HF 1799

as introduced - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to motor vehicles; allowing volunteer 
  1.3             firefighter to display blue lights on private motor 
  1.4             vehicle under certain circumstances; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section 169.64, 
  1.6             subdivision 4. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section 
  1.9   169.64, subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 4.  [BLUE LIGHT.] (a) Except as provided in 
  1.11  paragraphs (b) to (d) through (e), blue lights are prohibited on 
  1.12  all vehicles except road maintenance equipment and snow removal 
  1.13  equipment operated by or under contract to the state or a 
  1.14  political subdivision thereof. 
  1.15     (b) Authorized emergency vehicles may display flashing blue 
  1.16  lights to the rear of the vehicle as a warning signal in 
  1.17  combination with other lights permitted or required by this 
  1.18  chapter.  In addition, authorized emergency vehicles may 
  1.19  display, mounted on the passenger side only, flashing blue 
  1.20  lights to the front of the vehicle as a warning signal in 
  1.21  combination with other lights permitted or required by this 
  1.22  chapter.  
  1.23     (c) A motorcycle may display a blue light of up to one-inch 
  1.24  diameter as part of the motorcycle's rear brake light. 
  1.25     (d) A motor vehicle may display a blue light of up to 
  1.26  one-inch diameter as part of the vehicle's rear brake light if: 
  2.1      (1) the vehicle is a collector vehicle, as described in 
  2.2   section 168.10; or 
  2.3      (2) the vehicle is eligible to display a collector plate 
  2.4   under section 168.10. 
  2.5      (e) A motor vehicle may display flashing blue lights to the 
  2.6   front of the vehicle if the vehicle is operated by a volunteer 
  2.7   firefighter to whom a permit to display blue lights has been 
  2.8   issued and who is responding to an emergency call.  The 
  2.9   commissioner of public safety may issue a permit, upon 
  2.10  application, to a certificated volunteer firefighter, 
  2.11  authorizing the firefighter to equip a privately owned motor 
  2.12  vehicle operated by the firefighter with blue lights.  The 
  2.13  lights must conform to specifications adopted by the 
  2.14  commissioner.  The application must be in the form prescribed by 
  2.15  the commissioner and contain verification satisfactory to the 
  2.16  commissioner of the applicant's status as a certificated 
  2.17  volunteer firefighter.  Any permit issued expires immediately 
  2.18  upon termination of the permittee's employment as a volunteer 
  2.19  firefighter.