1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to traffic regulations; authorizing school 
  1.3             buses operating on certain routes to be equipped with 
  1.4             tires having metal studs; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.5             1996, section 169.72, by adding a subdivision. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 169.72, is 
  1.8   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 6.  [SCHOOL BUSES.] (a) The owner of a school bus may 
  1.10  apply to the commissioner for a permit to operate the school bus 
  1.11  with tires having metal studs.  An applicant must submit with 
  1.12  the application for the permit: 
  1.13     (1) information the commissioner requires to identify the 
  1.14  school bus; 
  1.15     (2) verification that the vehicle is operated exclusively 
  1.16  as a school bus by a school district or a person under contract 
  1.17  to a school district; and 
  1.18     (3) a map showing the applicant's school bus routes and 
  1.19  indicating the paved and unpaved mileage of each. 
  1.20     (b) The commissioner may issue the permit on determining 
  1.21  that: 
  1.22     (1) the vehicle for which the application is made is used 
  1.23  exclusively as a school bus; and 
  1.24     (2) at least one of the applicant's school bus routes 
  1.25  consists of at least 75 percent unpaved mileage. 
  2.1   A permit under this subdivision is valid beginning November 1 of 
  2.2   a calendar year and expires on April 15 of the following 
  2.3   calendar year.  
  2.4      (c) A permit under this subdivision authorizes the permit 
  2.5   holder to operate a motor vehicle equipped with tires having 
  2.6   metal studs that meet the limitations in subdivision 4, while 
  2.7   operating a school bus: 
  2.8      (1) on a route that consists of at least 75 percent unpaved 
  2.9   mileage; or 
  2.10     (2) between such a route and the maintenance or storage 
  2.11  facility where the school bus is regularly kept. 
  2.12  The permit is valid only for the vehicle identified in the 
  2.13  permit. 
  2.14     (d) The commissioner may revoke a permit when the 
  2.15  commission determines that the vehicle named in the permit is or 
  2.16  has been operated in violation of this subdivision or the terms 
  2.17  of the permit.  
  2.18     (e) Operation of a motor vehicle identified in a permit in 
  2.19  violation of this subdivision or the terms of a permit issued 
  2.20  under this subdivision is a misdemeanor. 
  2.21     (f) A permit holder under this subdivision must remove 
  2.22  tires having metal studs from the school bus identified in the 
  2.23  permit: 
  2.24     (1) by 12:01 a.m. on April 16 of each year; 
  2.25     (2) whenever the vehicle ceases to be used exclusively as a 
  2.26  school bus; and 
  2.27     (3) whenever the school bus is leased to another person for 
  2.28  a purpose other than pupil transportation.