(a) After completion of the special claims process under section 3.7393 and all litigation relating to the I-35W bridge collapse, and notwithstanding any provisions in sections 16B.2975, 16C.03, and 161.41, the commissioner of transportation is authorized to declare as surplus all structural steel and any other materials salvaged from the I-35W bridge collapse. The commissioner is authorized to distribute, free of charge, pieces of remnant steel from the bridge to the following persons or institutions in order of priority:

(1) the Minnesota Historical Society;

(2) survivors as defined in section 3.7392, subdivision 8;

(3) federal and state agencies with responsibilities for transportation safety;

(4) institutions of higher education in the field of engineering; and

(5) at the commissioner's discretion, other persons or institutions directly impacted by the bridge collapse.

(b) The commissioner shall determine the size of the pieces of remnant steel to be distributed under this section. The commissioner shall complete the process of distributing pieces of remnant steel within a period of six months from May 25, 2013. After that time, the commissioner shall dispose of the remaining steel as surplus property to be melted down and recycled. The first $22,000 of the proceeds from the disposal of the remaining steel shall be deposited in the trunk highway fund, and any additional proceeds shall be deposited in the general fund.

(c) The state shall have no liability associated with the condition of the pieces of remnant steel, including but not limited to the presence of lead-based paint on the steel.

History: 2013 c 93 s 1