This bill amends Minnesota Statutes to update the requirements for design standards and variances related to county and municipal state-aid transportation projects. It introduces new subdivisions that establish state-aid design and engineering standards based on the latest Facility Design Guide, which will take effect on July 1, 2026. The bill revises the variance process, mandating that the commissioner evaluate requests based on specific criteria and notify legislative committees if a variance is denied, providing justification for such decisions.

Furthermore, the bill creates an advisory committee on design variances, composed of transportation professionals, which will operate under the Minnesota Open Meeting Law. This committee is tasked with reviewing variance requests, focusing on safety, especially for nonmotorized transportation projects, and will report its findings and recommendations to the legislature every two years. The bill also clarifies the rulemaking process for evaluating variance requests, ensuring that certain cost estimation sections are exempt from chapter 14's provisions, and establishes that the new provisions will be effective for state-aid design variances sought after July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduction: 162.02, 162.09, 162.155