Senator Bruce Anderson (R-Buffalo) today voted for the first phase of a plan to get Minnesota’s failed new system of licensing and registering vehicles (MNLARS) back on track. The proposal appropriates funding for technical fixes and adds stringent new oversight requirements to protect taxpayers.

Senate File 3133 appropriates $9.65 million for MNLARS technical staff and technical repairs using an existing special revenue fund. This funding cannot be used for new FTEs or an internal audit. No new general funding spending will be used for the repairs. The bill also includes strict oversight measures, including a quarterly report from the Office of the Legislative Auditor, and a mechanism for the legislature to shut off all funding if development benchmarks are not met.

“For months I have been hearing from frustrated consumers, deputy registrars, and auto dealers about the desperate need to fix MNLARS,” said Senator Anderson. “Today we took the first important steps to get it back on track. Funding is necessary, but more important is taxpayer protection. Our plan provides emergency funding out of a special revenue account, and adds strict new legislative oversight requirements to guarantee benchmarks are being met and to protect taxpayers from future bailouts if they aren’t.”

Senate File 3133 details:

– The bill creates a bipartisan MNLARS Steering committee specifically responsible for legislative oversight.
– The bill requires Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Minnesota IT Services (MN.IT) officials to submit to the MNLARS Committee by May 15 a specific timeline and benchmarks for MNLARS to become fully operational.
– The MNLARS Committee must approve any additional appropriations as benchmarks are met.
– The committee would have the ability to stop MNLARS funding if MN.IT and DPS fail to meet promised benchmarks.
– The executive branch, as well as auto dealers and deputy registrars, will be involved in the process by submitting reports to the MNLARS Committee.

After a decade of development and nearly $100 million spent, MNLARS was rolled out July 2017 and has been plagued with problems ever since.