The bill amends Minnesota Statutes to clarify the designation of responsible authorities for light rail transit projects. Specifically, it removes the exclusive designation of either the Council or a county board as the responsible authority and allows for the designation of both entities. The amendments to section 473.3993, subdivision 4, and section 473.3994, subdivision 1a, establish that the governor must designate either the Council or a county board of a metropolitan county for each proposed light rail transit facility. Additionally, if a facility is entirely located within a single metropolitan area county, the county board of that county must be designated as the responsible entity for planning, designing, acquiring, constructing, and equipping the facility.

The bill also includes an effective date provision, stating that the changes will take effect the day following final enactment and will apply to projects that enter into full funding grant agreements on or after that date. This ensures that the new designations and responsibilities are implemented promptly for future light rail transit projects in the metropolitan area.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 473.3993, 473.3994