Scott County; U.S. Highway 169 and Trunk Highway 282 interchange construction appropriation modified, lighting of city identification sign authorized, and money appropriated.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Ben Bakeberg and 1 co-sponsor

Adds religious worship as an approved destination for minors with special restricted licenses, allowing pre/post-worship driving within 25 miles.

HF indefinitely postponed

#counties-specific #highways #roads #andbridges

Bill summary — HF 202 (Introduced Feb 3, 2025) — status: indefinitely postponed

Note on content discrepancy
- The bill title references a Scott County highway interchange appropriation, sign lighting, and an appropriation. The text of the introduced version of HF 202 provided here instead contains an amendment to Minnesota’s special minor restricted driving-license statute (permission to drive to places of religious worship). This summary describes the substantive text as introduced (the driving/limited-license provisions). Legislative actions indicate the bill was later renumbered/compared to other measures (renumbered as 574; compared with SF 823) and ultimately was indefinitely postponed on 2025-03-20.

Purpose and intent
- To add “established places of religious worship” to the list of approved destinations for holders of a special minor’s restricted driver’s license, enabling eligible minors to drive to and from worship services and organized volunteer service programs at their regular place of worship.

Key provisions
- Approved destination: Adds “established places of religious worship” to the statutory list of approved driving locations for special minor restricted licenses.
- Time window: A licensee may operate a motor vehicle to attend religious worship services or to participate in organized volunteer service programs at their established place of worship during the hour before and the hour after the service or program.
- Distance limit: The round-trip or point-of-origin to destination driving distance remains limited to no more than 25 miles (consistent with current special-restriction distance limits).
- Penalties for violation: Violating the restrictions of a special minor’s restricted license is classified as a simple misdemeanor and a moving violation with a scheduled fine of $70.
- Administrative sanctions: The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) must suspend the license for three months following a violation and is prohibited from issuing an intermediate license to the person for an additional three months after the person’s 16th birthday.

Who would be affected
- Primary: Minors holding a special minor’s restricted driver’s license and their families.
- State agency: Minnesota Department of Transportation — enforcement, administration of suspensions and intermediate-license delays.
- Faith communities and volunteer programs: Potentially increased ability for minors under restricted licenses to attend services or volunteer.
- Law enforcement and courts: Application of moving-violation penalties and misdemeanor processing.

Legislative status and timeline highlights
- Introduced: 2025-02-03 (referred to Transportation; also saw referral to Capital Investment at introduction).
- Committee activity: Subcommittee hearings (2/11/2025); subcommittee recommended amendment and passage; Transportation committee reported favorably (vote 18–3) and recommended amendment and passage (2/19/2025). The bill was later renumbered and compared with SF 823.
- Final status: HF 202 was placed on the calendar but ultimately indefinitely postponed on 2025-03-20.

Related legislation
- Companion bill: SF 823 (identified as comparable/companion measure).