Transparency and community engagement in trunk highway project development established, project scoping and development requirements established, transportation project activity portal required, legislative reports modified, and money appropriated.

HF 3121 requires Minnesota’s transportation department to improve transparency and community involvement in trunk highway projects. It mandates community notifications before projects enter the state transportation program, including translated versions for areas with significant non-English speakers, and creates a public digital portal tracking project details. The bill establishes community advisory assemblies for affected projects, composed of local residents, businesses, nonprofits, and tribal representatives, to provide input on project design and environmental impacts. These requirements apply to major highway projects (e.g., construction, capacity changes) entering the program in fiscal year 2030 or later, directly affecting communities near highway developments. The law modifies reporting requirements to support these new engagement processes.