1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to traffic regulations; allowing use of 
  1.3             safety cables on trailers and semitrailers; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1994, sections 169.797, subdivision 
  1.5             3; 169.82, subdivision 3; and 169.851, subdivision 5; 
  1.6             Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 171.02, 
  1.7             subdivision 2a. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 169.797, 
  1.10  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 3.  [VIOLATION BY DRIVER.] Any other person who 
  1.12  operates a vehicle upon a public highway, street, or road in 
  1.13  this state who knows or has reason to know that the owner does 
  1.14  not have security complying with the terms of section 65B.48 in 
  1.15  full force and effect is guilty of a crime and shall be 
  1.16  sentenced as provided in subdivision 4. 
  1.17     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 169.82, 
  1.18  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.19     Subd. 3.  [HITCHES; CHAINS; CABLES.] (a) Every trailer or 
  1.20  semitrailer must be hitched to the towing motor vehicle by a 
  1.21  device approved by the commissioner of public safety. 
  1.22     (b) Every trailer and semitrailer must be equipped with 
  1.23  safety chains or cables permanently attached to the trailer 
  1.24  except in cases where the coupling device is a regulation fifth 
  1.25  wheel and kingpin assembly approved by the commissioner of 
  1.26  public safety.  In towing, the chains or cables must be carried 
  2.1   through a ring on the towbar and attached to the towing attached 
  2.2   to the vehicles near the points of bumper attachments to the 
  2.3   chassis of each vehicle, and must be of sufficient strength to 
  2.4   control the trailer in the event of failure of the towing 
  2.5   device.  The length of chain or cable must be no more than 
  2.6   necessary to permit free turning of the vehicles. 
  2.7      (c) This subdivision does not apply to towed implements of 
  2.8   husbandry. 
  2.9      No person may be charged with a violation of this section 
  2.10  solely by reason of violating a maximum speed prescribed in 
  2.11  section 169.145 or 169.67. 
  2.12     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 169.851, 
  2.13  subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  2.14     Subd. 5.  [EXCEPTION FOR FARM AND FOREST PRODUCTS.] The 
  2.15  maximum weight provisions of this section do not apply to the 
  2.16  first haul of unprocessed or raw farm products and the 
  2.17  transportation first haul of raw and unfinished forest products 
  2.18  when the prescribed maximum weight limitation is not exceeded by 
  2.19  more than ten percent. 
  2.20     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  2.21  171.02, subdivision 2a, is amended to read: 
  2.22     Subd. 2a.  [EXCEPTIONS.] Notwithstanding subdivision 2, (1) 
  2.23  a hazardous materials endorsement is not required to operate a 
  2.24  vehicle having a gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds or less 
  2.25  while carrying in bulk tanks a total of not more than 200 
  2.26  gallons of petroleum products and (2) a class CC license or 
  2.27  hazardous materials endorsement is not required to operate a 
  2.28  farm vehicle as defined in Code of Federal Regulations, title 
  2.29  49, section 390.5, truck having a gross vehicle weight of 26,000 
  2.30  pounds or less while carrying in bulk tanks a total of not more 
  2.31  than 1,500 gallons of liquid fertilizer.