S.F. No. 5142 - Autonomous Ditch Mowing Program

• Commissioner of Transportation must conduct a pilot project to study autonomous mowers for ditch maintenance along Interstate 35 from the Iowa border to the I-35E-35W interchange in Burnsville.

• Commissioner must deploy multiple autonomous mower configurations at various locations and times to test different sensors, programming methods, and obstacle navigation capabilities in the trunk highway right-of-way.

• Commissioner must collect data on operational hours, terrain and vegetation types, obstacle navigation success rates, traffic impacts, cost-benefit analysis compared to traditional methods, environmental impact, and safety considerations.

• Commissioner must use adequate signage to notify road users about autonomous mower operations and may enter agreements with third-party vendors for maintenance and operations.

• Commissioner must submit a comprehensive report to legislative committees by January 15, 2026, including pilot project costs, equipment specifications, operational hours, incidents, maintenance costs, maintenance staff feedback, and recommendations for statewide deployment.