1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to local government; shooting ranges; 
  1.3             providing for shooting range easements to be 
  1.4             conservation easements; defining generally accepted 
  1.5             operation practices; providing for relation to 
  1.6             ordinances, closing and relocation, nuisance 
  1.7             liability, and noise standards; proposing coding for 
  1.8             new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 84C; proposing 
  1.9             coding for new law as Minnesota Statutes, chapter 87A. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  [POLICY.] 
  1.12     It is the policy of this state to implement the 
  1.13  constitutional right to hunt and to provide for the health, 
  1.14  safety, and welfare of its citizens by promoting the safety and 
  1.15  enjoyment of shooting sports among its citizens and by 
  1.16  preserving the locations of shooting ranges for shotgun, 
  1.17  archery, rifle, and pistol shooting. 
  1.18     Sec. 2.  [84C.06] [SHOOTING RANGE EASEMENTS.] 
  1.19     (a) "Shooting range easement" means nonpossessory interest 
  1.20  of a holder in real property imposing limitations or affirmative 
  1.21  obligations assuring its availability for use by a shooting 
  1.22  range or for recreational, agricultural, forest, or open-space 
  1.23  use. 
  1.24     (b) For the purposes of this section, "holder" means an 
  1.25  individual, association, proprietorship, partnership, 
  1.26  corporation, club, political subdivision, or other legal entity 
  1.27  and "shooting range" has the meaning given in section 87A.01, 
  2.1   subdivision 3. 
  2.2      (c) A shooting range easement is a "conservation easement" 
  2.3   for the purposes of sections 84C.02 to 84C.05. 
  2.4      Sec. 3.  [87A.01] [DEFINITIONS.] 
  2.5      Subdivision 1.  [APPLICABILITY.] The definitions in this 
  2.6   section apply to sections 87A.01 to 87A.06. 
  2.7      Subd. 2.  [PERSON.] "Person" means an individual, 
  2.8   association, proprietorship, partnership, corporation, club, 
  2.9   political subdivision, or other legal entity. 
  2.10     Subd. 3.  [SHOOTING RANGE OR RANGE.] "Shooting range" or 
  2.11  "range" means an area or facility designated or operated for the 
  2.12  use of firearms as defined in section 97A.015, subdivision 19, 
  2.13  or archery, and includes shooting preserves as described in 
  2.14  section 97A.115 or any other Minnesota law. 
  2.15     Subd. 4.  [GENERALLY ACCEPTED OPERATION PRACTICES.] 
  2.16  "Generally accepted operation practices" means those voluntary 
  2.17  guidelines adopted by the commissioner of natural resources for 
  2.18  the safe operation of shooting ranges.  In developing the 
  2.19  guidelines, the commissioner shall incorporate, to the greatest 
  2.20  extent possible, practices regarding the safe operation of 
  2.21  shooting ranges established by a nationally recognized nonprofit 
  2.22  membership organization that provides voluntary firearm safety 
  2.23  programs that include training individuals in the safe handling 
  2.24  and use of firearms, which practices are developed with 
  2.25  consideration of all information reasonably available regarding 
  2.26  the safe operation of shooting ranges.  The generally accepted 
  2.27  operation practices shall be reviewed at least every five years 
  2.28  by the commissioner of natural resources and revised as the 
  2.29  commissioner considers necessary for safe operation of a 
  2.30  shooting range.  The commissioner shall adopt initial guidelines 
  2.31  by July 1, 1999. 
  2.32     Subd. 5.  [UNIT OF GOVERNMENT.] "Unit of government" means 
  2.33  a home rule charter or statutory city, county, town, municipal 
  2.34  corporation, or other political subdivision, or any of their 
  2.35  instrumentalities. 
  2.36     Sec. 4.  [87A.02] [LOCAL ORDINANCES; EXISTING OPERATIONS.] 
  3.1      (a) A shooting range that is in operation and is in 
  3.2   substantial compliance with existing law at the time of the 
  3.3   enactment of an ordinance of a unit of government affecting, 
  3.4   directly or indirectly, operation or use of a shooting range 
  3.5   must be permitted to continue in operation even if the operation 
  3.6   of the shooting range at a later date does not conform to the 
  3.7   new ordinance or an amendment to an existing ordinance. 
  3.8      (b) A shooting range that operates in substantial 
  3.9   compliance with generally accepted operation practices, even if 
  3.10  not in compliance with an ordinance of a unit of government 
  3.11  affecting, directly or indirectly, operation or use of a 
  3.12  shooting range, must be permitted to do all of the following 
  3.13  within its geographic boundaries if done under generally 
  3.14  accepted operation practices: 
  3.15     (1) repair, remodel, improve, replace, construct, or 
  3.16  reinforce any conforming or nonconforming building or structure 
  3.17  as may be necessary in the interest of safety or to secure the 
  3.18  continued use of the range, building, or structure; 
  3.19     (2) reconstruct, repair, restore, remodel, improve, 
  3.20  replace, or resume the use of any conforming or nonconforming 
  3.21  building or structure damaged by fire, collapse, erosion, 
  3.22  explosion, act of God, or act of war; and 
  3.23     (3) do anything under generally accepted operation 
  3.24  practices, including: 
  3.25     (i) expand or increase its membership or opportunities for 
  3.26  public participation; and 
  3.27     (ii) make those repairs or improvements necessary or 
  3.28  desirable under generally accepted operation practices. 
  3.29     Sec. 5.  [87A.03] [CLOSING OR RELOCATING SHOOTING RANGES; 
  3.30  PAYMENT OF CERTAIN COSTS.] 
  3.31     Subdivision 1.  [WHEN CAN CLOSE OR RELOCATE.] A shooting 
  3.32  range may be closed under subdivision 3, or relocated under 
  3.33  subdivision 4, by a state agency or unit of government only if, 
  3.34  because of new, permitted development of adjacent land, the 
  3.35  range becomes a clear, immediate, and proven safety hazard to 
  3.36  the adjacent population and it cannot be brought into compliance 
  4.1   with generally accepted operation practices with range 
  4.2   improvements. 
  4.3      Subd. 2.  [PROCEDURE.] The clear and immediate safety 
  4.4   hazard must be proven at a contested case hearing.  The hearing 
  4.5   must be held after the commissioner provides notice to the owner 
  4.6   and operator of the shooting range that includes a clear and 
  4.7   precise statement of the factual basis for alleging a safety 
  4.8   hazard.  The owner and operator of the shooting range must be 
  4.9   given an opportunity to be heard and meet the allegation.  The 
  4.10  commissioner must make written findings and conclusions as to 
  4.11  the hazard and whether range improvements can bring the range 
  4.12  into compliance with the generally accepted operation 
  4.13  practices.  If the commissioner concludes that there is a clear 
  4.14  and immediate safety hazard and the operation of the shooting 
  4.15  range can be brought into compliance with the generally accepted 
  4.16  operating practices with range improvements, the state agency or 
  4.17  unit of government that permitted the development must pay for 
  4.18  the range improvements. 
  4.19     Subd. 3.  [CLOSURE.] If a clear and immediate safety hazard 
  4.20  is proven as required under subdivisions 1 and 2, a shooting 
  4.21  range may be closed by the state agency or the unit of 
  4.22  government if the agency or unit of government closing the 
  4.23  shooting range pays the fair market value of the range operation 
  4.24  as a going concern to the operators and the fair market value of 
  4.25  the land, including improvements, to the owner of the land. 
  4.26     Subd. 4.  [RELOCATION.] Upon request by the operator of the 
  4.27  shooting range, the agency or unit of government shall relocate 
  4.28  the shooting range to a suitable new location if available.  The 
  4.29  agency or unit of government may use its power of eminent domain 
  4.30  to acquire the new location. 
  4.31     Subd. 5.  [TRANSFER OF TITLE.] The shooting range owner and 
  4.32  operator shall transfer their interests in the property to the 
  4.33  agency or unit of government after full and final payment under 
  4.34  subdivision 3, or after the relocation is completed under 
  4.35  subdivision 4. 
  4.36     Subd. 6.  [PRIOR AGREEMENT GRANDFATHERED.] To the extent 
  5.1   matters within this section are the express subject of a 
  5.2   voluntary negotiated agreement entered into prior to March 1, 
  5.3   1999, between a unit of government and a range operator of a 
  5.4   range located in the metropolitan area as defined in section 
  5.5   473.121, subdivision 2, and located in part within a regional 
  5.6   park, the negotiated agreement may be enforced pursuant to its 
  5.7   terms. 
  5.8      Sec. 6.  [87A.04] [IRREBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION; NUISANCE 
  5.9   LIABILITY.] 
  5.10     In all relevant actions, there shall exist an irrebuttable 
  5.11  presumption that a shooting range that is conducted in 
  5.12  substantial compliance with generally accepted operation 
  5.13  practices is not a public or private nuisance and does not 
  5.14  otherwise invade or interfere with the use and enjoyment of any 
  5.15  other land or property. 
  5.16     Sec. 7.  [87A.05] [SHOOTING RANGES; NOISE STANDARDS.] 
  5.17     A person who owns or operates or uses a shooting range in 
  5.18  this state is subject only to the noise standards set forth in 
  5.19  Minnesota Rules, part 7030.0040, subpart 2, in effect on March 
  5.20  1, 1999. 
  5.21     Sec. 8.  [87A.06] [NUISANCE ACTIONS; SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE 
  5.22  WITH GENERALLY ACCEPTED OPERATION PRACTICES.] 
  5.23     A person who owns, operates, or uses a shooting range in 
  5.24  this state which is in substantial compliance with generally 
  5.25  accepted operation practices is not subject to any action for 
  5.26  nuisance, and no court of this state may enjoin or restrain the 
  5.27  use or operation of such a range.  This section does not 
  5.28  prohibit an action for personal injury resulting from 
  5.29  recklessness or negligence in the operation of the range or by a 
  5.30  person using the range in a reckless or negligent manner. 
  5.31     Sec. 9.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  5.32     Sections 1 to 8 are effective the day following final 
  5.33  enactment.