Minnesota Session Laws - 2007, Regular Session

CHAPTER 71--S.F.No. 1464

An act

relating to motor vehicles; requiring motor vehicle collision repair to include air bag repair or replacement; providing criminal penalties;

proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 325E.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [325E.0952] MANDATORY AIR BAG REPLACEMENT. new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section. new text end

new text begin (b) "Motor vehicle" means a self-propelled vehicle designed for use on the public highways and originally equipped with an air bag. new text end

new text begin (c) "Person" means an individual, firm, partnership, incorporated or unincorporated association, or any other legal or commercial entity. new text end

new text begin (d) "Air bag" means any inflatable restraint system installed in a motor vehicle to comply with safety standards established for the motor vehicle by federal law or regulation. new text end

new text begin (e) "Collision repair" means restoration or repair of damage to a motor vehicle resulting from collision or other occurrence. new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Prohibited acts. new text end

new text begin (a) A person with actual knowledge that a motor vehicle's air bag has deployed or is missing may not perform collision repair of that motor vehicle unless any deployed or missing air bag is replaced with an air bag designed for the make, model, and year of the vehicle. new text end

new text begin (b) A person may not knowingly install or reinstall any object in lieu of an airbag designed for the make, model, and year of the vehicle, as part of a vehicle inflatable restraint system. new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Exclusion. new text end

new text begin Subdivision 2, paragraph (a), does not apply to a motor vehicle that is a model year more than seven years prior to the year that the repair is performed. new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Penalty. new text end

new text begin A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor. new text end

Presented to the governor May 11, 2007

Signed by the governor May 15, 2007, 12:54 p.m.