1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to transportation; authorizing grants for 
  1.3             installation of passive restraint systems on school 
  1.4             buses; requiring a study; appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [SCHOOL BUS RESTRAINT DEMONSTRATION GRANT.] 
  1.7      Subdivision 1.  [DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.] The commissioner 
  1.8   of public safety shall award grants to school districts or 
  1.9   school bus contractors to demonstrate the effectiveness of 
  1.10  passive restraint systems on school buses using the R-bar or a 
  1.11  similarly styled technology.  The commissioner may establish 
  1.12  criteria for the grants and determine the amount of each grant. 
  1.13     Subd. 2.  [APPROVAL.] The commissioner of public safety 
  1.14  shall award the grants under subdivision 1 only after receiving 
  1.15  approval of the passive restraint system from the school bus 
  1.16  safety advisory committee. 
  1.17     Subd. 3.  [EVALUATION.] The department of public safety 
  1.18  shall contract for an evaluation of the passive restraint system.
  1.19  The department of public safety may contract with the department 
  1.20  of administration to perform this evaluation. 
  1.21     Subd. 4.  [APPROPRIATION.] $200,000 is appropriated in 
  1.22  fiscal year 1999 from the general fund to the department of 
  1.23  public safety for grants for passive restraint systems on school 
  1.24  buses.  Up to $40,000 of this amount may be used for the 
  1.25  evaluation of the effectiveness of the passive restraint system. 
  2.1      Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.2      Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.