The proposed bill seeks to amend Minnesota's transportation laws by introducing new requirements for highway project development, particularly focusing on cumulative impacts analysis in environmental justice areas. It establishes a policy advisory committee to approve alternative designs for highway projects, ensuring local officials are involved in decision-making. The bill also mandates public engagement and transparency in the cumulative impacts analysis for trunk highway projects near these areas. Additionally, it expands the definitions related to highway purposes to include multimodal infrastructure and specifies that funds from the highway user tax distribution fund and trunk highway fund can only be used for designated highway purposes, prohibiting certain expenditures.

Furthermore, the bill creates a new environmental justice ombudsperson position, alongside the existing transportation ombudsperson, to address environmental justice issues. This ombudsperson will be responsible for dispute resolution, information gathering, and facilitating discussions with a focus on environmental justice advocacy and transportation cumulative impacts analysis. The bill emphasizes localized mitigation actions within relevant environmental justice areas, reinforcing the importance of addressing these concerns in transportation planning and project implementation. Overall, the amendments aim to enhance the representation and needs of affected communities within Minnesota's transportation framework.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 116.065, 161.045, 174.02