HF 1165

as introduced - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to civil actions; providing a description of 
  1.3             certain assumed risks in connection with participation 
  1.4             in sport shooting activities; proposing coding for new 
  1.5             law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 604A. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [604A.32] [SPORT SHOOTING RANGE.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITIONS.] For the purpose of this 
  1.9   section: 
  1.10     (a) "Sport shooting range" means an area designed and 
  1.11  operated for the use of archery, rifles, shotguns, pistols, 
  1.12  silhouettes, skeet, trap, blackpowder, or any similar sport 
  1.13  shooting. 
  1.14     (b) "Generally accepted operation practices" means 
  1.15  practices adopted by rule by the department of natural resources:
  1.16     (1) based on practices established by a nationally 
  1.17  recognized organization that provides voluntary firearm safety 
  1.18  programs that include training individuals in the safe handling 
  1.19  and use of firearms; and 
  1.20     (2) taking into account all information reasonably 
  1.21  available regarding the operation of shooting ranges. 
  1.22     Subd. 2.  [ASSUMPTION OF RISK.] An individual who 
  1.23  participates in sport shooting at a sport shooting range that 
  1.24  conforms to generally accepted operation practices accepts the 
  1.25  risks associated with the sport to the extent the risks are 
  2.1   obvious and inherent.  These risks include, but are not limited 
  2.2   to, injuries that may result from noise, discharge of a 
  2.3   projectile or shot, malfunction of sport shooting equipment not 
  2.4   owned by the shooting range, natural variations in terrain, 
  2.5   surface or subsurface snow or ice conditions, rocks, trees, and 
  2.6   other forms of natural growth or debris. 
  2.7      Sec. 2.  [RULEMAKING.] 
  2.8      The department of natural resources shall adopt rules as 
  2.9   provided in section 1. 
  2.10     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICATION.] 
  2.11     Section 1 is effective August 1, 1995, and applies to 
  2.12  actions commenced on or after the effective date of rules 
  2.13  adopted under section 2.  Section 2 is effective the day 
  2.14  following final enactment.