HF 1156

02/06/25   REVISOR  KRB/MI  25-03292
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request  State of Minnesota
  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
  H. F. No.       1156
02/19/2025     Authored by Anderson, P. E.,
  The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Transportation Finance and Policy
1.1A bill for an act
1.2relating to transportation; modifying passenger rail appropriation; amending Laws
1.32023, chapter 68, article 1, section 2, subdivision 2.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5Section 1. Laws 2023, chapter 68, article 1, section 2, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
1.6Subd. 2. Multimodal Systems
1.7(a) Aeronautics
1.8(1) Airport Development and Assistance  69,598,000  18,598,000
1.9Appropriations by Fund
1.102024  2025
1.11General  36,000,000  -0-
1.12Airports  33,598,000  18,598,000
1.13The appropriation from the state airports fund
1.14must be spent according to Minnesota Statutes,
1.15section 360.305, subdivision 4.
1.16$36,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 is from the
1.17general fund for matches to federal aid and
1.18state investments related to airport
1.19infrastructure projects. This is a onetime
1.20appropriation and is available until June 30,
1.212027.
Section 1.  1
02/06/25   REVISOR      KRB/MI      25-03292
2.1  $15,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 is from the
2.2  state airports fund for system maintenance of
2.3  critical airport safety systems, equipment, and
2.4  essential airfield technology.
2.5  Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section
2.6  16A.28, subdivision 6, the appropriation from
2.7  the state airports fund is available for five
2.8  years after the year of the appropriation. If the
2.9  appropriation for either year is insufficient,
2.10 the appropriation for the other year is available
2.11 for it.
2.12 If the commissioner of transportation
2.13 determines that a balance remains in the state
2.14 airports fund following the appropriations
2.15 made in this article and that the appropriations
2.16 made are insufficient for advancing airport
2.17 development and assistance projects, an
2.18 amount necessary to advance the projects, not
2.19 to exceed the balance in the state airports fund,
2.20 is appropriated in each year to the
2.21 commissioner and must be spent according to
2.22 Minnesota Statutes, section 360.305,
2.23 subdivision 4. Within two weeks of a
2.24 determination under this contingent
2.25 appropriation, the commissioner of
2.26 transportation must notify the commissioner
2.27 of management and budget and the chairs,
2.28 ranking minority members, and staff of the
2.29 legislative committees with jurisdiction over
2.30 transportation finance concerning the funds
2.31 appropriated. Funds appropriated under this
2.32 contingent appropriation do not adjust the base
2.33 for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
2.34 (2) Aviation Support Services  15,397,000   8,431,000
Section 1.  2
02/06/25   REVISOR  KRB/MI        25-03292
3.1Appropriations by Fund
3.22024  2025
3.3  General  8,707,000        1,741,000
3.4  Airports  6,690,000        6,690,000
3.5  $7,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 is from the
3.6  general fund to purchase two utility aircraft
3.7  for the Department of Transportation.
3.8  (3) Civil Air Patrol  80,000       80,000
3.9  This appropriation is from the state airports
3.10 fund for the Civil Air Patrol.
3.11 (b) Transit and Active Transportation  58,478,000   18,374,000
3.12 This appropriation is from the general fund.
3.13 $200,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $50,000 in
3.14 fiscal year 2025 are for a grant to the city of
3.15 Rochester to implement demand response
3.16 transit service using electric transit vehicles.
3.17 The money is available for mobile software
3.18 application development; vehicles and
3.19 equipment, including accessible vehicles;
3.20 associated charging infrastructure; and capital
3.21 and operating costs.
3.22 $40,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 is for matches
3.23 to federal aid and state investments related to
3.24 transit and active transportation projects. This
3.25 is a onetime appropriation and is available
3.26 until June 30, 2027.
3.27 (c) Safe Routes to School  15,297,000   10,500,000
3.28 This appropriation is from the general fund
3.29 for the safe routes to school program under
3.30 Minnesota Statutes, section 174.40.
3.31 If the appropriation for either year is
3.32 insufficient, the appropriation for the other
Section 1.  3
02/06/25   REVISOR       KRB/MI      25-03292
4.1  year is available for it. The appropriations in
4.2  each year are available until June 30, 2027.
4.3  The base for this appropriation is $1,500,000
4.4  in each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
4.5  (d) Passenger Rail  197,521,000   4,226,000
4.6  This appropriation is from the general fund
4.7  for passenger rail activities under Minnesota
4.8  Statutes, sections 174.632 to 174.636.
4.9  $194,700,000 in fiscal year 2024 is for capital
4.10 improvements and betterments for the
4.11 Minneapolis-Duluth Northern Lights Express
4.12 intercity passenger rail project, including
4.13 preliminary engineering, design, engineering,
4.14 environmental analysis and mitigation,
4.15 acquisition of land and right-of-way,
4.16 equipment and rolling stock, and construction.
4.17 From this appropriation, the amount necessary
4.18 is for: (1) Coon Rapids station improvements
4.19 to establish a joint station that provides for
4.20 Amtrak train service on the Empire Builder
4.21 line between Chicago and Seattle; and (2)
4.22 acquisition of equipment and rolling stock for
4.23 purposes of participation in the Midwest fleet
4.24 pool to provide for service on Northern Lights
4.25 Express and expanded Amtrak train service
4.26 between Minneapolis and St. Paul and
4.27 Chicago. The commissioner of transportation
4.28 must not approve additional stops or stations
4.29 beyond those included in the Federal Railroad
4.30 Administration's January 2018 Finding of No
4.31 Significant Impact and Section 4(f)
4.32 Determination if the commissioner determines
4.33 that the resulting speed reduction would
4.34 negatively impact total ridership. This
4.35 appropriation is onetime and is available for
Section 1.  4
02/06/25   REVISOR  KRB/MI      25-03292
5.1  this purpose until June 30, 2028. If federal
5.2  funds for final design and construction of the
5.3  project are not granted by June 30, 2028, any
5.4  remaining amount of this appropriation is for
5.5  the corridors of commerce program under
5.6  Minnesota Statutes, section 161.088, and is
5.7  available until June 30, 2032.
5.8  $1,833,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $3,238,000
5.9  in fiscal year 2025 are for a match to federal
5.10 aid for capital and operating costs for
5.11 expanded Amtrak train service between
5.12 Minneapolis and St. Paul and Chicago.
5.13 The base from the general fund is $5,742,000
5.14 in each of fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
5.15 (e) Freight  14,650,000   9,066,000
5.16Appropriations by Fund
5.172024  2025
5.18 General  8,283,000  2,400,000
5.19 Trunk Highway  6,367,000  6,666,000
5.20 $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 is from the
5.21 general fund for matching federal aid grants
5.22 for improvements, engineering, and
5.23 administrative costs for the Stone Arch Bridge
5.24 in Minneapolis. This is a onetime
5.25 appropriation and is available until June 30,
5.26 2027.
5.27 $1,000,000 in each year is from the general
5.28 fund for staff, operating costs, and
5.29 maintenance related to weight and safety
5.30 enforcement systems.
5.31 $974,000 in fiscal year 2024 is from the
5.32 general fund for procurement costs of a
5.33 statewide freight network optimization tool
5.34 under Laws 2021, First Special Session
Section 1.  5
      02/06/25   REVISOR   KRB/MI   25-03292
6.1 chapter 5, article 4, section 133. This is a
6.2 onetime appropriation and is available until
6.3 June 30, 2025.
      Section 1.  6