H.F. No. 4700 Summary

• Establishes a Federal Funds Local Assistance Program administered by the Minnesota Commissioner of Transportation to provide local match aid for federal discretionary and competitive transportation grants.

• Eligible recipients include local units of government, metropolitan planning organizations, federally recognized Tribal governments, and partnerships between these entities.

• Requires biannual or more frequent application cycles with evaluation criteria prioritizing traffic and pedestrian safety, emission reductions, equity in underrepresented communities, federal grant competitiveness, and alignment with state transportation goals.

• Allocates aid among project categories annually: 15% for local roads and bridges, 10% for transit outside the metropolitan area, 5% for active transportation, 3% for electric vehicle infrastructure, and 67% for flexible allocation.

• Appropriates $38,000,000 in fiscal year 2023 (one-time, available until June 30, 2026) for the local assistance program and $350,000 annually for federal grants technical assistance to help local governments complete grant applications.