1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to drivers' licenses; requiring state to 
  1.3             purchase and maintain photo identification equipment 
  1.4             for existing driver's license agents; appropriating 
  1.5             money; amending Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, 
  1.6             section 171.061, subdivision 4; repealing Minnesota 
  1.7             Rules, part 7404.0400, subpart 4, item c. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
  1.10  171.061, subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 4.  [FEE; EQUIPMENT.] (a) The agent may charge and 
  1.12  retain a filing fee of $3.50 for each application.  Except as 
  1.13  provided in paragraph (b), the fee shall cover all expenses 
  1.14  involved in receiving, accepting, or forwarding to the 
  1.15  department the applications and fees required under sections 
  1.16  171.02, subdivision 3; 171.06, subdivisions 2 and 2a; and 
  1.17  171.07, subdivisions 3 and 3a. 
  1.18     (b) ~~An agent with photo identification equipment provided~~ 
  1.19  ~~by the department before January 1, 1999, may retain the photo~~ 
  1.20  ~~identification equipment until the agent's appointment~~ 
  1.21  ~~terminates.~~  The department shall maintain the photo 
  1.22  identification equipment for ~~these~~ all agents appointed as of 
  1.23  January 1, 2000.  ~~An agent appointed before January 1, 1999, who~~ 
  1.24  ~~does not have photo identification equipment provided by the~~ 
  1.25  ~~department, and any new agent appointed after December 31, 1998,~~ 
  1.26  ~~shall procure and maintain photo identification equipment.~~  Upon 
  2.1   the retirement, resignation, death, or discontinuance of an 
  2.2   existing agent, and if a new agent is appointed in an existing 
  2.3   office pursuant to Minnesota Rules, chapter 7404, and 
  2.4   notwithstanding the above or Minnesota Rules, part 7404.0400, 
  2.5   the department shall provide and maintain photo identification 
  2.6   equipment without additional cost to a newly appointed agent in 
  2.7   that office if the office was provided the equipment by the 
  2.8   department before January 1, ~~1999~~ 2000.  All photo 
  2.9   identification equipment must be compatible with standards 
  2.10  established by the department. 
  2.11     (c) A filing fee retained by the agent employed by a county 
  2.12  board must be paid into the county treasury and credited to the 
  2.13  general revenue fund of the county.  An agent who is not an 
  2.14  employee of the county shall retain the filing fee in lieu of 
  2.15  county employment or salary and is considered an independent 
  2.16  contractor for pension purposes, coverage under the Minnesota 
  2.17  state retirement system, or membership in the public employees 
  2.18  retirement association. 
  2.19     (d) Before the end of the first working day following the 
  2.20  final day of the reporting period established by the department, 
  2.21  the agent must forward to the department all applications and 
  2.22  fees collected during the reporting period except as provided in 
  2.23  paragraph (c). 
  2.24     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.25     $....... is appropriated to the commissioner of public 
  2.26  safety from the trunk highway fund to use as grants to driver's 
  2.27  license agents to pay for the monthly lease and maintenance 
  2.28  costs of photo identification equipment.  This amount adds to 
  2.29  the base for the next biennium.  
  2.30     Sec. 3.  [REPEALER.] 
  2.31     Minnesota Rules, part 7404.0400, subpart 4, item C, is 
  2.32  repealed. 
  2.33     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.34     Sections 1 to 3 are effective January 1, 2000.