Minnesota Session Laws - 1993, Regular Session

  
    Laws of Minnesota 1993 

                        CHAPTER 304-S.F.No. 334 
           An act relating to traffic regulations; authorizing 
          issuance of a citation to a driver and penalizing 
          vehicle owner or lessee for failure to yield 
          right-of-way to emergency vehicle; amending Minnesota 
          Statutes 1992, section 169.20, by adding subdivisions. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 169.20, is 
amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
    Subd. 5a.  [CITATION.] A peace officer may issue a citation 
in lieu of arrest to the driver of a motor vehicle if the peace 
officer has probable cause to believe that the driver has failed 
to yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle in violation 
of subdivision 5. 
    Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 169.20, is 
amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
    Subd. 5b.  [VIOLATION; PENALTY FOR OWNERS AND LESSEES.] (a) 
If a motor vehicle is operated in violation of subdivision 5, 
the owner of the vehicle, or for a leased motor vehicle the 
lessee of the vehicle, is guilty of a petty misdemeanor. 
    (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply if (1) a person other than 
the owner or lessee was operating the vehicle at the time the 
violation occurred, or (2) the owner presents written evidence 
that the motor vehicle had been reported to a law enforcement 
agency as stolen at the time of the violation. 
    (c) Paragraph (a) does not apply to a lessor of a motor 
vehicle if the lessor keeps a record of the name and address of 
the lessee. 
    (d) Paragraph (a) does not prohibit or limit the 
prosecution of a motor vehicle operator for violating 
subdivision 5. 
    (e) A violation under paragraph (a) does not constitute 
grounds for revocation or suspension of the owner's or lessee's 
driver's license. 
    Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
    Sections 1 and 2 are effective August 1, 1993, for 
violations that occur on or after that date. 
    Presented to the governor May 17, 1993 
    Signed by the governor May 20, 1993, 3:21 p.m.