Minnesota Session Laws - 1989, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1989 

                        CHAPTER 322-H.F.No. 892 
           An act relating to public safety; requiring certain 
          types of smoke detectors in new construction; 
          authorizing more stringent local smoke detector 
          requirements; creating the position of public fire 
          safety educator; appropriating money; amending 
          Minnesota Statutes 1988, section 299F.362, 
          subdivisions 6, 7, 9, and by adding subdivisions. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1988, section 299F.362, is 
amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
    Subd. 3a.  [NEW CONSTRUCTION; DWELLINGS.] In construction 
of a new dwelling, each smoke detector must be attached to a 
centralized power source.  
    Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1988, section 299F.362, 
subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 6.  [PENALTIES.] (a) Any person who violates any 
provision of this section shall be subject to the same penalty 
incurred and the enforcement mechanism that is provided for 
violation of the uniform fire code, as specified in section 
299F.011, subdivision 6. 
    (b) An occupant who willfully disables a smoke detector or 
causes it to be nonfunctioning, resulting in damage or injury to 
persons or property, is guilty of a misdemeanor. 
    Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1988, section 299F.362, 
subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 7.  [LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT; VARIANCES.] This 
section prohibits a local unit of government from adopting 
standards different from those provided in this section, except 
that, as to new construction, a local unit of government may 
require that smoke detectors be attached to a centralized 
electrical power source. 
    Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1988, section 299F.362, 
subdivision 9, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 9.  Notwithstanding subdivision 7, or other law, the 
a local governing body of the city of Saint Paul may adopt, by 
ordinance, rules for the installation of a smoke detector in 
single-family homes in the city that are more restrictive than 
the standards provided by this section.  Rules adopted pursuant 
to this subdivision shall may be enforced through the a 
truth-in-housing inspection.  
    Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1988, section 299F.362, is 
amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
    Subd. 10.  [PUBLIC FIRE SAFETY EDUCATOR.] The position of 
Minnesota public fire safety educator is established in the 
department of public safety. 
    Sec. 6.  [APPROPRIATION; INCREASED COMPLEMENT.] 
    Subdivision 1.  [APPROPRIATION.] $114,000 is appropriated 
from the general fund to the commissioner of public safety to 
carry out Minnesota Statutes, section 299F.362.  Of this amount, 
$60,000 is for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1990, and $54,000 
is for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1991.  
    Subd. 2.  [PUBLIC FIRE SAFETY EDUCATOR.] The complement of 
the department of public safety is increased by one position for 
the purposes of section 5. 
    Sec. 7.  [REPEALER.] 
    Section 5 is repealed June 30, 1991.  
    Sec. 8.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
    Sections 5 and 6 are effective July 1, 1989.  Section 1 is 
effective August 1, 1989, for construction of dwellings begun on 
or after that date. 
    Presented to the governor May 26, 1989 
    Signed by the governor May 26, 1989, 5:58 p.m.