HF 233

as introduced - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to public safety; authorizing limited 
  1.3             personal use of fireworks; requiring an affidavit of 
  1.4             safety guidelines; providing criminal penalties; 
  1.5             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.6             chapter 624. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [624.222] [FIREWORKS; LIMITED PERSONAL USE; 
  1.9   AUTHORIZATION.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [LIMITED PERSONAL USE OF 
  1.11  FIREWORKS.] Notwithstanding sections 624.20 to 624.25, fireworks 
  1.12  may be possessed, used, or exploded from July 1 to July 7 of 
  1.13  each year for personal use only.  A seller at retail may offer 
  1.14  for sale, advertise, or sell at retail fireworks for personal 
  1.15  use only 15 days in advance of July 1 of each year.  Fireworks 
  1.16  held for sale under authority of this section must carry a label 
  1.17  warning that personal use is permitted only from July 1 to July 
  1.18  7 under this section.  Anyone selling fireworks under authority 
  1.19  of this section must post in a conspicuous location the 
  1.20  following warning in block letters not less than one inch in 
  1.21  height:  "FIREWORKS PURCHASED FOR PERSONAL USE UNDER MINNESOTA 
  1.22  STATUTES, SECTION 624.222, MAY BE USED OR EXPLODED ONLY FROM 
  1.23  JULY 1 TO JULY 7."  A seller at retail of fireworks shall 
  1.24  require each purchaser of fireworks for limited personal use to 
  1.25  execute an affidavit on an application of purchase stating that: 
  1.26     (1) the purchaser is 18 years of age or older; 
  2.1      (2) the purchaser has received a copy of fireworks use 
  2.2   safety guidelines; 
  2.3      (3) the purchaser agrees to use the fireworks only from 
  2.4   July 1 to July 7; and 
  2.5      (4) the purchaser agrees to supervise any use of fireworks 
  2.6   by minors. 
  2.7      Subd. 2.  [FIREWORKS SAFETY GUIDELINES.] The state fire 
  2.8   marshall shall adopt and disseminate reasonable guidelines on 
  2.9   fireworks safety designed to ensure that personal use and 
  2.10  explosion of fireworks on July 1 to July 7 each year follows 
  2.11  best fireworks safety practices. 
  2.12     Subd. 3.  [PENALTY.] A person who uses or explodes 
  2.13  fireworks in violation of this section is guilty of a petty 
  2.14  misdemeanor.