HF 658

1st Engrossment - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to traffic regulations; modifying 
  1.3             restrictions on school zone speed limits; increasing 
  1.4             surcharge for violations of school zone speed limits 
  1.5             and dedicating revenue to a safe schools fund; 
  1.6             appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2002, 
  1.7             section 169.14, subdivision 5a; proposing coding for 
  1.8             new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 174. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 169.14, 
  1.11  subdivision 5a, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subd. 5a.  [SPEED ZONING IN SCHOOL ZONE; SURCHARGE.] (a) 
  1.13  Local authorities may establish a school speed limit within a 
  1.14  school zone of a public or nonpublic school upon the basis of an 
  1.15  engineering and traffic investigation as prescribed by the 
  1.16  commissioner of transportation.  The establishment of a school 
  1.17  speed limit on any trunk highway shall be with the consent of 
  1.18  the commissioner of transportation.  Such school speed limits 
  1.19  shall be in effect when children are present, going to or 
  1.20  leaving school during opening or closing hours or during school 
  1.21  recess periods.  The school speed limit shall not be lower than 
  1.22  15 miles per hour and shall not be more than 20 30 miles per 
  1.23  hour below the established speed limit on an affected street or 
  1.24  highway if the established speed limit is 40 miles per hour or 
  1.25  greater. 
  1.26     (b) The school speed limit shall be effective upon the 
  1.27  erection of appropriate signs designating the speed and 
  2.1   indicating the beginning and end of the reduced speed zone.  Any 
  2.2   speed in excess of such posted school speed limit is unlawful.  
  2.3   All such signs shall be erected by the local authorities on 
  2.4   those streets and highways under their respective jurisdictions 
  2.5   and by the commissioner of transportation on trunk highways. 
  2.6      (c) For the purpose of this subdivision, "school zone" 
  2.7   means that section of a street or highway which abuts the 
  2.8   grounds of a school where children have access to the street or 
  2.9   highway from the school property or where an established school 
  2.10  crossing is located provided the school advance sign prescribed 
  2.11  by the manual on uniform traffic control devices adopted by the 
  2.12  commissioner of transportation pursuant to section 169.06 is in 
  2.13  place.  All signs erected by local authorities to designate 
  2.14  speed limits in school zones shall conform to the manual on 
  2.15  uniform control devices. 
  2.16     (d) Notwithstanding section 609.0331 or 609.101 or other 
  2.17  law to the contrary, a person who violates a speed limit 
  2.18  established under this subdivision is assessed an additional 
  2.19  surcharge equal to the amount of the fine imposed for the 
  2.20  violation, but not less than $25 $50.  One-half of the money 
  2.21  from the surcharge must be transmitted to the state and 
  2.22  deposited in the safe schools fund established in section 174.91.
  2.23     Sec. 2.  [174.91] [SAFE SCHOOLS FUND.] 
  2.24     Subdivision 1.  [FUND ESTABLISHED.] A safe schools fund is 
  2.25  established in the state treasury, consisting of money deposited 
  2.26  in the fund under section 169.14, subdivision 5a, paragraph (d), 
  2.27  and other money credited by law.  Money in the fund is 
  2.28  appropriated to the commissioner for the purposes of 
  2.29  subdivisions 2 and 3. 
  2.30     Subd. 2.  [USES OF FUND.] The commissioner may spend up to 
  2.31  five percent of money in the fund for administrative purposes. 
  2.32  The commissioner shall spend the balance of the fund for grants 
  2.33  to school districts and nonpublic school administrations for 
  2.34  safe routes to school programs.  For purposes of this section 
  2.35  "safe routes to school program" means a program developed and 
  2.36  implemented by a school district or nonpublic school 
  3.1   administration that uses highway improvements, student and 
  3.2   public education, highway safety measures, or traffic control 
  3.3   measures and devices, or any combination thereof, to enhance the 
  3.4   safety of students walking or bicycling to school. 
  3.5      Subd. 3.  [GRANT PROGRAM.] The commissioner shall establish 
  3.6   a competitive grant program under which school districts and 
  3.7   nonpublic school administrations may apply for grants for safe 
  3.8   routes to school programs.  The commissioner shall award grants 
  3.9   from the fund on the basis of (i) severity of the safety 
  3.10  problems being addressed, (ii) number of students affected, 
  3.11  (iii) extent of involvement of students, parents, teachers, 
  3.12  local transportation authorities, law enforcement agencies, and 
  3.13  school officials in the development of the program, (iv) 
  3.14  effectiveness of the program in addressing safety problems, and 
  3.15  (v) effectiveness of the program in increasing walking and 
  3.16  bicycling to school.