Section 1, paragraph (a), requires the commissioner of transportation to negotiate with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway on a potential extension of the Northstar commuter rail line from Big Lake to St. Cloud.  Negotiations are subject to several conditions, including:  the number of daily and weekend trips to and from St. Cloud; the requirement for BNSF to continue to provide all train crew and track-related services; facility use and fare collection responsibility in St. Cloud; a prohibition on capital or operations funding commitments by MNDOT; and the authorization for MNDOT to negotiate for additional funding if necessary from the federal or local governments or the Northstar Corridor Development Authority.

Paragraph (b) requires the commissioner of transportation to report to the legislature after negotiations are completed.  The report must include a description of the negotiations and the outcome.

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