1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to motor vehicles; providing for special 
  1.3             license plates for alternative fuel vehicles powered 
  1.4             by E85 fuel; directing commissioner of transportation 
  1.5             to authorize use of high-occupancy vehicle lanes by 
  1.6             E85-fueled vehicles; proposing coding for new law in 
  1.7             Minnesota Statutes, chapter 168. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [168.1265] [E85-FUELED VEHICLES; SPECIAL 
  1.10  PLATES.] 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [GENERAL REQUIREMENTS; FEES.] (a) On 
  1.12  payment of a fee for each set of two license plates, calculated 
  1.13  by the registrar of motor vehicles to cover the cost of 
  1.14  manufacturing and issuing the special plates authorized by this 
  1.15  section, payment of the registration tax required by law, and 
  1.16  compliance with other laws relating to the registration and 
  1.17  licensing of a passenger automobile, pickup truck, or van, as 
  1.18  applicable, the registrar shall issue special license plates to 
  1.19  an applicant who is an owner or joint owner of an alternative 
  1.20  fuel vehicle.  For purposes of this section, "alternative fuel 
  1.21  vehicle" means any passenger automobile, pickup truck, or van 
  1.22  powered by E85 fuel, as defined in section 296A.01, subdivision 
  1.23  19. 
  1.24     (b) The additional fee calculated by the registrar is 
  1.25  payable at the time of initial application for the special 
  1.26  license plates and when the license plates must be replaced or 
  2.1   renewed.  An applicant must not be issued more than one set of 
  2.2   special license plates for each alternative fuel vehicle owned 
  2.3   or jointly owned by the applicant. 
  2.4      (c) The registrar shall determine by rule what 
  2.5   documentation or inspection is required by each applicant to 
  2.6   show that the applicant owns an alternative fuel vehicle that 
  2.7   uses E85 fuel and is entitled to the special license plates. 
  2.8      Subd. 2.  [DESIGN.] The registrar, after consultation with 
  2.9   law enforcement agencies, shall design the special license 
  2.10  plates to display "E85" of a size and color readily viewable by 
  2.11  law enforcement personnel, which must be at least as large as 
  2.12  the other letters and numerals on the plate.  
  2.13     Subd. 3.  [FEES CREDITED.] Fees collected under this 
  2.14  section must be paid into the state treasury and credited to the 
  2.15  highway user tax distribution fund. 
  2.16     Sec. 2.  [COMMISSIONER OF TRANSPORTATION; HIGH-OCCUPANCY 
  2.17  VEHICLE LANE USE.] 
  2.18     For lanes located on any interstate highways and on any 
  2.19  other freeways, as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 
  2.20  160.02, that on the effective date of this act were restricted 
  2.21  for all or any part of a day to high-occupancy vehicles only, 
  2.22  the commissioner of transportation, by executive order, shall 
  2.23  allow the operation of alternative fuel vehicles, displaying 
  2.24  special E85 license plates issued under section 1, in those 
  2.25  lanes at all times.  
  2.26     In the case of lanes on marked interstate highway 394, the 
  2.27  commissioner shall designate the direction in which vehicles 
  2.28  allowed to use the lanes under this section must travel and the 
  2.29  hours during which travel in each direction is permitted.