Minnesota Session Laws - 1996, Regular Session

  
    
KEY: stricken = old language to be removed
     underscored = new language to be added
    
                            CHAPTER 269-S.F.No. 1862 
                  An act relating to state government; authorizing use 
                  of unmarked vehicles by the division of disease 
                  prevention and control of the department of health; 
                  providing that passenger vehicle classification 
                  license plates be issued for those vehicles; amending 
                  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 16B.54, subdivision 
                  2; Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
                  168.012, subdivision 1. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 16B.54, 
        subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 2.  [VEHICLES.] (a)  [ACQUISITION FROM AGENCY; 
        APPROPRIATION.] The commissioner may direct an agency to make a 
        transfer of a passenger motor vehicle or truck currently 
        assigned to it.  The transfer must be made to the commissioner 
        for use in the central motor pool.  The commissioner shall 
        reimburse an agency whose motor vehicles have been paid for with 
        funds dedicated by the constitution for a special purpose and 
        which are assigned to the central motor pool.  The amount of 
        reimbursement for a motor vehicle is its average wholesale price 
        as determined from the midwest edition of the National 
        Automobile Dealers Association official used car guide. 
           (b)  [PURCHASE.] To the extent that funds are available for 
        the purpose, the commissioner may purchase or otherwise acquire 
        additional passenger motor vehicles and trucks necessary for the 
        central motor pool.  The title to all motor vehicles assigned to 
        or purchased or acquired for the central motor pool is in the 
        name of the department of administration.  
           (c)  [TRANSFER AT AGENCY REQUEST.] On the request of an 
        agency, the commissioner may transfer to the central motor pool 
        any passenger motor vehicle or truck for the purpose of 
        disposing of it.  The department or agency transferring the 
        vehicle or truck must be paid for it from the motor pool 
        revolving account established by this section in an amount equal 
        to two-thirds of the average wholesale price of the vehicle or 
        truck as determined from the midwest edition of the National 
        Automobile Dealers Association official used car guide. 
           (d)  [VEHICLES; MARKING.] The commissioner shall provide 
        for the uniform marking of all motor vehicles.  Motor vehicle 
        colors must be selected from the regular color chart provided by 
        the manufacturer each year.  The commissioner may further 
        provide for the use of motor vehicles without marking by: 
           (1) the governor,; 
           (2) the lieutenant governor,; 
           (3) the division of criminal apprehension, the division of 
        liquor control, the division of gambling enforcement, and arson 
        investigators of the division of fire marshal in the department 
        of public safety,; 
           (4) the financial institutions division of the department 
        of commerce,; 
           (5) the division of disease prevention and control of the 
        department of health; 
           (6) the state lottery,; 
           (7) criminal investigators of the department of revenue,; 
           (8) state-owned community service facilities in the 
        department of human services,; 
           (9) the investigative staff of the department of economic 
        security,; and 
           (10) the office of the attorney general. 
           Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
        168.012, subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
           Subdivision 1.  (a) The following vehicles are exempt from 
        the provisions of this chapter requiring payment of tax and 
        registration fees, except as provided in subdivision 1c:  
           (1) vehicles owned and used solely in the transaction of 
        official business by representatives of foreign powers, by the 
        federal government, the state, or any political subdivision; 
           (2) vehicles owned and used exclusively by educational 
        institutions and used solely in the transportation of pupils to 
        and from such institutions; 
           (3) vehicles used solely in driver education programs at 
        nonpublic high schools; 
           (4) vehicles owned by nonprofit charities and used 
        exclusively to transport disabled persons for educational 
        purposes; 
           (5) vehicles owned and used by honorary consul or consul 
        general of foreign governments; and 
           (6) ambulances owned by ambulance services licensed under 
        section 144.802, the general appearance of which is unmistakable.
           (b) Vehicles owned by the federal government, municipal 
        fire apparatus, police patrols and ambulances, the general 
        appearance of which is unmistakable, shall not be required to 
        register or display number plates.  
           (c) Unmarked vehicles used in general police work, liquor 
        investigations, arson investigations, and passenger automobiles, 
        pickup trucks, and buses owned or operated by the department of 
        corrections shall be registered and shall display appropriate 
        license number plates which shall be furnished by the registrar 
        at cost.  Original and renewal applications for these license 
        plates authorized for use in general police work and for use by 
        the department of corrections must be accompanied by a 
        certification signed by the appropriate chief of police if 
        issued to a police vehicle, the appropriate sheriff if issued to 
        a sheriff's vehicle, the commissioner of corrections if issued 
        to a department of corrections vehicle, or the appropriate 
        officer in charge if issued to a vehicle of any other law 
        enforcement agency.  The certification must be on a form 
        prescribed by the commissioner and state that the vehicle will 
        be used exclusively for a purpose authorized by this section.  
           (d) Unmarked vehicles used by the departments of revenue 
        and labor and industry, fraud unit, in conducting seizures or 
        criminal investigations must be registered and must display 
        passenger vehicle classification license number plates which 
        shall be furnished at cost by the registrar.  Original and 
        renewal applications for these passenger vehicle license plates 
        must be accompanied by a certification signed by the 
        commissioner of revenue or the commissioner of labor and 
        industry.  The certification must be on a form prescribed by the 
        commissioner and state that the vehicles will be used 
        exclusively for the purposes authorized by this section. 
           (e) Unmarked vehicles used by the division of disease 
        prevention and control of the department of health must be 
        registered and must display passenger vehicle classification 
        license number plates.  These plates must be furnished at cost 
        by the registrar.  Original and renewal applications for these 
        passenger vehicle license plates must be accompanied by a 
        certification signed by the commissioner of health.  The 
        certification must be on a form prescribed by the commissioner 
        and state that the vehicles will be used exclusively for the 
        official duties of the division of disease prevention and 
        control.  
           (f) All other motor vehicles shall be registered and 
        display tax-exempt number plates which shall be furnished by the 
        registrar at cost, except as provided in subdivision 1c.  All 
        vehicles required to display tax-exempt number plates shall have 
        the name of the state department or political subdivision, or 
        the nonpublic high school operating a driver education program, 
        on the vehicle plainly displayed on both sides thereof in 
        letters not less than 2-1/2 inches high and one-half inch wide; 
        except that each state hospital and institution for the mentally 
        ill and mentally retarded may have one vehicle without the 
        required identification on the sides of the vehicle, and county 
        social service agencies may have vehicles used for child and 
        vulnerable adult protective services without the required 
        identification on the sides of the vehicle.  Such identification 
        shall be in a color giving contrast with that of the part of the 
        vehicle on which it is placed and shall endure throughout the 
        term of the registration.  The identification must not be on a 
        removable plate or placard and shall be kept clean and visible 
        at all times; except that a removable plate or placard may be 
        utilized on vehicles leased or loaned to a political subdivision 
        or to a nonpublic high school driver education program. 
           Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
           Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day following final 
        enactment. 
           Presented to the governor February 14, 1996 
           Signed by the governor February 15, 1996, 10:27 a.m.