This bill addresses transportation funding and appropriations in Minnesota, establishing a budget for various agencies, including the Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety, for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Key appropriations include $5 million for the Duluth Airport Authority to build a new air traffic control tower, $650 million for the John A. Blatnik Bridge project, and $194.7 million for the Minneapolis-Duluth Northern Lights Express intercity passenger rail project. The bill also introduces a per-kilowatt hour tax on public electric vehicle charging and modifies the electric vehicle surcharge calculation. Additionally, it establishes a working group to explore electricity as vehicle fuel and emphasizes the importance of notifying legislative committees about significant changes in federal aid estimates.

Furthermore, the bill includes provisions for various transportation studies, grants for traffic calming infrastructure improvements, and the transfer of funds to support transportation projects. It allows the commissioner of transportation to transfer unencumbered balances among appropriations from the trunk highway fund and mandates reporting these transfers to legislative committees. The bill also introduces the "Empowering Small Minnesota Communities Program" to assist small communities with infrastructure project development and establishes a local government road funding gap assistance account. Overall, the legislation aims to enhance transportation infrastructure and services while ensuring fiscal responsibility and accountability.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 4.076, 13.6905, 16A.88, 161.088, 161.115, 161.14, 161.178, 168.002, 168.013, 168.091, 168.27, 168.33, 168A.11, 168E.01, 168E.05, 169.011, 169.06, 169.686, 169.865, 169.974, 171.01, 171.05, 171.0605, 171.061, 171.0701, 171.0705, 171.071, 171.13, 171.17, 609.21, 171.2405, 171.301, 171.306, 174.07, 174.38, 174.49, 174.634, 289A.51, 296A.01, 296A.02, 296A.06, 296A.061, 296A.19, 296A.22, 297A.94, 297A.9915, 297A.993, 299A.55, 360.511, 360.55, 398A.04, 473.129, 473.13, 473.142, 473.1425, 473.386, 473.39, 473.408, 473.412, 473.4465, 473.452