HF 145

1st Engrossment - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 07/09/2019 01:30pm

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; amending a window glazing exception related to
prescription or medical needs; amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 169.71,
subdivision 4.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 169.71, subdivision 4, is amended to read:

Subd. 4.

Glazing material; prohibitions deleted text begin and exceptions deleted text end .

deleted text begin (a) No deleted text end new text begin A new text end person deleted text begin shall deleted text end new text begin must
not new text end drive or operate any motor vehicle required to be registered in the state of Minnesota
upon any street or highway under the following conditions:

(1) when the windshield is composed of, covered by, or treated with any material which
has the effect of making the windshield more reflective or in any other way reducing light
transmittance through the windshield;

(2) when any window on the vehicle is composed of, covered by, or treated with any
material that has a highly reflective or mirrored appearance;

(3) when any side window or rear window is composed of or treated with any material
so as to obstruct or substantially reduce the driver's clear view through the window or has
a light transmittance of less than 50 percent plus or minus three percent in the visible light
range or a luminous reflectance of more than 20 percent plus or minus three percent; or

(4) when any material has been applied after August 1, 1985, to any motor vehicle
window without an accompanying permanent marking which indicates the percent of
transmittance and the percent of reflectance afforded by the material. The marking must be
in a manner so as not to obscure vision and be readable when installed on the vehicle.

new text begin Subd. 4a. new text end

new text begin Glazing material; exceptions. new text end

deleted text begin (b) This deleted text end new text begin (a) new text end Subdivision new text begin 4 new text end does not apply to
glazing materials deleted text begin which deleted text end new text begin that new text end :

(1) have not been modified since the original installation, nor to original replacement
windows and windshields, that were originally installed or replaced in deleted text begin conformance deleted text end new text begin
conformity new text end with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 205;

(2) are required to satisfy prescription or medical needs deleted text begin of the driver of the vehicle or a
passenger if deleted text end new text begin , provided new text end :

(i) the new text begin vehicle's new text end driver or new text begin a new text end passenger deleted text begin is in possession of the deleted text end new text begin possesses a new text end prescription or
a physician's statement of medical need;

(ii) the prescription or statement specifically states the minimum percentage that light
transmittance may be reduced to satisfy the prescription or medical needs of the patient;
and

(iii) the prescription or statement contains an expiration date, which must be no more
than two years after the date the prescription or statement was issued; or

(3) are applied to:

(i) the rear windows of a pickup truck as defined in section 168.002, subdivision 26;

(ii) the rear windows or the side windows on either side behind the driver's seat of a van
as defined in section 168.002, subdivision 40;

(iii) the side and rear windows of a vehicle used to transport human remains by a funeral
establishment holding a license under section 149A.50;

(iv) the side and rear windows of a limousine as defined in section 168.002, subdivision
15; or

(v) the rear and side windows of a police vehicle.

new text begin (b) For the purposes of paragraph (a), clause (2), a driver of a vehicle may rely on a
prescription or physician's statement of medical need issued to a person not present in the
vehicle if:
new text end

new text begin (1) the prescription or physician's statement of medical need is issued to the driver's
parent, child, grandparent, sibling, or spouse;
new text end

new text begin (2) the prescription or physician's statement of medical need specifies the make, model,
and license plate of one or two vehicles that will have tinted windows; and
new text end

new text begin (3) the driver is in possession of the prescription or physician's statement of medical
need.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin Paragraph (b) is effective on November 1, 2019.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin PRESCRIPTION FOR GLAZED WINDOWS.
new text end

new text begin Until November 1, 2019, for the purposes of Minnesota Statutes, section 169.71,
subdivision 4a, paragraph (b), clause (2), a driver of a vehicle may rely on a prescription
or physician's statement of medical need issued to a person not present in the vehicle if:
new text end

new text begin (1) the prescription or physician's statement of medical need is issued to a family member
of the driver; and
new text end

new text begin (2) the driver is in possession of the prescription or physician's statement of medical
need.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end