1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to insurance; requiring the commissioner of 
  1.3             commerce to study and report on options to reduce 
  1.4             motor vehicle insurance premiums for private transit 
  1.5             companies and taxi services. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [STUDY OF MOTOR VEHICLE INSURANCE FOR PRIVATE 
  1.8   TRANSIT COMPANIES AND TAXI SERVICES.] 
  1.9      The commissioner of commerce must convene a task force of 
  1.10  up to 15 members, including representatives from the insurance 
  1.11  industry, taxi services, private transit companies, and others 
  1.12  as appropriate, and provide a written report to the legislature, 
  1.13  no later than December 15, 2004, on options to reduce motor 
  1.14  vehicle insurance premiums for private transit companies and 
  1.15  taxi services.  Subjects to be considered by the task force may 
  1.16  include: 
  1.17     (1) measures to increase competition in that insurance 
  1.18  market; 
  1.19     (2) the formulation of purchasing pools for that type of 
  1.20  insurance; 
  1.21     (3) requiring the state to insure or self-insure those 
  1.22  vehicles at cost in the same manner in which it insures or 
  1.23  self-insures state-owned vehicles; 
  1.24     (4) granting private transit companies and taxi services 
  1.25  the right to join existing insurance pools or arrangements 
  2.1   available to political subdivisions; 
  2.2      (5) providing coverage through the state auto plan; 
  2.3      (6) legislation to control costs by providing liability 
  2.4   damage limits in civil lawsuits; and 
  2.5      (7) other possible options identified by the commissioner 
  2.6   including, but not limited to, a program modeled after the 
  2.7   Transit Mutual Insurance Corporation of Wisconsin.