1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to traffic regulations; regulating uses of 
  1.3             recreational vehicle combinations; authorizing motor 
  1.4             carrier of passengers to operate articulated bus up to 
  1.5             61 feet in length without a permit; amending Minnesota 
  1.6             Statutes 2002, sections 169.01, subdivision 78; 
  1.7             169.81, subdivision 3c, by adding a subdivision. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 169.01, 
  1.10  subdivision 78, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 78.  [RECREATIONAL VEHICLE COMBINATION.] 
  1.12  "Recreational vehicle combination" means a combination of 
  1.13  vehicles consisting of a pickup truck as defined in section 
  1.14  168.011, subdivision 29, attached by means of a fifth-wheel 
  1.15  coupling to a camper-semitrailer recreational semitrailer which 
  1.16  has hitched to it a trailer carrying a watercraft as defined in 
  1.17  section 86B.005, subdivision 18; off-highway motorcycle as 
  1.18  defined in section 84.787, subdivision 7; motorcycle; motorized 
  1.19  bicycle; snowmobile as defined in section 84.81, subdivision 
  1.20  3; or all-terrain vehicle as defined in section 84.92, 
  1.21  subdivision 8; or equestrian equipment and supplies.  For 
  1.22  purposes of this subdivision: 
  1.23     (a) A "fifth-wheel coupling" is a coupling between a 
  1.24  camper-semitrailer recreational semitrailer and a towing pickup 
  1.25  truck in which a portion of the weight of the camper-semitrailer 
  1.26  recreational semitrailer is carried over or forward of the rear 
  2.1   axle of the towing pickup. 
  2.2      (b) A "camper-semitrailer" is a trailer, other than a 
  2.3   manufactured home as defined in section 327B.01, subdivision 13, 
  2.4   designed for human habitation and used for vacation or 
  2.5   recreational purposes for limited periods. 
  2.6      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 169.81, 
  2.7   subdivision 3c, is amended to read: 
  2.8      Subd. 3c.  [RECREATIONAL VEHICLE COMBINATION.] 
  2.9   Notwithstanding subdivision 3, a recreational vehicle 
  2.10  combination may be operated without a permit if: 
  2.11     (1) the combination does not consist of more than three 
  2.12  vehicles, and the towing rating of the pickup truck is equal to 
  2.13  or greater than the total weight of all vehicles being towed; 
  2.14     (2) the combination does not exceed 60 feet in length; 
  2.15     (3) the camper-semitrailer recreational semitrailer in the 
  2.16  combination does not exceed 28 feet in length; 
  2.17     (4) the operator of the combination is at least 18 years of 
  2.18  age; 
  2.19     (5) the trailer carrying a watercraft, motorcycle, 
  2.20  motorized bicycle, off-highway motorcycle, snowmobile, or 
  2.21  all-terrain vehicle, or equestrian equipment and supplies meets 
  2.22  all requirements of law; 
  2.23     (6) the trailers in the combination are connected to the 
  2.24  pickup truck and each other in conformity with section 169.82; 
  2.25  and 
  2.26     (7) the combination is not operated within the seven-county 
  2.27  metropolitan area, as defined in section 473.121, subdivision 2, 
  2.28  during the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 
  2.29  p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. 
  2.30     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 169.81, is 
  2.31  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.32     Subd. 3e.  [ARTICULATED BUSES.] Notwithstanding subdivision 
  2.33  2, a motor carrier of passengers registered under section 
  2.34  221.0252 may operate without a permit an articulated bus of up 
  2.35  to 61 feet in length.