Legislative Session number- 84

Bill Name: SF1442

Relating to the environment; authorizing conservation officers or other licensed
peace officers to issue civil citations for operating off highway motorcycles or
off road or all-terrain vehicles on restricted wetlands, requiring restitution
for damage and imposing certain penalties; authorizing the commissioner of
natural resources (DNR) to permit department personnel and equipment to be used
to assist local government units in maintaining off highway vehicle trails;
requiring the commissioner to establish an off highway vehicle safety and
conservation program for grants to organizations to encourage off highway
vehicle clubs to assist in safety and environmental education and in improving,
maintaining and monitoring trails on state forest and other public lands,
specifying certain organization eligibility and grant use requirements;
requiring registration decals issued by the commissioner on off highway
motorcycles, specifying certain display requirements and exceptions; imposing
certain noise emission standards on the motorcycles; requiring persons receiving
off highway motorcycle violation citations to complete the environment and
safety education and training program; modifying certain off road vehicle
registration requirements, requiring the commissioner to allow the operation of
nonregistered vehicles one day a year at the Iron Range off highway vehicle
recreation area; authorizing ATV education and training program instructors to
charge for class material and expenses; requiring certain individuals based on
age or citations receipt to successfully complete the independent study and/or
testing and operating course components of ATV safety training; modifying the
youthful operator restriction relating to ATV engine size and certain passenger
restrictions; authorizing the use of ATV's and off road vehicles off forest
trails or roads on forest lands classified as managed or limited under certain
conditions, excepting the Richard J. Dorer memorial hardwood forest, authorizing
the commissioner to determine the use of ATV's on specific forest roads on state
forest lands classified as closed for hunting purposes during big game open
seasons; creating certain exceptions to the prohibition on operation of ATV's on
roadways, shoulders or rights-of-way; requiring the commissioner to designate a
certain portion of the northshore trail in St. Louis, Lake and Cook counties as
an ATV trail; exempting forest trail designation changes from certain rulemaking
requirements of the commissioner; prohibiting the commissioner from installing
gates to obstruct access to state forest roads under certain conditions;
expanding certain forest classification status review requirements of the
commissioner to state forests classified as limited; requiring the commissioner
to amend a certain rule to permit the operation of ATV's on privately owned land
in areas open to hunting deer by firearms during legal shooting hours without
regard to the licensure status of the individual relating to the day of
operation under certain conditions; requiring the commissioners of natural
resources, revenue and transportation (DOT) to jointly determine the amount of
unrefunded gasoline tax attributable to ATV use and report to the legislature by
a certain date for apportionment revision purposes; appropriating money to the
commissioner of natural resources for the off highway vehicle safety and
conservation grant program, for the unrefunded gasoline tax study, for
additional grants in aid and for production of an interactive CD-ROM; repealing
the current off highway vehicle safety and conservation program
(mk)