1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to snowmobiles; modifying registration fees; 
  1.3             requiring liability insurance; providing criminal 
  1.4             penalties; requiring safety education; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 84.82, subdivision 3; 
  1.6             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.7             chapter 84. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 84.82, 
  1.10  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 3.  [FEES FOR REGISTRATION.] (a) The fee for 
  1.12  registration of each snowmobile, other than those used for an 
  1.13  agricultural purpose, as defined in section 84.92, subdivision 
  1.14  1c, or those registered by a dealer or manufacturer pursuant to 
  1.15  clause (b) or (c) shall be as follows:  $30 for three years for 
  1.16  a snowmobile with an engine displacement of 335 cubic 
  1.17  centimeters or less; $60 for a snowmobile with an engine 
  1.18  displacement over 335 cubic centimeters; and $4 for a duplicate 
  1.19  or transfer. 
  1.20     (b) The total registration fee for all snowmobiles owned by 
  1.21  a dealer and operated for demonstration or testing purposes 
  1.22  shall be $50 per year. 
  1.23     (c) The total registration fee for all snowmobiles owned by 
  1.24  a manufacturer and operated for research, testing, 
  1.25  experimentation, or demonstration purposes shall be $150 per 
  1.26  year.  Dealer and manufacturer registrations are not 
  2.1   transferable. 
  2.2      Sec. 2.  [84.861] [LIABILITY INSURANCE REQUIRED.] 
  2.3      Subdivision 1.  [REQUIREMENT.] An owner of a snowmobile 
  2.4   must obtain and maintain liability insurance that meets the 
  2.5   requirements of this section.  The liability insurance may be a 
  2.6   separate snowmobile policy or a rider to another type of policy. 
  2.7   For purposes of this section, "policy" means coverage provided 
  2.8   in either form. 
  2.9      Subd. 2.  [REQUIRED PROVISIONS.] A snowmobile liability 
  2.10  insurance policy required under subdivision 1 shall, at a 
  2.11  minimum: 
  2.12     (1) state the name and address of the named insured, the 
  2.13  name and address of the insurer, the policy number, the coverage 
  2.14  provided by the policy, the premium charged, the term, the 
  2.15  limits of liability, the snowmobile maker's permanent 
  2.16  identification number if the snowmobile has one, and the 
  2.17  snowmobile's registration number; 
  2.18     (2) state that the coverage meets at least the minimum 
  2.19  requirements of this section; 
  2.20     (3) have stated limits of liability, exclusive of interest 
  2.21  and costs, with respect to each snowmobile that the policy 
  2.22  covers, of not less than $30,000 for bodily injury to one person 
  2.23  in any one accident and, subject to that limit for one person, 
  2.24  of not less than $60,000 for bodily injury to two or more 
  2.25  persons in any one accident; and 
  2.26     (4) obligate the insurer to pay, on behalf of the insured 
  2.27  or anyone else using the snowmobile with the owner's permission, 
  2.28  amounts that the insured or other user is legally obligated to 
  2.29  pay as damages for bodily injury arising out of the ownership, 
  2.30  maintenance, or use of a snowmobile if the injury occurs within 
  2.31  the United States or Canada. 
  2.32     Subd. 3.  [PROOF OF INSURANCE REQUIRED.] (a) A snowmobile 
  2.33  registration or title transfer shall not be granted unless the 
  2.34  owner displays proof of insurance under this section at the time 
  2.35  of application. 
  2.36     (b) A snowmobile user shall have proof of insurance in 
  3.1   possession at all times while using the snowmobile and shall 
  3.2   display it on demand of a conservation officer of the department 
  3.3   of natural resources or other peace officer as defined in 
  3.4   section 626.84. 
  3.5      Subd. 4.  [SEASONAL COVERAGE PERMITTED.] This section does 
  3.6   not require liability coverage to be in effect for the period 
  3.7   between April 15 to October 15. 
  3.8      Subd. 5.  [NONCONFORMING COVERAGE PROHIBITED.] No policy 
  3.9   covering a snowmobile, including a policy providing only 
  3.10  property insurance, shall be issued or renewed to cover any 
  3.11  period between October 15 and April 15 unless the policy 
  3.12  provides liability insurance as required under this section. 
  3.13     Subd. 6.  [ENFORCEMENT.] This section shall be interpreted 
  3.14  and enforced in the same manner as the mandatory automobile and 
  3.15  motorcycle liability insurance requirement to the maximum extent 
  3.16  appropriate. 
  3.17     Subd. 7.  [PENALTIES.] (a) Violation of subdivision 1 or of 
  3.18  subdivision 3, paragraph (b), is a misdemeanor. 
  3.19     (b) Upon conviction for a violation referred to in 
  3.20  paragraph (a), the owner's registration shall be revoked and the 
  3.21  owner is ineligible to reregister any snowmobile for the next 60 
  3.22  days that fall between October 15 and April 15. 
  3.23     Sec. 3.  [84.862] [SNOWMOBILE SAFETY CERTIFICATE REQUIRED.] 
  3.24     After June 1, 1997, an operator of a snowmobile must 
  3.25  complete, or have completed before that date, the safety 
  3.26  education and training program established by rule under section 
  3.27  84.86 and must have in possession a snowmobile safety 
  3.28  certificate issued by the commissioner of natural resources.