for construction and improvement of trunk highways.
Of the appropriation in FY12, $20 million is for transfer to the trunk highway economic
development account (created in Article 3 of the bill). $87 million in FY12 and
$40 million in FY13 is for highway pavement improvements as part of the Better Roads for
a Better Minnesota program. Allows the commissioner to transfer $15 million each year to
the trunk highway fund revolving loan account.
(d) Highway Debt Service. Appropriates $142.8 million in FY12 and $167.5 million in FY 13 from the trunk highway fund for debt service.
(e) Electronic Communications. Appropriates $5.2 million in each of FY12 and FY13 from the trunk highway fund for electronic communications. An additional $3,000 in each year is appropriated from the general fund to equip and operate the Roosevelt signal tower.
Subdivision 4. Local Roads.
(a) County State Aids. Appropriates $545.1 million in FY12 and $572.8 million in FY13 from the county state aid highway fund for distribution to counties. States that if a fund balance remains after the appropriations, and the appropriations are insufficient for advancing CSAH projects, the additional amount necessary is appropriated to MnDOT, if it does not exceed the fund balance. MnDOT must notify the legislature of any additional appropriations.
(b) Municipal State Aids. Appropriates $145.5 million in FY12 and $153.5 million in FY13 from the municipal state aid street fund for distribution to cities with a population of over 5,000. States that if a fund balance remains after the appropriations, and the appropriations are insufficient for advancing MSAS projects, the additional amount necessary is appropriated to MnDOT, if it does not exceed the fund balance. MnDOT must notify the legislature of any additional appropriations.
Subdivision 5. Agency Management.
(a) Agency Services. Appropriates $41.97 million in each of FY12 and FY13 from the trunk highway fund, and $25,000 in each year from the state airports fund, for agency services.
(b) Buildings. Appropriates $17.8 million in FY12 and FY13 from the trunk highway fund, and $54,000 in each year from the general fund, for building needs.
Subdivision 6. Transfers.
(a) Allows the commissioner to transfer unencumbered fund balances among the appropriations from the trunk highway fund and the state airports fund. Specifies that no transfers may be made from the state road construction or debt service appropriations or between funds. Such transfers must be reported to the legislature.
(b) Requires the commissioner to transfer from the flexible highway account in the county state-aid highway fund:
· $1.0 million in FY12 to the municipal turnback account in the municipal
state-aid street fund;
· $1.9 million in FY12 to the trunk highway fund; and
· the remainder in each year to the county turnback account in the county
state-aid highway fund.
Subdivision 7. Use of State Road Construction Appropriations. Specifies that money appropriated for state road construction for any fiscal year before FY12 is available during FY12 and FY13 provided the money is spent on the project for which the money was originally encumbered during the fiscal year for which it was appropriated.
Subdivision 8. Contingent Appropriations. Allows the commissioner, with approval by the Governor and written approval by the majority of a group consisting of the Legislative Advisory Commission and ranking minority members of the House and Senate transportation finance committees, to transfer all or part of the balance in the trunk highway fund to an appropriation: (1) for trunk highway design, construction, or inspection in order to take advantage of an unanticipated receipt of income or federal advance construction funding; (2) for trunk highway maintenance in order to meet an emergency; or (3) to pay tort or environmental claims. Specifies that any transfer as a result of using federal advance construction funding must include an analysis of the effects on the long-term highway fund balance. Does not authorize commissioner to increase federal advanced construction funding beyond specifically authorized amounts.
Section 4. Metropolitan Council. Appropriates $39.04 million in each of FY12 and FY13 from the general fund for metropolitan bus and rail system operations. Of this appropriation, $140,000 in each year is for transit service for disabled veterans. This appropriation includes a $24.9 million onetime reduction per year.
Limits annual financial assistance for suburban transit providers in the biennium to the amount provided in fiscal year 2011, less an additional $1.65 million per fiscal year.
Section 5. Department of Public Safety.
Subdivision 1. Total Public Safety Appropriations. Contains the total appropriations to the Department of Public Safety transportation-related programs by fund.
Subdivision 2. Administration and Related Services.
(a) Office of Communications. Appropriates $434,000 in each of FY12 and FY13 for the office of communications.
(b) Public Safety Support. Appropriates $8.2 million in each of FY12 and FY13 for public safety support. Specifies that $380,000 each year is for payment of public safety survivor benefits; $1.367 million each year is for the public safety officer’s benefit account; and $508,000 each year is for soft body armor reimbursements.
(c) Technology and Support Service. Appropriates $3.8 million in each of FY12 and FY13 for technical support services.
Subdivision 3. State Patrol.
(a) Patrolling Highways. Appropriates $71.5 million in each of FY12 and FY13 for patrolling highways.
(b) Commercial Vehicle Enforcement. Appropriates $7.8 million in each of FY12 and FY13 for commercial vehicle enforcement. Of this amount, $600,000 in each year is for the Office of Pupil Transportation Safety.
(c) Capitol Security. Appropriates $3.1 million in each of FY12 and FY13 from the general fund for capitol security.
(d) Vehicle Crimes Unit. Appropriates $693,000 from the highway user tax distribution fund in each of FY12 and FY13 for the activities of the vehicle crimes unit.
Subdivision 4. Driver and Vehicle Services.
(a) Vehicle Services. Appropriates $27.3 million in each of FY12 and FY13 for vehicle services.
(b) Driver Services. Appropriates $28.7 million in each of FY12 and FY13 for driver services.
Subdivision 5. Traffic Safety. Appropriates $435,000 in each of FY12 and FY13 from the trunk highway fund for traffic safety.
Subdivision 6. Pipeline Safety. Appropriates $1.4 million in each of FY12 and FY13 for pipeline safety.
Subdivision 7. Transfer. Requires the Commissioner of Public Safety to transfer a total of $7.1 million in FY13 to the driver and vehicle services technology account from the driver services and vehicle services operating accounts.
Section 6. Tort Claims. Appropriates $600,000 each year from the trunk highway fund to the commissioner of finance for tort claims.
Section 7. Appropriation; State Roads. Reduces the FY11 appropriation to MnDOT from the trunk highway fund for state road construction by $43 million, to reflect reduced federal aid agreements. This section is effective the day following final enactment.
Article 2
Metropolitan Transit Finance
Section 1 requires the Counties Transit Improvement Board to allocate to the Metropolitan Council for transit operations from the proceeds of the metropolitan area one-quarter cent sales tax for transportation, a minimum of 75 percent of the cost of transit way operations, to be used for transit way operations only in the metropolitan transportation area (i.e., the five counties that have imposed the sales tax). The authority applies only to the 2012-2013 biennium.
Section 2 requires the Counties Transit Improvement Board to utilize transportation sales tax revenues first to pay debt service on obligations issued before January 1, 2011.
Section 3 authorizes the Metropolitan Council to issue bonds and certificates of indebtedness in an amount up to $35 million for transit capital improvements. This section is effective the day following final enactment and applies to the seven metropolitan counties.
Article 3
Transportation Development
Section 1 cross-references requirements imposed on state agency capital budget requests in section 9 of this article and applies them to the capital budget submitted by state agencies to the Legislature.
Section 2 cross-references requirements imposed on state agency capital budget requests in section 9 of this article and applies them to requests for assistance submitted by local units of government to the Legislature.
Section 3 creates a trunk highway economic development account in the trunk highway fund, with an annual appropriation to the Commissioner of Transportation. Money in the account must be divided evenly between the metropolitan district and greater Minnesota, unless there are not enough applicants that meet eligibility and priority requirements to allow for a 50-50 split of the money. Money in the account must be used for trunk highway projects that will promote economic development, increase employment, and relieve growing traffic congestion.
Section 4 changes the period during which actual receipts must be counted as a basis for the commissioner’s estimate of money that will be available to the county state-aid highway fund during the fiscal year. Current statute requires the commissioner to consider receipts from July 1 through November 30, and this section changes the end date to October 31.
Section 5 changes the period during which actual receipts must be counted as a basis for the commissioner’s estimate of money that will be available to the municipal state-aid street fund during the fiscal year. Current statute requires the commissioner to consider receipts from July 1 through November 30, and this section changes the end date to October 31.
Section 6 reduces the driver and vehicle services technology surcharge applied to each vehicle registration and renewal (currently $1.75 through June 30, 2012) to $1.00, to be collected through June 30, 2016.
Section 7 reduces the technology surcharge, as of July 1, 2012, from $1.75 to $1.00, and imposes the reduced surcharge through June 30, 2016, on title certificate transactions.
Section 8 reduces the technology surcharge, as of July 1, 2012, from $1.75 to $1.00, and imposes the reduced surcharge through June 30, 2016, on driver’s license/state ID card fees.
Section 9 provides that when a state agency or local unit of government requests state funds for a guideway project, it must provide a summary financial plan that includes, among other things, an estimate of annual operation and maintenance costs and a breakdown of committed and proposed funding sources. The section also adds to reporting requirements for the Commissioner of Transportation, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Council. The report must now include, for guideway projects, capacity analysis, with funding projected over the ensuing ten years, and projection of availability of funds for investment and operation/maintenance.
Section 10 extends the expiration date of the technology surcharge on vehicle registration renewals from June 30, 2012, to June 30, 2016.
Article 4
Effective Date
Section 1 provides that unless otherwise specified, this act is effective retroactively from July 1, 2011, and supersedes and replaces funding orders of the Ramsey County District Court Case No. 62-CV-11-5203.
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