| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to transit; requiring municipal approval of guideway plans; allowing |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 municipalities to revoke approval; prohibiting requesting federal funds until |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4 municipal approval is received; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5 Statutes, chapter 473. |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7 Section 1. [473.4486] MUNICIPAL APPROVAL OF GUIDEWAY PLANS. |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8 Subdivision 1.Definition; application.(a) For purposes of this section, "guideway" |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9has the meaning given in section 473.4485, subdivision 1, paragraph (d). |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10 (b) This section does not apply to light rail transit. |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11 Subd. 2.Preliminary design plans; public hearing.Before final design plans are |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12prepared for a guideway in the metropolitan area, the council must hold a public hearing |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13on the physical design component of the preliminary design plans. The council must provide |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14appropriate public notice of the hearing and publicity to ensure that affected parties have |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15an opportunity to present their views at the hearing. The council must summarize the |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16proceedings and testimony and maintain the record of a hearing held under this section, |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17including any written statements submitted. |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18 Subd. 3.Preliminary design plans; local approval.At least 30 days before the hearing |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19under subdivision 2, the council must submit the physical design component of the |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20preliminary design plans to the governing body of each statutory and home rule charter city, |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1.21county, and town in which the route is proposed to be located. Each city, county, or town |
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| 22 | 22 | | 1.22must hold a public hearing. Within 45 days after the hearing under subdivision 2, each city, |
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| 23 | 23 | | 1.23county, or town must review and approve or disapprove the plans for the route to be located |
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| 24 | 24 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 25 | 25 | | REVISOR KRB/DG 25-0212301/15/25 |
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| 26 | 26 | | State of Minnesota |
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| 27 | 27 | | This Document can be made available |
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| 28 | 28 | | in alternative formats upon request |
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| 29 | 29 | | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 30 | 30 | | H. F. No. 1873 |
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| 31 | 31 | | NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 32 | 32 | | Authored by Engen and Allen03/05/2025 |
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| 33 | 33 | | The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Elections Finance and Government Operations 2.1in the city, county, or town. A local unit of government that disapproves the plans must |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2.2describe specific amendments to the plans that, if adopted, would cause the local unit of |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2.3government to withdraw its disapproval. Failure to approve or disapprove the plans in |
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| 36 | 36 | | 2.4writing within 45 days after the hearing under subdivision 2 is deemed to be an approval |
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| 37 | 37 | | 2.5unless an extension of time is agreed to by the council and the city, county, or town. |
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| 38 | 38 | | 2.6 Subd. 4.Preliminary design plans; second council hearing.If the governing body of |
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| 39 | 39 | | 2.7one or more cities, counties, or towns disapproves the preliminary design plans within the |
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| 40 | 40 | | 2.8period allowed under subdivision 3, the council must hold a second public hearing on the |
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| 41 | 41 | | 2.9plans, giving any disapproving local governmental units and other persons an opportunity |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2.10to present their views on the plans. The council may conduct an independent study as it |
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| 43 | 43 | | 2.11deems desirable and may mediate and attempt to resolve disagreements about the plans. |
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| 44 | 44 | | 2.12Within 60 days after the second public hearing, the council must review the plans and must |
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| 45 | 45 | | 2.13decide what amendments to the plans, if any, must be made to accommodate the objections |
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| 46 | 46 | | 2.14presented by the disapproving local governmental units. Amendments to the plans as decided |
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| 47 | 47 | | 2.15by the council must be made before continuing the planning and designing process. |
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| 48 | 48 | | 2.16 Subd. 5.Final design plans.(a) If the final design plans incorporate a substantial change |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2.17from the preliminary design plans with respect to location, length, or termini of routes; |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2.18general dimension, elevation, or alignment of routes and crossings; or shelters or stops, |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2.19before beginning construction, the council must submit the changed component of the final |
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| 52 | 52 | | 2.20design plans to the governing body of each statutory and home rule charter city, county, |
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| 53 | 53 | | 2.21and town in which the changed component is proposed to be located. Within 60 days after |
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| 54 | 54 | | 2.22the submission of the plans, the city, county, or town must review and approve or disapprove |
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| 55 | 55 | | 2.23the changed component located in the city, county, or town. A local unit of government that |
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| 56 | 56 | | 2.24disapproves the change must describe specific amendments to the plans that, if adopted, |
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| 57 | 57 | | 2.25would cause the local unit of government to withdraw its disapproval. Failure to approve |
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| 58 | 58 | | 2.26or disapprove the changed plans in writing within the time period is deemed to be an approval |
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| 59 | 59 | | 2.27unless an extension is agreed to by the city, county, or town. |
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| 60 | 60 | | 2.28 (b) If the governing body of one or more cities, counties, or towns disapproves the |
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| 61 | 61 | | 2.29changed plans within the period allowed under paragraph (a), the council must review the |
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| 62 | 62 | | 2.30final design plans under the same procedure and with the same effect as provided in |
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| 63 | 63 | | 2.31subdivision 4 for preliminary design plans. |
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| 64 | 64 | | 2.32 Subd. 6.Revocation.A city, county, or town that has approved the plans as provided |
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| 65 | 65 | | 2.33by this section may revoke its approval of the plans at any point prior to the council securing |
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| 66 | 66 | | 2.34federal funding for the project. The city, county, or town must notify the council of the |
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| 67 | 67 | | 2.35revocation. Upon receipt of the notification, the council must review the final design plans |
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| 68 | 68 | | 2Section 1. |
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| 69 | 69 | | REVISOR KRB/DG 25-0212301/15/25 3.1under the same procedure and with the same effect as provided in subdivision 4 for |
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| 70 | 70 | | 3.2preliminary design plans. |
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| 71 | 71 | | 3.3 Subd. 7.Prohibition.The council must not apply for or request any federal funds for a |
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| 72 | 72 | | 3.4guideway project until each city, county, or town in which the route is proposed to be located |
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| 73 | 73 | | 3.5has approved of the plans as provided by this section. |
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| 74 | 74 | | 3.6 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective the day following final enactment and |
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| 75 | 75 | | 3.7applies to all current and future guideways. |
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| 76 | 76 | | 3Section 1. |
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| 77 | 77 | | REVISOR KRB/DG 25-0212301/15/25 |
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