SF 3047

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/09/2018 08:56am

A bill for an act
relating to game and fish; requiring ground blinds to display blaze orange or blaze
pink during the firearms deer season; amending Minnesota Statutes 2017
Supplement, section 97B.071.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2017 Supplement, section 97B.071, is amended to read:

97B.071 CLOTHING new text begin AND GROUND BLIND new text end REQUIREMENTS; BLAZE
ORANGE OR BLAZE PINK.

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Clothing requirements. new text end

(a) Except as provided in rules adopted under
paragraph (c), a person may not hunt or trap during the open season where deer may be
taken by firearms under applicable laws and ordinances, unless the visible portion of the
person's cap and outer clothing above the waist, excluding sleeves and gloves, is blaze
orange or blaze pink. Blaze orange or blaze pink includes a camouflage pattern of at least
50 percent blaze orange or blaze pink within each foot square. This section does not apply
to migratory-waterfowl hunters on waters of this state or in a stationary shooting location
or to trappers on waters of this state.

(b) Except as provided in rules adopted under paragraph (c), and in addition to the
requirement in paragraph (a), a person may not take small game other than turkey, migratory
birds, raccoons, and predators, except while trapping, unless a visible portion of at least one
article of the person's clothing above the waist is blaze orange or blaze pink. This paragraph
does not apply to a person when in a stationary location while hunting deer by archery or
when hunting small game by falconry.

(c) The commissioner may, by rule, prescribe an alternative color in cases where
paragraph (a) or (b) would violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, Public
Law 103-141.

(d) A violation of paragraph (b) shall not result in a penalty, but is punishable only by
a safety warning.

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Ground blinds. new text end

new text begin A person may not hunt deer from a ground blind during the
open season where deer may be taken by firearms unless the outside of the blind displays
a minimum of 144 square inches of blaze orange or blaze pink material that is visible from
all directions around the blind.
new text end