1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to public safety; requiring commissioner of 
  1.3             public safety to adopt rules establishing 
  1.4             certification program to train and qualify towing and 
  1.5             recovery vehicle operators to recover vehicles under 
  1.6             extraordinary conditions; proposing coding for new law 
  1.7             in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 299A. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [299A.53] [TOWING SERVICES; OPERATOR TRAINING 
  1.10  CERTIFICATION.] 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [CERTIFICATION RULES.] (a) The commissioner 
  1.12  of public safety shall adopt rules establishing and implementing 
  1.13  a program for certifying tow truck operators as trained and 
  1.14  qualified for safely and efficiently providing vehicle towing 
  1.15  and recovery services.  
  1.16     (b) The certification may distinguish between various 
  1.17  qualification levels based on experience, knowledge, and 
  1.18  training necessary for the various ordinary and emergency or 
  1.19  other extraordinary situations, safe or hazardous, encountered 
  1.20  in vehicle and cargo recovery and towing, with an emphasis on 
  1.21  "hands-on" training with the towing and recovery vehicles and 
  1.22  equipment necessary for ordinary and extraordinary operations.  
  1.23     (c) The commissioner shall consider the three-level 
  1.24  national driver certification program administered by the Towing 
  1.25  and Recovery Association of America, Inc., the findings and 
  1.26  recommendations of any advisory committee formed under 
  2.1   subdivision 2, the programs and experience of other states, and 
  2.2   other sources the commissioner considers informative and helpful.
  2.3      Subd. 2.  [ADVISORY COMMITTEE.] The commissioner may 
  2.4   establish an advisory committee to assist in adopting the 
  2.5   training and certification rules.  The commissioner may appoint 
  2.6   a committee consisting of members representing firefighters and 
  2.7   peace officers; large and small tow truck operators who are 
  2.8   members of the Towing and Recovery Association of America, Inc. 
  2.9   and those who are not members; towing authorities, as defined in 
  2.10  section 169.041, subdivision 1; emergency response agencies 
  2.11  under sections 299A.48 to 299A.52 and chapter 299K; transporters 
  2.12  of hazardous materials, substances, or wastes and other motor 
  2.13  carriers; the department of transportation; the pollution 
  2.14  control agency; community colleges or other educational 
  2.15  institutions; or other persons, whether individual, corporate, 
  2.16  or government, whom the commissioner deems to be interested and 
  2.17  participative parties. 
  2.18     Subd. 3.  [LIST OF CERTIFIED TOWING AND RECOVERY 
  2.19  OPERATORS.] The commissioner, through the state patrol division, 
  2.20  shall maintain a list of towing and recovery companies and 
  2.21  operators throughout the state who are certified pursuant to 
  2.22  this section and rules adopted under this section and 
  2.23  disseminate this information so that state troopers and other 
  2.24  peace officers can know the appropriate, qualified operator to 
  2.25  be notified for responding to an extraordinary towing and 
  2.26  recovery operation. 
  2.27     Sec. 2.  [RECOMMENDED STATUTORY CHANGES.] 
  2.28     The commissioner may recommend statutory changes to 
  2.29  facilitate the implementation and administration of a uniform, 
  2.30  statewide program established under section 1.